Shrewsbury Town 1-3 Burnley - Report
Shrewsbury Town gave a good account of themselves in a pre-season defeat to relegated Premier League outfit Burnley.
Steve Cotterill's side were beaten 3-1 by Vincent Kompany's Burnley in their return home to Montgomery Waters Meadow for the first time this summer.
The Clarets' class told on occasion, particularly in the first hour with a strong starting XI, but Shrewsbury will be pleased with aspects of their game with and without the ball against a quality outfit.
A highlight for the near 1,500 home fans in attendance was new signing Jordan Shipley's equaliser just seconds into the second period - a gorgeous cushioned lob into the top corner.
It is Cardiff, also of the Championship, next for Town at home on Tuesday for final preparation for the real stuff in a fortnight. Cotterill will be pleased with lots of what he's seen.
New addition Aiden O'Brien made a first appearance in a Town matchday squad having sat out the friendly at AFC Telford United on Tuesday.
He started on the bench, but there were starts for the other five new recruits.
There was still no involvement for Elliott Bennett, who was present at the Meadow. Defender Tom Flanagan was also missing from the squad.
New loan addition from Bristol City Taylor Moore, this time playing in the back three rather than defensive midfield, took the captain's armband instead of Daniel Udoh.
For visitors Burnley, at Oteley Road for the first time, it was a first public pre-season friendly after behind-closed-doors contests against Wolves and Rochdale.
It was the only chance for Clarets fans to watch Kompany's new-look side in action ahead of Burnley's Championship kick off in two weeks.
Three of Burnley's seven new signings were named in the Belgian's starting XI. The clash also brought former Shrews faces Mike Jackson and Matt Williams, manager and CEO respectively, back to the Meadow.
But it was the familiar old-guard pair up front of Ashley Barnes and Jay Rodriguez who caught the eye in the opening exchanges. Rodriguez screwed wide from a Barnes flick but had been flagged offside before the former West Brom frontman lashed wide from distance.
Town, though, showed flashes of good football as they found their feet. There were neat moves down the right between Matt Pennington, Udoh and Tom Bayliss, who looked a creative and keen runner with the ball.
Right wing-back Julien Dacosta, who impressed, had keeper Bailey Peacock-Farrell worried for a second as his cross landed on the roof of the net.
The Town Frenchman also showed encouraging signs defending his own box on a couple of occasions, before Shipley recovered from a knock.
Shrews' best move of the half came seconds before Burnley's opener as the hosts worked it back to front behind Ryan Bowman and Udoh combined well to release Dacosta. The speedster's cross was just cleared.
And then, swiftly down the other end, Burnley knitted together some passes as Josh Brownhill split the Town defence with a smart ball into the box to free Congo attacker Samuel Bastien, who finished well beyond Marko Marosi.
Kompany's men threatened to open the floodgates as the classy Barnes twice beat Marosi in 30 seconds, but both efforts were ruled out.
Shrews rediscovered their composure and remained relatively comfortable until half-time.
Cotterill's men started the second half like a house on fire - with a moment of brilliance to savour.
A low cross from the right was skewed back to the edge of the box, where midfielder Shipley controlled it on the box and, instead of lashing wildly, he cushioned a gorgeous strike into the top left corner beyond substitute keeper Will Norris with his instep.
It was a stunning way to introduce himself 30 seconds after the start.
Marosi had to be lively to keep out strikes from both Josh Cullen and Brownhill shortly afterwards before Luke Leahy almost marked the evening with another glorious moment.
Inside his own half, barely in the centre circle, he spotted Norris off his line and an incredible lofted strike sailed over the stranded keeper and just a few feet wide.
Burnley edged back ahead before the hour after excellent, teasing delivery from midfielder Brownhill from the left. His cross beat Town's defence and was scrambled home and the back post by sub Ne-Jai Tucker.
Amid a raft of second-half changes Town lost the lively Dacosta to a knock, replaced by Rekeil Pyke.
Defender Dunkley, a dominant and vocal presence all evening, had his head in his hands with 20 minutes left after being unable to convert from close range after another excellent Bayliss set-piece delivery.
It would be Burnley who grabbed the game's final game, to hand them a comfortable buffer, through defender Bobby Thomas from a corner for some gloss from a Clarets perspective.
TEAMS
Shrewsbury Town (3-5-2): Marosi; Pennington, Dunkley, Moore (c) (Caton, 80); Dacosta (Pyke, 68), Bayliss, Shipley (Craig, 90), Leahy, Nurse; Bowman, Udoh (Bloxham, 71).
Subs not used: Burgoyne, Barlow, O'Brien.
Burnley: Peacock-Farrell (Norris, 45), Roberts (McNally, 45), Egan-Riley, Thomas, Taylor, Brownhill, Cork, Cullen (Helm, 61), Bastien (Tucker, 45), Barnes, Rodriguez (Costelloe, 61).
Subs not used: Lowton, Dodgson, Richardson, McGlynn.
Attendance: 1,978 (534 Burnley fans)
