Preston North End 1 Shrewsbury Town 4
Callum McKenzie named an unchanged team from the side that lost to Walsall last week. Sam Agius and captain James Rowland are back with the team after being named as substitutes in the first team’s FA Cup victory over Stoke City on Tuesday night. Tom Davies starts from the bench for the second week in a row on his return from injury so Kian Taylor continues to play in defence. Preston North End come into this match full of confidence after beating Carlisle United 4-1 last week.
Shrewsbury Town started the opening seconds full of confidence and created their first chance when Lifumpa Mwandwe managed to find Jamaine Turner, who was unable to find the target and his shot went flying over the crossbar. A mistimed tackle by Jack Leask was enough for referee David Gillon to award Preston a free kick but Lewis Redding was alert and cleared the danger.
The home team regained possession after an initial block by Kian Taylor on David Mayamona, but their advancements eventually came to nothing when Darren Brannigan’s shot went over the crossbar. Chances for both teams came in quick succession when Lifumpa Mwandwe had his shot on goal blocked by Tyler Williams and then Jacob Holland Wilkinson had plenty of time to take his shot, but his effort was just wide of Sam Agius’ goal post.
It was Preston who scored the first goal of the game in the tenth minute when Holland Wilkinson picked out David Brannigan who struck the ball past Sam Agius and into the bottom right hand corner. They were in quick search of adding a second but Holland Wilkinson found himself caught in Shrewsbury’s offside trap. Town nearly found an almost instant equaliser through Ryan Grosvenor but his shot could only find the side-netting. Jacob Holland Wilkinson nearly extended The Lilywhites’ lead when he was found by Danny Edwards from a corner, but the youngster’s header went flying over the crossbar.
James Rowland had two opportunities in the space of a few minutes, with his first not having enough power to trouble Callum Lenton and his second went just wide of the post. Jamaine Turner was in on the action in between those two chances by Rowland after getting on the end of a brilliant cross by Kian Taylor, but his end shot could only find the arms of the Preston goalkeeper. 12 minutes before the end of the half and Shrewsbury found the all-important equaliser courtesy of Jack Leask after he was alert at the rebound and slotted the ball home to go into the half level. This was Shrewsbury’s first goal of 2019.
Shrewsbury had the first goal-scoring opportunity of the second half when Ryan Grosvenor played in Lewis Redding, but his shot went over the crossbar. Another shot came and went after Jamaine Turner did well to set up Jack Leask but his shot ended up on the wrong side of the crossbar. On the hour mark, it looked like Preston would regain the lead through Darren Brannigan after he chipped the ball over Sam Agius, but Dan Walker managed to get back in time and cleared the ball off the line to ensure the score line was kept level.
Just two minutes later, Jack Leask scored his and Shrewsbury’s second of the game when he got on the end of Dan Walker’s deflected shot and found the back of the net, sending Town into the lead. Three minutes later and Shrewsbury added another goal to their tally; this time courtesy of Lifumpa Mwandwe who fired the past Callum Lenton from the edge of the penalty area.
Mwandwe nearly became the second Shrewsbury player to score two goals in the match but his shot was cleared by Harry Huddart; preventing Town from having a three-goal advantage. Mwandwe won a penalty for the away team in the 72nd minute when he was fouled in the penalty area which saw Jack Leask step up to take, but Lenton went the right way and denied Leask from getting his hat trick.
Just one minute after Jack Leask was denied from the spot, Reiss Corfield wrapped up all three points for Town after he found the end of Jamaine Turner’s pass, creating a brilliant solo run down the right and finding the back of the net after chipping it over Preston’s goalkeeper.
This was Shrewsbury’s first win of 2019 and they will be looking for another three points when they face an unbeaten Wigan Athletic side at Lilleshall Sports Centre next week; instead of their usual home location of the Shrewsbury Sports Village.
Team: Sam Agius, Reiss Corfield, Dan Walker, James Rowland (c) (Ethan O’Toole 79), Kian Taylor, Edan Sears (Tom Davies 79), Jamaine Turner, Lewis Redding (Ben Woolham 85), Ryan Grosvenor (Archie Elmore 79), Jack Leask, Lifumpa Mwandwe.
Unused Sub: Jaden Bevan