Shrewsbury Town

Town went into the home game against Bradford City looking to bounce back from the disappointment of Tuesday night’s defeat away to Colchester United.

It looked bright from the kick-off as Town took the game to Bradford and looked the more likely to break the deadlock.  There were half chances and pressure around the Bradford goal but it remained all square at the break.

In the second half Town continued to have the better of the possession but it was Bradford who grabbed the lead with 11 minutes to go.  Some in the Greenhous Meadow crowd seemed to give up but the Town players didn’t and the addition of Aaron Wildig, Bahrudin Atajic and Shaun Miller gave Town an extra attacking spark.

This paid off with Jon Taylor getting Town level a minute after Bradford had taken the lead and then in the final minute of added time Shaun Miller hooked home a superb finish to send the Town fans, and team into rapture.

After the game manager Mike Jackson was asked for his thoughts on the result:”It’s great and credit to the lads for a great reaction to going 1-0 down when everyone was writing us off.

“It was about the people on the pitch, the subs and everyone in the squad who has given a lot today and haven’t half worked hard to get that.

“It’s credit to everyone and overall I think we deserved to win the game.

“We sat a little bit deep in the second half and didn’t get out where as we were right on top in the first half, we should have got goals in the first half and should have got goals in the second half.”

When Town went 1-0 down with 11 minutes to go Jacko was asked when had gone through his mind:”You are thinking here we go again but we have made the changes and I wanted us to pass the ball a little bit more and get on the ball.

“We had the players on the pitch to do that and we started to do that and were brave, Connor has stepped through and intercepted the ball, passed it and set it off for our first goal with Aaron feeding Boz.  Then for the winner it’s a great shot from Shaun Miller which was brilliant.

“Jon Taylor has reacted well after being left of a couple of games and I think he’s done really well today.”

The addition of Shaun Miller to the Town squad yesterday had added that little bit of much needed experience to the Town forward line:”I remember him coming here with Donaldson when they were at Crewe and they scored 20 odd goals each that season, I remember thinking what a good finisher and a good player he was.

“He lost his way a little bit with a bad injury but he’s here now and he’s done great with that finish and that’s what we’ve brought him here to do.

“It’s credit to him as he’s come on and put himself in the areas and got into the box, we’ve just got to make sure that we keep him right and hopefully he can be the difference.

“We’ve got Bahrudin Atajic and Aaron Wildig coming back, though it looks like we’ve lost Dave McAllister today which is a blow as I thought him and Asa Hall were excellent today.”

There have been a lot of discussions amongst the Town fans about why Bahrudin Atajic has not featured more in a Town shirt.  Jacko has always said Boz is a great player but the Town manager has been choosey about which games he starts and today was one he felt that Boz would be better suited as an impact sub:”He’s done well but we know what he can do and how good a player he is the question for us is can we use him in the right way.

“When a game opens up that is perfect for him, that is when the game is right for him.

“We looked at today’s game at the start and they play with two big centre backs and maybe Boz if he started might have got bullied.

“He’ll be in the frame for Tuesday and he has given us something to think about, they all have and that is credit to the team.”

The goal that Town conceded late on was a disappointment for everyone and it that came from one of Bradford’s strengths that the coaches highlighted:”It was a set play but I’ve not had chance to look back at it but it looked like it was from inside the 6 yard box.

“We were defending the set plays ever so well up until then but they had a spell of three or four which we didn’t clear properly which might have been down to the wind.  We knew that was one of their strengths and I’m not pleased with the way we’ve conceded.”

There was a good buzz in the dressing room after the win and the Town manager was quick to back to his players:”I think they have earnt that result; some people might say that they haven’t but they have put in a lot of effort in the last few weeks.

“Against Colchester the effort was ok but the quality was not, Sheffield United the effort was ok but the quality was not but in all the other games there has been a lot of effort and they’ve kept working and working to get results.  If people don’t agree with that then I don’t agree with them, I’m not going to criticise this group of players because I think a lot of them and believe in them.”

There was a big boost in the second half when Aaron Wildig took to the Town team once again after a couple of months on the sidelines with injury:”He was saying after the game that he was blowing a little bit but you expect that as he’s been out for awhile.

“He’s got that little bit of quality, he deals with the ball well, he’s got a football brain which is probably one of the best at the club.

“To have him back is a big bonus; it’s now about managing him and not putting him in for 90 minutes as he’s not near that yet.”

As always the focus now moves to the next game and the really important trip to Carlisle United on Tuesday night.  Carlisle lie just a point ahead of Town in the Sky Bet League 1 table and a lot could change with a result there:”We need back to back wins now but we knew that after the Colchester game and we’ve got to go and do that now.

“We’ve said it before but we’ve got to do it now as games are running out so hopefully that result today can give us that little bit of belief.

“The great escape is on so we are looking forward to that game.

“I said to someone the other day that I would take going into the last game of the season at Gillingham having to win that game!”