Bernard McNally column: Fingers crossed Shrewsbury can take the final step at Wembley

It will be one that the players will remember forever.

And if Shrewsbury win promotion to the Championship, it will mean the world to the fans.

I just hope the players turn up on the day and play how they have done throughout the season to reach this point.

Fingers crossed it will be fifth time lucky for us.

What the players and in particular Paul Hurst have achieved this season is tremendous.

When they started the season the bookies had written them off .

They have already been to Wembley this season for the Checkatrade Trophy final.

To get through the play-off semi-finals and reach Wembley again is just tremendous.

Now what I want them to do is go one step further.

It is one of the club’s biggest days because they could be going into the second tier of English football.

I remember back in 1979 when Shrewsbury got promoted to the second tier, in the times of Jake King and Ken Mulhearn.

The fans have great memories of playing at the Championship level and will be backing them to do it again.

This will be a really historic event for them. I just hope they can get through it.

The players can write themselves into the history books if they win promotion.

It really will be an historic occasion.

Hopefully they will come away with promotion – it will be one heck of a celebration on Sunday if they do.

The players will have picked up experience from playing in the Checkatrade Trophy.

You could see they were disappointed at the result during the final.

The game slipped them by and they didn’t really perform to the standards they are capable of, but hopefully they have gained experience from that.

I would imagine the players will be saying to each other ‘let’s not lose ourselves on the pitch’ and ‘we need to perform at the high standards we have been at this season’.

I hope they enjoy themselves. It is a big time for the club and for them in their own careers.

I think it was a good experience playing in the Checkatrade Trophy and I am expecting them to play at high standards.

I can see them coming away with the win and hopefully they can do that – but they need to enjoy the occasion. There is nothing like a Wembley final and these players are going to their second one of the season.

This will mean everything to the supporters if Shrewsbury can get promotion.

Going back to the Championship level there is nothing like it, it is one step away from the Premier League – playing the likes of Stoke, Derby and West Brom.

I am not saying they are going into that level but they are one step closer to where everyone wants to be.

It will be something for the fans to shout about and what a great occasion it will be for the town.

I hope the fans have a great day and wish Paul and the boys all the best.