FINAL WHISTLE| Wrexham v Shrewsbury Town

the final score rexam three Shrewsbury down nil and uh another comprehensive performance by a team that's taken to League one like a drct to water very impressive stuff this was a proper outgunning of Shrewsbury in all honesty their fans came made good noise but ultimately their team didn't have much of a chance in this match it was interesting sitting next to the uh local reporters from Shrewsbury who said before the game we'll put a few goals past them and they weren't wrong and after the match listening to their phone in so with taking calls and reading out social media posts from Shrewsbury fans oh and it was apocalyptic they really thought it was the end of the world um and I sort of thought well on the one hand they shouldn't judge themselves really by that because they were up against like I said a much stronger team and in every position them with a better side um you know that they any points taken off a team as strong as that is a bonus but goodness me it was quite fun hearing a meltdown and it was also I think telling there was a gulf between these two teams that wasn't there when we plays and won in the cup there last season so one change only by rexam enforced on Phil Parkinson Andy Canon of course had damaged his hamstring at petur so OE ratbone came in for his first League start and we started extremely strongly I mean shury I feel have got something going forwards but defensively uh they had a bit of a makeshift look about them they've lost players through injury and international call-ups and they didn't defend terribly well especially as the game wore on first chance came in the ninth minute and it was a really close ring Lee Sweeping in a corner jumping in the crowds the keeper could only weakly punch to the edge the area real chance of Wrath bone to mark his first leag game with a goal but he pulled a shot horribly but it rolled straight to Mclean standing just wide of the six-yard box and just outside it on his right foot wow I wish I could hit the ball like that with my weaker foot he smashed it and it slammed against the bar and ricocheted away before anyone could react terrific hit very unlucky breakthrough came in the 15th minute a nice move 15 passes strung together by rexam at the back and then a nice bit of acceleration as the ball was fed by clu with the baret he popped it inside brought the ball marrow Lee helped on first time to Mclean mle around the back of Defense punched in a side footed first time cross and Palmer at the far post swept it in first time from just outside the six yard box a lovely move we cut through them beautifully something we clearly are working on because we've had that incisiveness this season it's been impressive easy goal for Palmer 150th League goal of his career couple of minutes later it could have been two a con knocking it forwards palu dominated in the air flicking it on and unala the center back got their first but Rathbone closed down on him mugged him and for a moment it looked like he was going to be one-on one with the keeper the ball just rolled close enough to the goalkeeper to be able to slide in and thump the ball clear but rexon causing all sort of Mayhem in a shuby defense that was starting to now look a bit bedraggled the to be fair to them after half an hour they created an opportunity and also to be fair to them they reacted well to going behind and their best spell of the game was a good 15 20 minutes after the goal where they not only managed to keep us arms length we weren't really getting the ball down and moving it through Midfield as we had done at the start but also they had a lot of the ball and they put us under pressure didn't make many chances Rex are a better defensive team than uh we we looked at the first day of the season but they did make some one of them came when the ball was really well retrieved by Lloyd after an overhead cross had gone towards the corner flag he pulled it back and a first time cross ripped in by Mal Benning found castledine about seven yards out with a decent chance but his header lacked power didn't really properly get a hold of it and a Conor was able to sharply catch it above his head rexam then coming forwards once more this time Rathbone doing what Lloyd had done earlier really doing well to keep a move alive retrieving the ball on the flank pulling it back into Midfield Dobson looked to play a killer pass it would have been a Bea if he'd made it but Palmer who would have been one-on-one was denied because inala did well to Lunge in front of him and intercept and within seconds shrewbury has what turned out in the end to be there best chance of the match but it was an odd incident long ball forwards OK conell looked to be under control Lloyd came across Lloyd had he was quite a blunt striker in terms of his threat but he liked putting himself about he looked to clearly foul o Connell I've got to say the referee didn't blow the whistle which meant Lloyd was all in his own on the edge of the area with just a conqu to beat Lloyd's peculiar weak lob towards goal which gono caught didn't save it he didn't not just save it he just caught it um I think it was a consequence of Lloyd also thinking he'd committed a foul but uh yeah no whistle came so Lloyd had a glorious opportunity and spurned it Without Really realizing what a