Shrewsbury youngsters are fired up for a battle

Town's Under-18s travel to face Ilkeston in the FA Youth Cup second round hoping to clinch a home clash against the Magpies.

And Dawes believes Town must show the appetite for a battle in Derbyshire.

"We've got to make sure we've got as much fight as them and that we've got more quality than them to get through," said Dawes.

"I've watched them and I've spoken to people about them – they're no mugs."

Dawes rested several players in preparation for the tie in Saturday's 1-1 draw against Wrexham.

"We've done all we can to prepare them in the right way, and then it's all down to the players as to who handles the situation the best," he said.

"It's going to be a tough game. We watched them on DVD when they beat Burton on penalties but they deserved the win and were very good."

Youth-team games rarely attract more than a few dozen people. But this evening's tie is likely to watched by a more partisan audience and Dawes warned Shrewsbury must cope with any intimidation.

"The players have got to deal with different conditions and different environments," he said.

"We had a bit of that in the Telford game where Telford brought a few supporters. They were loud and supported the team and I thought a few of us wobbled because they weren't used to that.

"I hope they handle it a bit better."