Defensive Errors Prove Costly For Reserves
Shrewsbury Town 4 (3) v Port Vale 1 (1)
Wednesday 30 March 2016
DEFENSIVE ERRORS PROVE COSTLY FOR RESERVES AT SHREWSBURY
:SHREWSBURY TOWN Shaun Rowley, Ryan Sears, Callum Roberts, George Hughes (Harri Lovett, Joel Bonner, Jacob Rammell, Jack Butts (Aaron Gilpin 78), John McAtee, George Hassall (Tyrone Ofori 65), Ethan Jones (Charley Higgs 60), Mathew Jones.
SUBS NOT USED: Callum Grogan.
PORT VALE:Calum Ferrie, James Gibbons, Alex Morris, Mike Calveley (Ben Fraser 84), Mackenzie Faulkner, Taylor Attrell, Tom Ashton (Charlie Walford 84), Brad Ede, Daniel Turner, Achille Campion, Chekaine Steele (Brian Conlon 78).
SUBS NOT USED:Joe Slinn, Brian Barton, Liam Mottram, Luke Dennis.
Both clubs mainly played their U18 teams with Vale adding Campion and Steele as their only professional players and Campion had an impressive game, even though he faced some very robust, but mainly fair challenges in a very competitive game. Vale found themselves 3-0 down midway through the first half and although they were the better team in the second half, a failure to take their chances saw them fail to close the gap and Shrewsbury ran out clear winners at the end.
minute as Hassall completed his hat trick after rounding Ferrie and firing home inside the far post.rd minute as a cross from Sears landed at the near post where Attrell and Ferrie had both left it to each other and the ball hit Ferrie and went straight to Hassall who stuck out a foot once more to score from close range. Vale were failing to get the ball through midfield to the front two and were consequently under pressure for most of the time and McAtee fired just wide, so it was no surprise when they fell 3-0 behind in the 23thVale got off to a poor start at the Shrewsbury Sports Village venue even though they escaped the first scare after only 2 minutes as Ethan Jones was on the end of a ball over the top and was only stopped by an excellent save with his feet by Ferrie. 3 minutes later and Ferrie failed to hold on to a low cross which saw Hassall poke the ball home from close range to give The Shrews the lead. It was 2-0 in the 17
collected the ball out on the left wing halfway in to the Opposition half and he forced his way past 2 defenders before cutting in past another one and curling the ball into the far corner of the net.Turner minute before Vale had an opportunity as a centre by Morris was challenged for by Campion forcing Rowley to drop the ball, which ran to Turner on the edge of the penalty area; he chipped the ball goalwards but it dropped on to the roof of the net. In the final minute of the half Vale scored the goal of the game as thIt was the 30
Vale started the second period on the front foot with a shot from Campion sliding just past the far post and the with 7 minutes gone Turner should have added his second after Campion won the ball wide right and sent in a low cross that was only cleared as far as Steele on the edge of the area, he played it forward to Turner who with the goal at his mercy swept the ball way over the bar from close range. 2 minutes later Campion began a run from his own half brushing aside 2 defenders before being scythed down by Roberts when 10 yards inside the Shrewsbury half, which saw a yellow card brandished to the home player.
with 10 minutes to go and the usually reliable Ferrie was again at fault as he failed to clear a back pass before substitute Ofori arrived and his attempt to push the ball past him failed and as Ofori headed towards goal he brought him down. Ofori blasted the penalty past Ferrie, who escaped any other punishment from the referee to complete the day’s scoring. Vale did have one last chance to reduce the arrears as turner saw his shot blocked by the ‘keeper and from the rebound the ‘keeper was quickly up to gt a hand to Campion’s goal-bound shot to deflect it fir a corner that summed up Vale’s day.thVale continued to pile on the pressure and after a melee on the 18 yard line Steele broke free and appeared to be brought down, but got up to pull the ball in to the 6 yard box where Faulkner was free but had stopped expecting a penalty to be given; the ball hit him and rolled to the ‘keeper with the referee waving play on. Vale conceded the 4
Vale complete their season in 4 weeks time with a visit to bottom club Morecambe in what will be a clash of the bottom two teams, certainly a difference from last season’s League winners and Cup runners-up performance.
Lindon Roberts – Port Vale Volunteers Group