Stunning Free-Kick Gives Seasiders The Win
- Higham free-kick the difference on the day
- Few chances for either side at Shrewsbury Sports Village
Town's Under-18s travel to Carlisle next Saturday
: Carlisle United v Shrewsbury Town (Football League Youth Alliance - North West league, Saturday 11 April). NEXT FIXTURE
ASSISTANTS: Matthew Farr & David Wycherley
: David Jones REFEREE
GOAL: Higham (48).
UNUSED SUBS: James Doyle, Liam Robinson.
: Myles Boney (GK); Macauley Wilson, Luke Higham, Sam Roscoe, Joe Moulden (c), Jack Steele, Alieu Njie (Anthony Cato, 90), Elliot Pond, Chea (Tyler Rufus, 45), Kit Gregory. BLACKPOOL LINE-UP
UNUSED SUBS: Shaun Rowley (GK), George Hassall.
: Harry Lewis (GK); Jack Butts (Ryan Hickman, 64), Nathan Millis, Joel Carta, Callum Grogan, Alex Fletcher (c), Joe Kenton (George Hughes, 45), Ethan Jones, Kaiman Anderson, Jordan Wilson, Tom King (Ryan Sears, 20). SHREWSBURY TOWN LINE-UP
FULL-TIME: Shrewsbury Town 0-1 Blackpool
In the end, the Seasiders went away with all three points despite a game of few chances.
Moulden also skied a close-range attempt for the visitors from Higham's free-kick on the left when unmarked, while Tyler Rufus also rattled the crossbar for Pool with an effort from 25 yards out with ten minutes left.
The Seasiders could have had a second as Pond collected a low cross from the left, turn onto his left foot inside the box and fired low and narrowly wide of the far post.
A handball on the edge of the Shrews' penalty area gave Blackpool a free-kick, left of centre, and Higham had a quick run-up before rifling the ball into the top right corner with real power.
The deadlock was broken just three minutes into the second period, and in spectacular fashion.
HALF-TIME: Shrewsbury Town 0-0 Blackpool
It was goalless at the break, though.
There was another opportunity for Richie Kyle's Seasiders just past the half-hour mark as a neat one-two between Chea and Pond saw allowed Chea to hit a low strike which Lewis had to save with his feet.
At the other end, with 26 minutes on the clock, Joe Kenton cut inside from the right and tried to curl the ball low into the far left corner from the edge of the penalty area, but it flew just wide.
Town looked to switch their shape as Ryan Sears came on for King, although Blackpool were the first side to test either goalkeeper despite as Harry Lewis had to hold onto Alieu Njie's free-kick.
The game's first chance fell for Blackpool in the 16th minute as defender Joe Moulden fired a free, downward header towards goal from Macauley Wilson's corner on the right before it was eventually fired over the crossbar by a fellow Pool player.
It was a fairly even start to the game with both teams looking to play passing football on the slick playing surface at Shrewsbury Sports Village.
FIRST HALF
First-year scholars Jack Butts, Nathan Millis, Joel Carta, Jordan Wilson and Tom King all came into the starting line-up.
Head of academy coaching Ian Dawes made five changes to the side which drew 2-2 with Carlisle United a week before.
TEAM NEWS
It was enough to give the Seasiders all three points, and it was only the third time this season that the young Shrews have failed to find the net.
There was little between either side in the game at Shrewsbury Sports Village, in a game of few chances, but Higham struck a fierce set-piece into the top corner from the edge of Town's penalty area just after half-time. Keep up-to-date with the Youth Team on both.Twitter and Facebook