ShrewsTRUST Man of the Match

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Town: Ben Smith, David Raven, Mat Sadler, Ian Sharps (c), Mark Wright, Kevin McIntyre, Matt Harrold, Jake Robinson (Sean McAllister 76), Lionel Ainsworth (Benjamin Van Den Broek 88), Daniel O'Donnell, Craig Disley (Shane Cansdell-Sherriff 89)

Subs: Chris Neal, Steve Leslie, Lewis Neal, Tom Bradshaw

Goals: J.Robinson 3

Bradford City: Jon McLaughlin, Simon Ramsden (c), Luke Oliver, Gareth Evans, Scott Neilson (Lewis Moult 54), Steve Williams (Thomas Doherty 60), Lewis Hunt, James Hanson, Thomas Adeyemi, Lee Bullock (Jake Speight 86), Robbie Threlfall

Subs: Luke O'Brien, Zesh Rehman, Lloyd Saxton, Shane Duff,

Referee: S J Rushton
Assistant Referee (yellow): M Howes
Assistant Referee (plain): W Murphy
Fourth Official: W Barratt

Attendance: 6993 (1449)

The game started with a great atmosphere from both sets of fans with at least 6,500 in the Greenhous Meadow for this opening game of the season.

The ball was being played around by both teams as they looked to take the early advantage.Bradford were showing why they are the bookies early favourites for the title but Town were standing up well.

It was the home side though who were having the better sights of goal with Wright on the left and Ainsworth down the right finding a lot of early space.There were good deliveries and over lapping play from Raven and Robinson and McLaughlin in the Bradford goal had to be alert on a number of occasions.

Bradford grabbed the lead against the run of the play after a hopeful ball down field dropped in the Town box, Sharps and O'Donnell looked to have it covered but neither took the initiative to clear the ball, this allowed Adeyemi to sneak in and then dink the ball past the out rushing Ben Smith in the Town goal.

This gave the initiative to the visitors and they were looking to build on their goal.they created a good chance after a corner was half cleared by Town, it came to Gareth Evans at the back post who hit a low drive that beat Ben Smith but the woodwork was there to save Town.

The lead didn't last long as Town were on level terms on 32 minutes following some good work from Ainsworth to win a corner.Mark Wright curled the ball over and Jon McLaughlin seemed to have to the ball but he dropped the ball under a challenge from Sharps, a first shot was blocked on the line but Jake Robinson was there to pounce on the rebound and make it 1-1.

Town had kept their patience and continued to play the ball around and look to build from the back.This method created a lovely chance after Mat Sadler picked the ball up on the left after a good cross field ball from Disley, Sadler continued his run and then played the ball into Robinson on the edge of the box, he then set the ball up to allow Sadler to curl in a lovely shot that flew just side of the mark.

Half-time: 1-1

Town had a good chance to grab the lead with only minutes of the second half gone.Lionel Ainsworth did well to nick in after it looked like he lost out on the ball, his pace saw him power into the box and then drive a cross across the face of the box that Harrold just failed to connect with, the ball then came to Wright at the back post who got his shot in but McLaughlin was there to collect.

Minutes later though Town did take the lead and it was thanks to another great bit of play from Lionel Ainsworth, he picked the ball on the edge of the box and then powered into the danger area, he flicked up a lovely ball to the near post and there was Jake Robinson with a perfect header into the top corner to make it 2-1 to Town.

With another 5 minutes on the clock there was another goal for Town and it was another beauty.The strike pairing of Robinson and Harrold combined again, Robinson powered forward and then put the ball up to Harrold, he flicked a header in behind the Bradford defence and Robinson kept his run going to nick in and chip the ball over McLaughlin for an excellent third goal for Town and a hatrick for Robbo.

Bradford kept pushing and looking for away back into the game and the ref nearly handed them one, Gareth Evans made a good run in behind the Town defence to get onto a lovely ball from Lewis Moult, he appeared to collide with Ian Sharps but the ref saw more to this and booked Sharps and awarded a free-kick. Robbie Threlfall took the kick and curled the ball over the wall and down towards Ben Smith's left hand post but the Town keeper was equal to it and tipped the ball round the post.

Town had to play the last 20 minutes after the ref saw something in a challenge from Kevin McIntyre that constituted a straight red card. Bradford were lucky to keep all eleven on the pitch moments later when Lee Bullock looked to have gone through Matt Harrold, but the ref only saw this worthy of a yellow.

Even down to 10 men Town were looking to get more goals and they had a lovely counter attack after Harrold had pushed play to Ainsworth on the right, he weaved his magic again to turn the Bradford defence and get him in on goal, he got the ball over the far side to Mark Wright who connected well first time but his shot was wide of the target.

Bradford had a great chance to grab back a goal in the dying minutes when Jake Speight found himself in behind the Town defence but with only Ben Smith to beat he put the ball wide of the target.

Full-time:3-1