ShrewsTRUST Man of the Match

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Stoke City: Carlo Nash, Andy Wilkinson, Ryan Shawcroft (c ), Robert Huth, Danny Higginbotham, Michael Tonge (Rory Delap 80), Danny Pugh, Glenn Whelan, Matthew Etherington (Dean Whitehead 72), Jonathan Walters, Tuncay ( Ricardo Fuller 66)

Subs: Thomas Sorensen, Danny Collins, Tom Soares, Matthew Lund

Town: Chris Neal, David Raven, Ian Sharps (c ), Shane Cansdell-Sherriff, Mat Sadler, Mark Wright, Sean McAllister, Kevin McIntyre (Lewis Neal 85), Craig Disley, Steve Leslie, Benjamin Van Den Broek (Tom Bradshaw 59)

Subs: Hakan Duyan, Jake Robinson, Jon Taylor, Harry Hooman, Danny Taylor

Ref: S Tanner
Assistants: P Gooch & J Knowles
Fourth Official: R Merchant

Attendance: 11995

Graham Turner is forced to make a number of changes to the side with Lionel Ainsworth and Danny O'Donnell missing through injury and Mat Harrold suspended. In come Shane Cansdell-Sherriff, Kevin McIntyre, Steve Leslie and Benjamin Van Den Broek as Town look to continue their run in the Carling Cup. Looking at the teamsheet Tony Pulis has named a very strong side as the Premier League side look to get a moral boosting win ahead of their weekend trip to Stamford Bridge.

It was an assured start to the game from Town who got to grips with the game early on and set out their stall with a hard working display but with the ball being played around the Britannia pitch. They visitors were putting in a good attacking performance with the midfield making the runs to support loan front man Benjamin Van Den Broek.

With 25 minutes on the clock there had been little in the way of goalmouth action but Town were certainly holding their own. The visitors where playing some good crisp football that was allowing them to use the full width of the Britannia surface. The best bet to trouble Carlo Nash in the Stoke net looked to be from a set-piece but the home side were certainly strong when it came to defending corners.

It was the home side though who grabbed the lead when a break saw them get in behind the Town defence for the first time, the ball was played in from the left hand side and there was Jonathan Walters to stroke the ball past the dive of Chris Neal and make it 1-0 to Stoke.

Stoke looked odds on to add to their lead minutes later after a throw deep in the Town half resulted with a ball into the box, Town couldn't get it clear and it was stabbed back in towards Tuncay who had found space in behind the defence, he only had Neal to beat but just as he was about to pull the trigger David Raven slid in and did enough to make Tuncay spoon the ball wide of the target.

Town were pressing and had a good period of pressure around the Stoke penalty area with Leslie and Wright causing a number of problems. But the home side showed the difference in class when a quick break down the left saw a ball floated in towards Tuncay, Sharps looked to have the situation covered but Tuncay managed to get in before the Town captain and powered in a header that gave Neal no chance at the near post to make it 2-0 to City.

Half-time: 0-2

Town were looking to get the goal that would get them back into the game and Mark Wright showed good strength and determination when he broke down the left, he held off his marker well and rode a couple of challenges before showing a clean pair of heels, he continued his break down field before switching play to Van Den Broek who had drifted out to the left, he put over a great cross to find Disley who had made his run in from the edge of the box but he didn't connect cleanly and his header flew wide of he target.

Things still seemed comfortable for the home side but Town were still pushing and probing to try and get a goal back. There was good movement and endeavour from the visitors who were seeing a lot of the ball in the final third but they just couldn't get that break which would see them find a chink in the Stoke defensive armour.

Town were getting closer and closer to grabbing a goal back with first Steve Leslie firing in a good long range effort that pulled a good save out of Nash, and then David Raven got in behind the home defence and then drilled a vicious ball across the face of goal that Nash failed to hold onto but no Town player was there to pounce.

Town's persistence though did pay off on 78 minutes when a good period of pressure saw them grab a goal back to make the final 10 minutes interesting. Town built well and the ball went out to the left, it came to McAllister who lifted a ball to the back post that dropped over Huth and there was Leslie sneaking in at the back post to nod the ball home to make it 2-1.

With 5 minutes remaining Stoke should really have wrapped things up when a quick movement of the ball saw Jonathan Walters bursting down the middle of the field between the Town back line, he only had Chris Neal to beat but the Town keeper was quickly off his line to narrow the angle and when Walters did try the chip it dropped just wide of the target.

Town were still pushing with minutes of the game remaining and substitute Lewis Neal had a half chance to level the score, the ball looped up over the Stoke defence to and Neal in space just inside the box he got his header on target but it lacked the power to really trouble Nash in the Stoke goal.

Full-time: 2-1