Shrewsbury Town

Town: Chris Weale, Jermaine Grandison, Luke Summerfield, Michael Hector, Lee Collins, Matt Richards (c), Asa Hall, Marvin Morgan, Paul Parry, Aaron Wildig (Terry Gornell 65), Jon Taylor (Sam Winnall 65)

Subs: Gavin Ward, Joe Jacobson, Rob Purdie, Mark Wright, Darren Jones, Sam Winnall, Terry Gornell

Portsmouth: Mikkel Andersen, Mustapha Dumbuya, Jon Harley (Ashley Harris 75), Lee Williamson, Brian Howard (c ), Izale McLeod, Wes Thomas, Gabor Gyepes, Akos Buzsaky (Jack Compton 84), Johnny Ertl, Lubomir Michalik

Subs: Simon Eastwood, Josh Thompson, Liam Walker, Luke Rodgers, Adam Webster

Ref: F Graham

Assistants: D Leach & A Nunn

Fourth Official: A Tranter

Attendance: 13, 051 (617)

Graham Turner sticks with the same starting line-up that took to the field in the 1-0 win over Walsall last week at the Greenhous Meadow.  On the bench there are changes with one surprise in particular, goalkeeping coach Gavin Ward comes in for Joe Anyon, while Sam Winnall and Terry Gornell return from injury to give Town some attacking options.

Paul Parry was again starting the game up alongside Marvin Morgan and made an early impact on the game some good pressure inside the box in the first minute, and then with 4 minutes on the clock he received a neat pass from Grandison in the Pompey area, Parry left his marker and drove in a lovely snap shot but Andersen was equal to it with a good tip over the bar.

Pompey were buoyed on by a loud home crowd who seemed to be have lifted by the news that the supporters groups had been chosen as the preferred group to take over the club.  The home side were looking bright as an attacking force and had a great chance to nick the lead before the quarter-hour mark when a free-kick dropped in behind the Town defence but luckily for the visitors the shot was stabbed wide of the far post.

It was a pretty even game with both sides playing some good football with chances falling at both ends but it was Town who should have been in lead just after the half hour mark.  Good Town pressure saw the visitors move the ball around quickly with a ball played in to Morgan, he turned his marker to find space to run in on goal, there were a number of Town options running into the box and Morgan played a lovely low cross across the Pompey goal to find Paul Parry at the backpost, he slid in to put the ball home but got under the ball and scooped it over from close range, a big let off for the home side.

Town were finishing the game the stronger of the sides and were putting a lot of pressure onto the Pompey goal, enough to silence a lot of the home crowd enough for a few negative comments to be shouted.  The chances were still falling for the visitors, first from a free-kick after Morgan had been flattened on the edge of the box which saw Paul Parry curl a great shot in which Andersen did well to tip round the post, then moments later Luke Summerfield drove in a great long range effort that fizzed over the bar.

It was pretty even again after the restart and it was going to take a slip of a moment of genius for one of the sides to score.  It was a mistake though that handed Pompey the lead after a slip from Hector saw Wes Thomas with a run in on goal, Weale came out to narrow the angle and slow Thomas's progress down, the Pompey forward nicked the ball round Weale, Hector had recovered to get back onto the line but slipped and Thomas slipped the ball into the empty net.

It got worse for Town 2 minutes later when Pompey found space around the Town box to move the ball quickly, it came to Izale McLeod who burst into the box and lifted the ball over Weale to make it 2-0 to Pompey.

Town were not down and out and were looking to hit back and took the game to the homeside, some good pressure saw Taylor do well down, the all came to him and he chested it down to set Summerfield who smash in a good shot that Andersen did well to save, he couldn't hold the ball and Morgan nicked in to lift the ball into the far side of the net and make it 2-1.

Moments later it looked to be an uphill task for Town when Marvin Morgan was adjudged to have fouled just inside the Pompey half, ref Graham saw this worthy of a yellow card, Morgan didn't agree with this and spoke to the ref who seemed to take offence to this and then sent off the Town forward, it was unclear why but the ref seemed to gesture that Morgan had gone in with his head.

With less than 20 minutes remaining Graham Turner changed things around with a double change that saw Sam Winnall and Terry Gornell come on for Jon Taylor and Aaron Wildig, Paul Parry dropped back into midfield with Winnall and Gornell slotting in up front.

The 10 men of Town were doing all they could to get back on level terms and were really taking to the fight to Pompey.  Chances came to Parry, Gornell, Summerfield smashed in a great shot that brought a better save out of Andersen, Richards had a good free-kick block and Grandison had a shot blocked on the line after a scramble and shot in the Pompey box.

Town continued to push and push against a more nervous looking Pompey side but the pressure wasn't turning into goals despite the chances.  As the game moved into 6 minutes of added time Town turned the pressure on and camped in the Pompey half, but this meant they were vulnerable to the counter attack and a ball over the top found Izale McLeod in on goal and he calmly slotted the ball past Weale to make it 3-1 to the home side.