chance it was they made another chance during this decent spell Winchester who was normally a midfielder but filling in at right back getting forward and manston nudged the ball inside to castledine who in the right Channel drove forwards from a tight angle hit a shot a lunging challenge came in and just deflected it away from goal took a bit of pace off it and nearly turned it into a perfect cross so cono looked set to be able to deal with the shot but it just cruy trickled out of his reach and went slowly across the face of goal nobody luckily for Rex was following up to try and tap his in and with a a minute it was 2-n and it did really feel like game over this time great work by Palmer who raced back and dispossessed Benning after a heavy touch Benning then fouled him but the referee played a good Advantage because Barnett took over surged down the flank cut inside and then fed a nice pass to Lee stroke the ball home calmly from just outside the box into the bottom corner keeper with no chance but this was one of a number of instance I've just been watching the game back just to get a bit more detail and you can sort of from about this point you can randomly just stop the video anywhere and see sh's defensive shape is wrong and on this occasion really I mean they just they just all retreated back into the box scared of Barnet nobody stepped out to try and stop him or put pressure on him he had all the Time in the World to roll Le who had all the Time in the World to get his shot right it was poor and it was it was a pattern that would continue throughout the second half rexam creating a chance early in the second periods Marius a lovely piece of skills so he's very ad drit when and the ball drops at awkward Heist he managed to pull it down and then flick it instinctively out wide McLean who I don't know he must he must have made sure he had a good shower after the match because I've never seen him left so alone probably the most space he's been allowed in his entire career he was always available out wise and when they found him again strews be were poor at closing him down so McLean of all the time in the world whipped in aheer a brilliant attempt by Marius who's followed up his pass by running in into the box the cross came behind him and he did brilliantly to lunging away from goal to Pivot and get enough power in his head from a good 15 yards out to trouble the goalkeeper was fairly straightforward a save to be fair but a hell of an effort shy came close halfway through the half free kick on the flank Benning had put some good delivery in set pieces looked to be their way in they were really crowding a Concor and trying to drop the ball in the six-yard Box on this occasion everyone was expecting the same so Ben went for goal powerfully and a conquor back pedaling did really well to tip it over the bar but once again an opportunity not taken by shw or a half chance was followed by a goal this time well the chance could have been a massive One Ok Connell on the edge of his area hesitated Lloyd tackled him and once again he looks like he's going to be one-on-one with the keeper but okono manages to tackle back and then almost as if his adrenaline is surging through him he just whack the ball down the flank but it's not just as adrenaline going he's seen Marius making a run I've got to be honest and say from my angle I thought it was one of those long balls over the top that are just at that height where the defender on the stretch and can't control it having seen the replay from the other side I take that back horrible Mistake by onala I mean it's awkward it's dropping over his shoulder but you know stick it in the crowd mate he doesn't he tries I'm not quite sure what he does but all he basically does is deflect it into the path of marus running at the goalkeeper I don't actually think Alo Anda I can promise you the listeners of BBC Shropshire certainly blamed him for a lot of things I actually think that although un's mistake was very poor Toby Savin the goalkeeper error was what really made the ball made the goal he comes charging out he's got no chance of getting there ahead of Marius he's got no chance of getting there and hurrying Marius quite frankly he's not going to get anywhere near him and when you look at it I mean On's realiz what he's done he's making a good recovery run and the least he'd be able to do is force Mar at Central where there's two retreating Defenders coming their shapes all over the place for this when the ball's not long by o Connell one of the center backs for some reason has stepped into Midfield joining Palmer which means the gap between the two center backs is absurd but anyway they are coming back but the keeper races out totally sells himself and Mar it very calmly just side steps him outside the box and side foot to into the empty net just reward for Marriott's Excellence as we'll get to in a moment when we discuss the performances he and Palmer was superb they both given a rest on 71 minutes as is Rathbone who did really well James Jones and of course the two men shoes we were desperate to see coming on just as they're looking bedraggled Paul Mullen and Steven Fletcher are The Replacements and well almost straight away they could have been down to 10 men oh in the interest of fairness I should point out I've forgotten this when it was 2-n uh