Analysis: Performance is all wrong, but result is just what Shrewsbury Town need

Smash and grab. Get out of jail. Daylight robbery.

Any of the above were a perfectly valid assessment of Town’s 1-0 victory over AFC Wimbledon at QPR’s Loftus Road. For much of the 90 minutes, that outcome looked the last thing likely to happen.

But then up popped veteran forward Leon Clarke with the goalscoring nous that persuaded Sam Ricketts to offer the 35-year-old a deal.

Clarke’s 91st-minute back-post diving header, entirely against the run of play against a lively Wimbledon side who impressed if lacking a touch of ruthlessness to go with their guile, was undeserved – but Town won’t care a jot.

Ricketts might have been relieved and – deep down – very pleased with the outcome. But he was deeply unhappy with what he saw from his side, who had debutant goalkeeper Deyan Iliev to thank keeping Wimbledon at bay.

In a post-match interview full of home truths, the Shrewsbury manager called out his team’s performance. Ricketts admitted ‘there was an awful lot wrong’, ‘we didn’t play well’ and ‘everything was poor’. They were not the type of soundbites you expect from a manager whose side have just notched a last-minute winner on the road.

But fair play to the Town chief for not attempting to dress up what had been a largely dire performance.

Town made Wimbledon look a cut above and, at times, it was one-way traffic in favour of the hosts, who were left wondering how on earth they lost the game. Dons boss Glyn Hodges admitted afterwards he would have been disappointed had the contest finished 0-0.

Shrewsbury didn’t arrive at the Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium to settle for a point – but they would’ve been quite pleased to speed away back up the M40 with a share of the spoils given the hosts’ dominance.

It took them five games to chalk up a first league win and Ricketts is right that his side have, at times, deserved a little more. But in west London Shrewsbury merited very little. Yet the win could be a pivotal catalyst to kickstart this season.

Winless league starts are always difficult. Pressure builds with each passing game like a cloud hanging over the team. After MK Dons’ win over Gillingham in the early kick-off, Ricketts’ men were a few minutes from becoming the only League One side without a win – until Clarke, the veteran of 17 professional clubs and more than 150 goals, showed he still knows how to sniff out the telling touch with a poacher’s finish from Josh Vela’s corner at the death.

The striker’s impact will have delighted Ricketts. Both Town boss and match-winner admitted that Clarke should not have found himself at the far post to convert amid a sea of bodies from inside the six-yard box, but Ricketts will thank his lucky stars the frontman opted to ‘gamble’.

You could hardly blame him. Clarke had been starved of service throughout. The same could be said for Jason Cummings out on the right of Shrewsbury’s front three and Ryan Barnett – handed a second league start – on the left. Town missed Shaun Whalley’s impact.

Ricketts hammered his side’s build-up play. Quite often in the middle of the park, and at times building from the back, Shrewsbury’s touch was heavy or lacking, their pass was sluggish or negative. It made for a turgid affair. Aside from a bright opening five minutes in either half, Town were severely lacking.

Wimbledon, on the other hand, looked like a side full of vim and vigour. They may be struggling for wins at their temporary Loftus Road home, but it was clear why the Dons had managed some impressive results on the road.

They were sharp on the break, transitioned brilliantly between midfield and attack and were lively on the counter, with wing-backs threatening and midfielder Ethan Chislett backing up a very lively front pair of Joe Pigott and Ryan Longman.

Left wing-back Steve Seddon was a constant attacking menace, ensuring a busy afternoon for emergency right-back Ro-Shaun Williams, filling in for injury victims Marlon Fossey and Matt Millar with the out-of-favour Donald Love nowhere to be seen.

It was a busy Town debut for Arsenal loanee Iliev between the sticks. Town’s Harry Burgoyne is still well within his rights to feel miffed at missing out.

Shrewsbury, by comparison, offered precious little. Not one shot had been registered by half-time, by which point Wimbledon should have been 2-0 up but lacked a little composure to finish off their numerous neat moves.

Town wide forwards Cummings and Barnett were lively early on but faded badly. Town were nowhere in midfield – Ricketts handed a debut to Brentford schemer Jan Zamburek but the teenage loanee endured a rude awakening. He was caught dallying time and time again. And he wasn’t alone.

Vela, who would go on to create the late winner, was largely anonymous and skipper Ollie Norburn failed to inspire the side forward.

As the second half wore on, there appeared only one winner. Wimbledon were a threat every time they ventured forward. Ricketts sent Scott High on for Barnett with a little under 10 minutes remaining, with the instruction to fit in at right wing-back as Town attempted to shut up shop.

Credit an earlier sub, Dan Udoh, for his hard graft in earning the decisive corner in added time. After last-gasp heartache last time out against Gillingham, this time it was sheer Shrewsbury joy.

Ricketts’ reaction to the victory suggests he is very much aware that the dramatic late show solves few, if any, of his side’s problems.

Town will not win many more games this season if they play that poorly. Improvement of the performance is needed, beginning with tomorrow evening’s home game against Bristol Rovers.

Chalking up that first win, however, allows for a touch of breathing room and the pressure to deliver in back-to-back home games ahead is not what it might have been.

But Ricketts will demand much higher standards. Town have played well in patches this season and got scant reward. This time, they got lucky.