Thomas And Donaldson Goals Give Blues The Win
ATTENDANCE: 1,919 (245 Birmingham)
17 Noe Baba
16 Kyle McFarlane
15 George O’Neill
14 Koby Arthur on 70 mins
13 Connal Trueman
12 Wesley Hardin
Subs:
11 David Cotterill
10 Wesley Thomas off 70 mins
9 Clayton Donaldson
8 Jacques Maghoma
7 Reece Brown
6 Dominic Bernard
5 Jonathan Spector (c)
4 Stephen Gleeson
3 Jonathan Grounds
2 Neal Eardley
1 Tomasz Kuszczak
Birmingham team:
23 James Caton
22 Sam Paterson on 74 mins
21 Darren McKnight on 45 mins
20 Mickey Demetriou
19 Jermaine Grandison on 45 mins
18 Scott Vernon on 45 mins
17 Ryan Woods
16 Junior Brown on 45 mins
15 Tyrone Barnett on 45 mins
14 Shaun Whalley
13 Shaun Rowley
12 Martin Woods on 45 mins
Subs:
11 Jean-Louis Akpa Akpro off 45 mins
10 Liam McAlinden off 45mins
9 James Collins off 45 mins
8 Abu Ogogo
7 Jordan Clark off 45 mins
6 Conor Goldson off 45 mins
5 Mark Ellis
4 Liam Lawrence off 45 mins
3 Mat Sadler
2 Matt Tootle off 74 mins
1 Callum Burton
Shrewsbury team:
Town nearly got the goal their efforts deserved in the final few seconds, Grandison powered a header past a hapless Kuszczak but Stephen Gleeson saved the clean sheet by clearing off the line as the final whistle sounded.
With three minutes to go Shaun Whalley danced past a couple of markers before putting a dangerous cross into the box. Jonathon Grounds appeared to block with his arm but the referee waved play on.
The Blues always looked dangerous on the counter and David Cotterill went for the spectacular with 15 minutes to go. He spotted Burton off his line and lofted a shot from 30 yards which sent the teenager scrambling back to keep the ball out. The midfielder went close seconds later as he fizzed a shot just wide from the edge of the box.
Vernon dived in to make sure but the striker was offside despite the crowd’s protestations.
Shrewsbury had a goal disallowed on 63 minutes. Matt Sadler floated a free kick from deep which Jermaine Grandison connected with, looping a goal-bound header over Kuszczak.
Micky Mellon changed over half the team for the second half, bringing on six substitutes. Scott Vernon tested Kuszczak with a shot immediately after coming on at half time but the former United man was up to the challenge.
The game descended into a lull after the second goal as Birmingham were content to ease the tempo. Shrewsbury huffed and puffed without making much of an impression on the Blues defence.
Birmingham doubled their lead against the run of play on the 14th minute. Matt Tootle failed to deal with a routine long ball over the top which fell to Jacques Maghoma, the ex-Burton man squared it to Clayton Donaldson who dispatched from 6 yards.
The Frenchman was looking lively in the opening exchanges, drilling a shot just wide on the 10 minute mark.
Town settled well after conceding, Jean Louis Akpa Akpro forced a smart save from Tomasz Kuszczak.
Meanwhile 95 miles away down in Northampton, Birmingham mark two had also taken the lead.
But on the second minute calamity struck as Mark Ellis played a tame back pass to Callum Burton which was seized upon by Wesley Thomas. The striker dispossessed Burton before passing the ball into an empty net.
The home side started off brightly, earning a free kick which led to Jordan Clark whipping a shot an inch wide of the goalpost.
Birmingham were fighting on two flanks as they played a friendly against Northampton Town as well as competing at the Greenhous Meadow on the same evening.
First-half goals from Wesley Thomas and Clayton Donaldson were enough to give the visitors victory, although Town striker Scott Vernon saw a late header disallowed for offside as the Shrews looked to fight back.
Shrewsbury Town slipped to defeat in a friendly against Championship side Birmingham City at Greenhous Meadow on Tuesday night.