shrewbury were agitating massively players and fans Allied for Le against the straight red cards for a high Challenge on bloxom I I having looked at the video time and again it's not a red card the ref bucked him and the ref's right um his foot was very high absolutely but I don't think he was really going with a great deal of force and he struck the the player sort of you know sort of lower end of chest uh but it was not really directed at him it wasn't enough to Warrant a red it's a it's a badly M jge challenge no question um and shrewbury were absolutely Furious but yeah the ref was right there was plenty of ARG bargy around it as well Rathbone and McLean getting involved lot sh players shoving and pushing as with the Reon players don't get me wrong McLean had a very lenty conversation Afters who on sh be player if I can decode his body language I think he's telling him to to stop stirring I think anyway uh that wasn't a red but there were two other incidents involving shuby players that rexon were interested in uh a later one which I'll go through but wasn't a red and this one so Winchester I think decides ball back some of attacking cross from the RIS is too strong mle retrieves it on the Left Flank and I just think Winchester was thinking okay I'll take one for the team here get a yellow by hitting mle and then McLean will react and he'll get a yellow as well and then Rex him down to 10 men I've got to say if he's going to have this thought have it when it's nil nil well with one nil I suppose he was booked when it was one n but anyway it was a poor challenge he comes charging out mle's laying the ball back it's late studs up hits McLean above his ankle one foot not two but oh you know at the time I'm Far Side the pitch and I'm thinking oh that's not a good challenge but it's probably yellow which what he gets looking at the replay I it's a red he's it's a lunge deliberate lead lunge and uh yeah I think he was a bit lucky not to get dismissed the other shout for a red card against uh Shrewsbury well it was what looks like a two-footed tackle um on Ryan bares by Ojo the midfielder um but when you look at the video again it's not it's not too fussies maybe jumps in a little it's a poor challenge it's a strong yellow but I think the ref got that one right as well um so my opinion anyway rexon continues to push on oh my words I mean onala goes off it was quite amusing really he did get hurt he gets treatment he's waiting at the sign of the pitch to come back on and then looks across and sees his number on the boards cuz Paul decided hard you know what he's walked off the why make him go back on again um so he ended up with two center backs called feni which was lovely for me I thought uh can't get them mixed up then can I and they look vulnerable maybe Rex and willfield be really should have scored more because it was all us pushing on then 12 minutes left great thinking by Mullen to take a quick throw in after he chased and hassled Defender Lee pops it straight back to him Mullen drives into the box cuts inside this right sets himself and you think here we are first goal of the season but to be fair the younger did well to get a block on it well I thought that at the time looking at it on the replay he turns his back on the shot but sticks his heel out behind him and hits that otherwise it is a goal I think so a little bit fortunate um then there's a great piece of work a minute later by Dobson who tackles SEO and then punches a brilliant ball forwards Mullen holds her up on the edge of the box he wants to get a shot off he can't quite he loses his balance as a player nudges him from behind and goes down but he doesn't bother ask him for the penalty this time instead he s he plays it across to Lee who slips and slides into the the D and hits a shot which goes just wide rexon brought off mle who' had painkilling injections to play and hadn't trained all week can you believe someone can play like that when I haven't trained all week he comes off eight minutes left Ren comes on for him and ren immediately is getting involved kth helping Ren on and he broke down the left before putting a great cross in Mullen got between the two the center backs free header and from about 10 yards out he put it too close to keeper who went down to his left and saved it real frustration for him uh but he had a better chance soon afterwards kth hitting a diagonal nice flick down by Fletcher Mullen running beyond the last Defender keeper comes out Mullen looks to lift it over him and score and puts it off Target for frustration for him another chance again a minute later this time it's Barnet switching over to the left hand side and ren great technique drills in a shot across the face of goal it's going wide a hits a defender in the goal mouth at the far post Mullen lunging for it is just inching short of making contact and the ball is hacked clear rexam win the game fre nil very impressive we go top of the league as well I know after five games doesn't mean much but those five games have meant something very impressive the only points dropped away to Bolton who of course are preseason favorites alongside Birmingham to go straight up looking at the performances a cono didn't have much to do again it's weird that teams are starting to hem him in for corners and they seen that as something to take