Laws: Curse, what curse?

Last updated : 06 May 2005 By Luke Thornhill
Teams whose boss have just won the award often seem to lose their next match, leading to a fear within the game of being given the prize.

United need just a point from their final day game at Shrewsbury to seal promotion to League One, not the best time for the curse to strike.

But Laws insists his players will not be put off by the prize, and reckons it is instead sign of his side's impressive form in recent weeks.

He said: "I'd like to thank the players mainly. It was a good start winning it in August, but this is the business end of the season.

"As a manager you'd like to think you're close to winning something special when you win it in April .

"It's a confidence booster and we'll use it as a springboard for Saturday.

"It's certainly not a kiss of death. We won straight after I got it in August, and as I said it's the players who deserve all the plaudits. I'm very proud of them all."

Laws is forced into one change to his starting line-up, with Matty Sparrow set to replace broken leg victim Richard Kell.

Shrewsbury will welcome back Ben Smith from a dislocated shoulder, and Jamie Tolley could make the bench.