Bernard McNally: Others must step up for Shrewsbury Town

And while Wigan and Blackburn are both strong, I believe Shrewsbury still have an excellent chance of winning this three-horse race.

From this point until the end of the season, it’s all about coping with pressure.

The two teams that deal with it best will clinch an instant place in the Championship.

But it’s over the next few weeks and matches that the pressure will really intensify.

And it’s going to be interesting to see how Rovers and the Latics respond.

For Shrewsbury, it’s just a case of maintaining what they have been doing. They were rank outsiders at the start of the season.

Fans of Blackburn and Wigan expect their team to go up though.

That will play on the minds of their players as the finish line draws closer. And for that reason I think Shrewsbury are in a great position because they just keep surprising us.

The result at Scunthorpe really was tremendous. Town went 1-0 down and Dean Henderson even saved a penalty.

But in horrible conditions, they battled back to win their game and register their fifth straight victory on the road.

That is a wonderful achievement. And the team then backed it up with a good draw at Northampton.

I know there were a few fans disappointed by that result but the Cobblers are scrapping for their lives. And Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink has got them really organised. Any point away from home in those circumstances is a good one.

And now Town have got a great chance to ramp up the pressure on their rivals when they host AFC Wimbledon on Saturday.

Blackburn aren’t in action, while Wigan play their third game in six days at Bury.

It’s not going to be easy against Neal Ardley’s side, who are also down there fighting.

And it’ll be even harder without the injured Ben Godfrey and the suspended Abu Ogogo.

It’s real shame they are going to be missing for the next few weeks because the midfield has such a wonderful blend.

Godfrey patrols the back four so well and, because he’s so strong in the air, teams find it hard to lump balls into their front men.

Ogogo, meanwhile, is like a human dynamo – he just pops everywhere. And then you have Jon Nolan providing the creativity.

The squad is going to be stretched but this is an opportunity for Bryn Morris to step up.

And I believe Shrewsbury will cope both on Saturday and in the run-in because Paul Hurst has built a team with such a strong team spirit.

This is a side that plays for each other, that plays for the manager and – most importantly – plays for the fans.

Because of that, I know they will push both Wigan and Blackburn all the way.