Shrewsbury Town on the end of some rough justice from the referee
Shrewsbury’s unbeaten run was always going to come to an end at some point – but it felt like they did enough at the weekend to earn themselves at least a draw.
The hosts were undoubtedly the better side in Lancashire in the first 45 minutes, but Steve Cotterill changed things at the break and it was roles reversed in the second half.
His Salop side came out after the 15-minute break with impetus creating several good opportunities.
They just were not clinical enough in front of goal which was something perhaps they were guilty of earlier in the campaign and certainly not something they have done while they have been on this magnificent run.
Yet regardless of this fact, on the balance of play, the feeling leaving the Wham Stadium was they had done enough for a point – at the very least – but football does not work that way and, sadly, they left with nothing.
The officials, as they so often are at all levels of football found themselves in the spotlight, and for Town it was for the wrong reasons once again.
Tommy Leigh got away with a shocking elbow on Christian Saydee within the first two minutes of the clash, something that if the referee had seen it, the result surely would have seen him receive his marching orders.
As it happens he is still likely to face retrospective action – but things like that have not gone for Town at any stage of the season – they would have relished playing against a 10-man Accrington Stanley for more than 88 minutes.
The officials have tended to send the Town players off, meaning they play with 10 men only for the FA to then overturn that decision after the club appeals it – the incident at the weekend just felt like another example of things not going their way.
The result ends a period of great success for Shrewsbury Town’s players and their manager.
To pick up the results they have done over an extended period has been such an impressive achievement that must not be forgotten about because of one result at the weekend – it was their first loss away from home since Boxing Day and their first loss in League One since New Year’s Day.
Ahead of kick-off, Cotterill would have been delighted to welcome back duo Matthew Pennington and Tom Flanagan.
Pennington had been missing for a while with a head injury and Flanagan had served a two-match suspension for picking up 10 yellow cards.
But with Taylor Moore picking up a groin injury in midweek, the boss would have been pleased to have defensive reinforcements back.
There was also a rare appearance in the matchday squad for Kade Craig who dislocated his shoulder during a loan spell with Telford United earlier in the season.
The first half was a scrappy affair with the Saydee and Leigh incident on the edge of the Town penalty area the only notable thing to happen inside the first 10 minutes.
But moments later the hosts led, Rosaire Longelo, who was a menace all afternoon, got half a yard on Tom Flanagan and he crossed for Aaron Pressley who poked the ball beyond the helpless Marko Marosi and into the corner.
It was an uneventful first half, Shaun Whalley hit the post for the home side and Ryan Bowman latched on to an error by Stanley defender Harvey Rodgers – but Lukas Jensen was there to deny him.
Cotterill introduced Rekeil Pyke and Tom Bayliss at the half-time interval and the pair had an immediate impact.
Bayliss delivered a corner for Pennington to attack and Pyke picked up the rebound and curled a left-footed effort onto the crossbar.
Pyke could well have had another just moments later when his first touch took him beyond the defender and one on one with Jensen, but he shot too early and the keeper got down to his right to make the save.
The changes saw Shrewsbury shift to a back four for the second time in a week after they also did it at Exeter.
Pennington as he so often is was a threat from dead balls, he saw another header flash wide with not long left on the clock.
And in the final moments, with the last kick of the game, Town thought they had snatched when Luke Leahy had a free header but somehow it stayed out.
Town will re-group this week and get back to work on the training pitch ahead of another difficult encounter next Saturday when Wycombe come to Shropshire.
Cotterill’s side are still searching for the three points that will take them past last year’s tally in League One. The magic 50-point mark.
But considering there are still 14 games left in the season, they are going to be well ahead of that mark.
