Analysis: Shrewsbury lack spark as injuries and schedule start to bite

On Wednesday evening, a late winner against Oxford could have moved Salop up into the play off spots – and even three points against Barnsley would have put Steve Cotterill’s men a point off the top six.

As it happened, one point from the two games and they have slipped down to 14th place.

That points return from two home games will come as deep frustration for the Salop chief, but a combination of more rotten luck with injuries and a relentless recent schedule, which you could argue has been unfair on Salop, has been an Achilles heel.

Against the Tykes, a strong outfit who have come down from the Championship, Salop looked tired.

But despite looking tired they had control, more control than their counterparts and deserved to take something from the game.

However, as it transpired they left pointless and now, despite their impressive start to the campaign, are winless in five in the league.

Cotterill made two like for like changes from the side that drew with Oxford United on Wednesday evening.

Elliott Bennett, who has been in a good run of form since returning from ankle surgery wasn’t named in the squad after being taken off at half-time in the midweek clash, with Cotterill later revealing he had picked up a calf injury and could face a ‘sustained period’ on the sidelines.

The wing-back was replaced by Rekeil Pyke, with Rob Street dropping to the bench in place of Ryan Bowman.

It was always going to be an emotional afternoon at the Montgomery Waters Meadow, as alongside the annual Remembrance Day ceremony, fans and players alike paid tribute to lifelong fan and well-known supporter Glyn Price, who died on Thursday following a short battle with bowl cancer.

A shirt was placed in the Salop fan’s seat in the West Stand ahead of minute’s applause in his memory in the 42nd minute.

Heading into the game, Cotterill’s men, who progressed in the FA Cup last weekend but were without a win in their previous four league outings, knew a victory against the Tykes would take them within a point of the League One play-off places.

Barnsley, who suffered relegation from the Championship last season sat just two places above Salop before kick-off, arrived in Shropshire following back to back wins and for Cotterill he was going up against a manager who, as a player, had played a big part in two of his previous managerial spells.

Michael Duff, who took over at Oakwell in June, spent five years under Cotterill at Cheltenham Town as they earned promotion to the Football League before the Salop boss signed him at Burnley back in 2004.

In a stop start opening 10 minutes it was the more experienced of the two managers whose side looked sharper, with Salop putting the ball into dangerous areas on a couple of occasions.

A Tom Bayliss corner dropped in a packed penalty area but no-one in Blue and Amber could poke it goalwards.

It took until 10 minutes for Barnsley to even put the ball into the Salop final third, but when they did they found the net.

A ball into the right side of the box found Devante Cole and the forward was given time to slide the ball across the box for Adam Phillips, a summer target of Salop’s, who swept the ball across Marko Marosi into the far corner.

Within four minutes, though, Salop could and really should have been level.

Christian Saydee broke down the right flank and his pull back found Taylor Moore, but his cross come shot flashed across the face of goal and was inches away from being turned home by Bowman.

Liam Kitching dragged an effort wide at the other end as the visitors started to get more of a grip on the game and put the Salop backline under more pressure.

Just after the hour mark Barnsley passed up a glorious chance to go two up as a cross in was headed off the crossbar by Cole, with Slobodan Tedic turning the rebound wide from five yards out.

Salop weathered a storm until late in the half when they started to get more on the front foot, as they had done in the opening exchanges.

Then, on 42 minutes, the Salop crowd, including the Barnsley supporters rose in unison to wave flags and clap in memory of life long supporter Price. And during the minute Luke Leahy won a free-kick on the edge of the box.

It would have been fitting for the Salop skipper to fire home just as the minute’s applause came to an end, and he beat keeper Brad Collins who stood motionless as the free-kick flew over the wall but it went just the wrong side of the post.

The opening to the second period didn’t produce anything in the way of clear chances, with a Jordan Shipley effort from range that flew over the bar the closest either side came to a goal.

With 23 minutes remaining, Cotterill turned to his bench and introduced youngster Tom Bloxham for Saydee as Salop looked to find that bit of quality to open up the Tykes.

With a quarter-of-an-hour remaining, Salop were enjoying good spells of position and putting a bit of pressure on the home side without being able to carve out that clear cut chance.

Shipley again lashed high over the bar from range before he went slightly closer 12 minutes from time with a dipping volley from a knock down off a corner.

With 10 minutes left, Cotterill again turned to the bench, throwing on midfielder Carl Winchester, as well as handing young left-back Josh Bailey his league debut.

As the clock ticked down is was still Salop looking the more likely with the only Barnsley sniff at goal in the second half coming when Cole lifted an effort over from a tight angle.

Deep into the stoppage time, the game produced a flashpoint as a deep Taylor Moore ball into the box saw Chey Dunkley go up and challenge with keeper Collins, with the latter taking aim at the defender after the collision.

It then spilled over in front of the visiting fans with a host of other players rushing over before the incident was calmed and both players went into the book.

And Salop were to be left frustrated as despite having control of the second period, with Barnsley content to hang on to their narrow lead, the home side couldn’t conjure up that quality moment needed to take something from the game.

What they lacked for the majority of the afternoon was a creative spark.

Bayliss was unusually quiet – one who may have felt the pinch of the tight schedule – and up top, Saydee looked good in spells but they lacked that cutting edge which Cotterill put down to a lack of sharpness.

And you can’t help but feel slightly sorry for Salop, given their injury woes.

Five senior players are now sitting on the sidelines with two suffering long-term injuries.

It has been a good start from Cotterill’s men, and despite that 14th position and no win in five in the league they are just five points off the play-off spots with 18 games played.

However, if Salop did have those experienced, quality players fit and in their squad at the moment you have to say they wouldn’t be five points off the play-offs. They most likely would be well in the mix for the top six.