EFL Trophy: Shrewsbury 0 Crewe 1 - Report
Shrewsbury Town kicked off their Papa John’s Trophy campaign with a low-key late 1-0 defeat to Crewe.
Town frustration went on as, with fans concentrating on last-minute transfer business, Crewe loan youngster Ben Knight lashed in a stoppage time Group C winner with Salop 30 seconds from a first clean sheet this term.
Boss Steve Cotterill did not take his place in the home Meadow dugout as the teams emerged ahead of kick-off.
Aaron Wilbraham and David Longwell orchestrated things from the dugout, while Cotterill watched on from the directors’ box - where he had access to his mobile phone for any potential late deals.
The much-changed hosts improved after a forgettable first half and were the better side after the break but did not do enough and were punished at the death.
Cotterill made nine alterations to the side who recorded a first league win against Gillingham on Saturday.
Only captain Ethan Ebanks-Landell and midfielder David Davis - suspended for this Saturday’s league trip to Accrington Stanley - remained in place.
Harry Burgoyne was dismissed in the bad-tempered closing stages against the Gills, but as suspensions don’t carry over into the Trophy, made a first appearance of the season between the sticks.
There was just a second senior start for highly-rated 18-year-old striker Charlie Caton, for whom the evening was a first appearance of the season.
Dave Artell’s Crewe themselves passed 500 minutes without a goal in their latest defeat of five on the spin in the league at Charlton on Saturday.
Just the Roland Wycherley Stand was open for home fans on, with transfer window priorities elsewhere, a low-key evening. And the visitors started the brighter with Regan Griffiths shooting wide and Tom Lowery testing Burgoyne from distance.
Town’s standout player early on was youngster Caton, who was playing in the ‘No.10’ role in a 4-2-3-1 system.
The Welsh teenager showed his enthusiasm in tracking back to win the ball back and link play well as the visitors edged the start.
Rekeil Pyke cut a frustrated figure on the right flank and things got tougher for the forward whose evening was done inside half hour as he limped off with an injury.
Josh Daniels, enjoying a rare start at right-back, was bright and purposeful when he had the chance to break forward. Striker Ryan Bowman, in for a first start since injury, put himself about up front well, albeit to little reward.
But a quiet first half had been edged by the visitors, albeit a lack of quality was summed up by Callum McFadzean’s free-kick for Crewe sailing into the away end.
Town fans sitting behind the dugouts noticed Wilbraham taking phone calls from manager Cotterill, throughout the first period.
Town did not start the second half well and were fortunate not to fall behind but for the agility of keeper Burgoyne, who got down to his left corner to keep out Oliver Finney’s effort after the midfielder was afforded far too much space by Matt Pennington and Ebanks-Landell in the Town box.
Griffiths nodded well over from a cross shortly after as the Railwaymen turned the screw.
Salop tried to step up their pressing game as the half progressed and Caton missed a good chance at getting a shot away free in the box after Davis’ fine pass, before the Alex defence caught up to him.
The hour mark passed without a Town effort on target and that should’ve changed when Daniels powered forward well but dragged wide at the near post from Bowman’s pass.
The home side had improved after the break, Davis leading the charge from midfield while Nathanael Ogbeta’s delivery from the left was good.
Some quality from Ogbeta almost broke the deadlock. The left-sider’s cross-shot from Khanya Leshabela’s pass deflected wide. Ogbeta's delivery from that corner was heading in at the near post before keeper Dave Richards’ stop.
Bowman hung in the air well from a Pennington cross but his effort was easily snatched by Richards with penalties looming.
The 90 minutes looked to be petering out with changes and regular breaks in play and penalties loomed but Town shot themselves in the foot in the second minute of three added on, leaving sub Knight with far too much room in the box from a throw-in and the youngster lashed in past Burgoyne.
Teams
Shrewsbury Town (4-2-3-1):
Burgoyne; Daniels, Ebanks-Landell ©, Pennington, Ogbeta; Davis, Leshabela (Bennett, 88); Whalley, Caton (Leahy, 84), Pyke (Nurse, 29); Bowman.
Subs not used: Marosi, Bloxham, Udoh, Cosgrove.
Crewe Alexandra (3-5-2):
Richards; Ramsay, McFadzean, Daniels; Ainley, Lowery, Finney (Knight, 61), Robertson, Johnson; Porter, Griffiths (Lundstram, 81).
Subs not used: Mandron, Onyeka, Robbins, Booth, O’Riordan.
Referee: Sebastian Stockbridge
Attendance: 1,680 (111 Crewe fans)
