ShrewsTRUST Man of the Match
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Town: Chris Neal, Dean Holden (c), Joe Skarz, Terry Dunfield, Kelvin Langmead, Kris Bright, Benjamin Van Den Broek (Jake Robinson 73), Steve Leslie, Jake Simpson, Shane Cansdell-Sherriff, Kevin McIntyre
Subs: Graham Coughlan, Paul Murray, Andre Gray, Lewis Neal, David Button, Tom Bradshaw
Morecambe: Barry Roche, Darren Moss, David Artell, Jim Bentley (c), Craig Stanley, Garry Hunter, Stewart Drummond, Mark Duffy (Will Haining 65), Laurence Wilson (Wayne Curtis 46), Paul Mullin, Andy Parrish
Subs: Neil Wainwright, Scott Davies, Emmanuel Panther, Fraser McLachlan, Henry McStay
Referee: Gavin Ward (Surrey)
Assistant Referee (yellow): P Bankes
Assistant Referee (plain): C Kavanagh
Fourth Official: S Cook
Attendance: 5430 (443)
Chris Neal comes into the starting line-up in place of David Button who drops down to the bench. Button has had a superb season with Town but Stuart Delaney decided that it was time to give Neal a chance to start his first game since November. There is one other change to the starting eleven with Kris Bright coming into replace Dave Hibbert who has a slight achillies problem.
It was Morecambe who were looking the more dangerous of the two sides and really took the game to Town with a number of corners and set-pieces.It took them until the 8th minute to grab the lead after Shane Cansdell-Sherriff under hit a back pass to Chris Neal which let in Mark Duffy and he calmly slotted the ball past Neal into the net at the far post.
Morecambe doubled their lead on the quarter hour mark from a set piece.They had looked dangerous since the start of the game from set pieces with a lot of height to aim for.This time another delivery was put in well and David Artell found a lot of space in the box to get above his marker and head past Neal to make it 2-0.
Town's performance was a disjointed one with Steve Leslie looking to drop deep all the time to get the ball.The shout from the bench was for him to stay up and after this Town looked more of an attacking force.First Leslie went close, then Van Den Broek got in behind the Morecambe defence to cross low into Bright but Roche was down smartly to save and then a lovely ball out of defence dropped behind Artell and this allowed Bright to get a foot in and hook the ball goal wards but it dropped wide of the target.
On 30 minutes Stuart Delaney made an early change to the Town line-up bringing on Tom Bradshaw to replace Jake Simpson, Bradshaw went alongside Bright upfront, Van Den Broek went onto the right and Leslie onto the left.It proved to be an inspired change because within a minute Bradshaw picked the ball up on the halfway line, he turned one way and then another to trick his marker and then clipped a lovely ball in behind the Morecambe defence to find the run that Van Den Broek had made, he kept his cool as he broke into the box and then drove a low shot past Roche to make it 2-1 to Morecambe.
The goal really buoyed Town and they looked more of a threat as an attacking team.Van Den Broek delivered a corner high to the back post that Langmead headed back across the goal, Bright connected well but Roche was down superbly to collected.Then a quick break saw Leslie feed the ball to McIntyre who had given an option down the left, he continued his run and whipped a ball into the near post that Bradshaw connected well with a diving header but it flew just over the target.
Town were keeping the pressure on and nearly levelled the score line just before the half-time break. A lovely quick move saw Town bomb down the field with the ball finally coming into the centre of the park into the run of Dunfield, he took one touch and then smashed in an excellent shot from 30 yards out that Roche did brilliantly to tip over the bar.
Half-time: 1-2
Town continued to press after the restart and were rewarded with an excellent equaliser from Tom Bradshaw.Steve Leslie was tackled by Hunter to win Town a free-kick it was taken quickly to Dunfield who passed to Leslie who put it back to Skarz, he knocked a ball in behind the visitors defence for Bradshaw to run onto, he got control of the ball then cut infield and continued across the box before driving in a low shot that beat Roche to make it 2-2.
It was turning into an entertaining game with Town still having the better of the attacking play.The ball was hit long towards Bright but he was beaten in the air, but he was alert and available for the return ball which let him break in on goal, he continued to run towards the goal as the Morecambe defence backed off and then drove in a low shot with beat Roche but hit the inside of the post and came back out again.
The game swung back in Morecambe's favour with just over 60 minutes on the clock and again it was from a free-kick and again it was Artell.Morecambe were fortunate to be awarded a free-kick after Hunter ran into Bright out side the Town box, the resulting free-kick was swung into the box and again there was Artell getting above his marker to head home and make it 3-2.
With 15 minutes remaining Stuart Delaney made his second switch and it too nearly paid dividends straight away.Jake Robinson came on for Benjamin Van Den Broek in a straight swap, Robinson received the ball near the halfway line and played a smart ball to put McIntyre free down the right, he continued his run and then waited for support, he rolled the ball into he run of Robinson but Roche was quickly off his line to smoother the ball and take a knock in the face for his troubles.
Town were still creating chances and looking lively and when a Steve Leslie corner was defended by Morecambe it came back out to Leslie, he put the ball back to Robinson who jinxed past Moss before crossing to the back post to find Langmead, he chested the ball down before driving in a low shot but once again Roche was there to pull off yet another good save.
Bradshaw had been given having a physical battle with Artell since coming on and had a least three good shouts for penalties which ref Ward waved away but on the stroke of full-time Bradshaw was finally awarded foul after Artell had tripped him in the box.Leslie looked to take it but McIntyre was Town's previous spot kick taker and he took the ball off Leslie.He placed the ball and drove in a shot which gave Roche no chance but it hit the underside of the bar and came back out, Dunfield followed up and got in a good shot but once again Roche pulled off a great save to keep Morecambe in the lead.
Fullt-time: 2-3
