htfcreports.com/2024/08/25/turgid-town-punish-sloppy-salop/Turgid Town punish sloppy Salop
A low quality encounter, settled by an excellent finish by youngster Callum Marshall, failed to ignite an expectant crowd but prolonged the Terriers winning start to a season which will undoubtedly bring similarly frustrating challenges along the way.
Shrewsbury will rue missed chances in a first half where their game plan largely worked against their strangely subdued hosts and, overall, the Shropshire outfit could easily have left with a point.
That they didn’t was down to an excellent stop by Nicholls who, nevertheless, was beaten by an effort which crashed against the bar. Though ultimately ruled offside, the visitors had also caused an early scare with a move which saw Marquis slipped in behind only for the striker to get tangled up as he tried to finish.
It was clear that the bottom of the table side were not going to be pushovers and so it proved as Town struggled for fluency throughout a first half of misplaced passing and, with the honourable exception of the lively Miller, laboured against their opponents’ disciplined defending.
Evans and Sorensen were particularly guilty of losing possession too often and the latter was unable to match his blistering performance from a week ago.
Fortunately, compensating for Town’s misfiring right flank, Miller was a constant menace for the Shrews’ defence and delivered two great balls in for Marshall who narrowly failed to connect with one of them and headed straight at the keeper from close range with the other.
Thankfully for the youngster, another chance came his way, again from the right but this time from Spencer’s cross which deflected off the top of a defender’s head in to his path at the far post. The Belfast child brought the ball under instant control and hit a smart finish from a fairly narrow angle past Savin.
What should’ve signalled an onslaught actually resulted in Shrewsbury almost immediately equalising with O’Reilly’s curling attempt on to the bar, quickly followed by a blocked Marquis effort, a corner headed over by the same player and a break which resulted in the visiting centre forward bringing out an excellent save from Nicholls.
In fairness to the hosts, the threats contained in Shrewsbury’s response to going behind were short lived - they only had one further attempt on target in the rest of the game - but it unsettled them and, other than a Hogg miss following a melee, there was little to elevate a scrappy and disjointed first half performance.
Surprisingly, no changes were made at half time to introduce more dynamism to a poorly functioning midfield. Evans’ profligacy in possession and Wiles’ anonymity had not helped to build any momentum after the opening goal, and Hogg was having one of his poorer days, too.
The only notable event of a turgid opening quarter of an hour in the second half was a shoulder injury to Spencer, forcing a substitution and reshuffling of the back three as Pearson went right and Lees left.
Any semblance of pace also left, but it should be said that Spencer had been quite poor by his standards and the silver lining for any prolonged absence could be greater urgency in the search for an additional, left footed centre back with pace.
Playing the young Irishman out of position has made the team increasingly susceptible and as the quality of opposition heads north in the coming weeks, a better solution is essential.
Pearson’s rugged approach fitted this occasion, however, and the defensive performance improved in the second half despite occasionally allowing too much time and space. It was difficult not to feel that a more accomplished attacking force could unsettle a back 3 so short of pace.
On the hour, Wiles made an excellent contribution with a ball down the line for Ward which held up beautifully as a result of the deliberate backspin he applied. Ward’s ball in to the box found Marshall’s near post run but Savin was there to block.
Rather later than many in the crowd had hoped, Duff changed three players with Ward, Marshall and Evans being replaced by Healey, Koroma and Kasumu.
Town looked far more threatening for the remainder of the game with Healey being fed in twice by Koroma for very presentable chances. The first he put wide from a decent position and, rather more disappointingly, the second he hit against the advancing keeper when clean through.
Kasumu’s willingness to run at Shrewsbury would have been useful a lot earlier, and arguably from the start, and despite one brief scare from a free kick which Shipley knocked over the bar, Town finished the game with relative ease.
A third league win and fourth victory in a row is an achievement not to be sniffed at, but it would be foolish not to acknowledge the weaknesses revealed by an unsatisfying performance against less than stellar opposition.
A striker to complement Healey, Koroma and Marshall would be a major statement but it should be recognised that this is rather more easily said than done. A reliable defensive recruit with pace and passing ability shouldn’t be beyond the recruitment team, however.
To win when not at your best is a good trait to have and similarly frustrating afternoons and evenings are very likely in the future, but it is to be hoped that the challenge of taking on the better teams in the division - all of them away in the next couple of months - will elevate standards.
An important week of activity looms before a tricky trip to South Yorkshire.