advantage of the guy is massive it seems counterintuitive I think maybe teams have seen Corners that have caused this issues and felt that he doesn't command the goal Master as he should I wouldn't necessarily agree it he gets decent punches in when there are people around them and it's difficult to deal with the crosses the issue would be more people getting blocked off attacking uh set pieces I think that's what Wickam did on the first day so I think teams have maybe slightly misinterpreted this potential weakness um the fact that we kept now four clean sheets in a row kind of backs me up I reckon but he was solid and made a very good save as I said from that free kick by beninger trying to catch him out again the're back free like I said four clean sheets in a row they are looking so good oh Connell so physical and competive in the middle OK Conor and clth were excellent bringing the ball forwards really terrific and clth hadit some glorious Crossfield parties I mean Mark Harrington was commentating with us and a couple of times he involuntarily just went oh great ball because he knows what a good pass is kth terrific and this see Connor as well who's passing was very good and his defending was very good too those three are looking absolutely terrific the wing backs again Ryan Barnet didn't tear them apart this time he M was extremely good because when he really gets at teams uh he can he a huge caus a huge amount of damage can't he but he still put some good quality crosses his end product was very good and lots of energy kept going for the full 90 left hand side like I said blean what a captain's Innings that was just constant all action it would take a lot you feel for him to miss a derby match but goodness M like I said earlier he pushed through the physical barriers to play and he was as ever robust aggressive strong driving forwards threatening defensively solid Center Midfield as Dobson well you know I think I said a couple of podast too I I love George Dobson I really do I think I realized in this match that everyone loves George Dobson you when he was doing just little meet and tidy stuff you know the back of the defense just tidying up and playing the ball back to his center backs people still clap him everyone loves him just a the class about everything he does and the the very smooth way that he snuffs out problems and just gets around the pitch oh he's a quality player he was excellent again good passing good tackling great reading of the game Elliot Lee I thought was terrific he was really in the mood to to do some tricks a number of little flicks around the corner which founds their Mark was terrific and he he was in the mood he was driving forwards he deserved his goal could have got more from Shots outside the box too very impressive um and then OE rtho I again I think should be very pleased you know we brought him in as a player to improve our starting 11 he's finally breaks into it and yeah all energy little bit more likely to sort of drop off into dobs and sort of area to get involved like that when we've got the ball and driving running good tackling good pressing yeah you sort of thought when you bought him this is a quality player and you can see he's a quality player very impressive caught the eye in his debut his first start I say in the league and then up front the front two were magnificent I mean Palmer was just dominant in the air scored really bullied the center backs his interplay with Marius was terrific and then Mario yeah terrifically quick constantly trying to drive in behind the center backs in fact I slightly wondered whether that strength became a problem for X in the first half because we were finding him early on but then we started maybe playing that early ball over top bit too often when we should have been moving it through Midfield and continue our control of the game but you know can't blame him for that he's constantly making that run he hassles Defenders and forces mistakes his touch is excellent he holds the ball up really well such a small F but his touch is great to do that brilliant performance and a nicely taken goal even though shoes be really did conspire to help him score it Off the Bench again Mullen I'm so encouraged by Mullen that he's getting off the bench he's getting minutes and he's getting into great scoring positions he's not quite taking them yet but that will come it would be if he was really quiet that I'd be concerned Fletcher again comes on classy as ever strong in the air what more can you say James Jung's put a good shift in as well on the right side of Midfield was tidying things up nicely and ren comes on and again I mean he may be on the bench but he's another one who's really showing quality his technique for the volley across the goal was CU his quality he put two pinpoint crosses in so again like Barner he's got end products and so many flashy fast players don't but those two are an exciting pair imagine us unleashing them both at the same time Defenders beware brilliant stuff by rexon absolute Delight to watch and as it was a derby again and a derby which the last three times you've played sh be a home have been defeats well that me it all the sweeter a great performance by reom maybe that meltdown on BBC shopshire was an appropriate response the fal score of reom 3 shuby toown n I'm Mar Griff from reom AFC