Phil Parkinson is relishing the opportunity for his Wrexham side to test themselves against League One opposition in the Emirates FA Cup on Sunday.
The Red Dragons got to the Fourth Round of the competition last season, taking now Premier League side Sheffield United to a replay at Bramall Lane.
Speaking about his side’s preparations, he said: “It’s going to be very similar in terms of the way that we approached it last year (Coventry City).
“The Coventry match was one where we were looking forward to seeing the team against higher opposition. This match is no different. Shrewsbury are a very established League One side, with a lot of very good players.
“It’s obviously a division that we aim to be in, so it will be a good test for us collectively and it will be a great cup tie. There’s a lot of elements that will add excitement to the day but from a purely footballing perspective it is a good test for us and a good benchmark.”
Despite flying high in the Sky Bet League Two table so far this season, as the Red Dragons currently occupy one of the automatic promotion spaces, Parkinson feels a run in the FA Cup can only benefit his side.
He explained: “We have already got to round three which was our initial aim. In all my time as a manager I’ve never known a cup run not to benefit the team.
“I think that when we looked at it last year it was a good opportunity to set a benchmark against some really good sides and it allowed us to under the pressure in front of the live TV cameras.
“It helped us to deal with those scenarios and benefited us when it came to the end of the season against Notts County and Boreham Wood.”
Parkinson revealed that there were no new injury concerns to report, but he admitted that his squad wouldn’t be boosted by any players returning into the frame for selection on Sunday.
A sell-out is expected at Croud Meadow, with the Red Dragons backed by a full-away end as Wrexham hope to progress into the Fourth Round of the competition.
Parkinson explained: “We are a team who are used to playing with expectations on our shoulders, every league game is a sell out with big expectations, and we feel we have created a team with the mentality and strength of character to cope with that.
“It will be a huge challenge for us but one that we are very excited about. The lads will have a clear understanding of the importance of this tie before the game kicks-off.
“It’s important to understand that but we know that we need to go there with a clear game plan and get through to the next round.”