First-Half Goals Give Under-18s The Win
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ASSISTANTS: Mr L Tongue & Mr D Daly
: Mr N Storey REFEREE
BOOKED: Walters (39), Tuohy (59), Parmer (66) Jacobs.
SUBS: Mason Fallon, Chris Renshaw.
: Paul Tyson (GK); Ryan Ellison, Eddie Fulwood (Lee Knight, 56), Callum Etches, Rahul Parmer, Ben Grant (Rio Murray, 74), Jordache Walters, Jack Tuohy, Callum Scullion, Devante Jacobs, Alex Read (Ryan Leonard, 56). OLDHAM ATHLETIC LINE-UP
GOALS: Hickman (23), Anderson (41).
SUBS: Lewis (GK), Sam Hughes, Jack Butts, Joel Carta, Nathan Millis.
: Shaun Rowley (GK); Ryan Hickman, Nathan Sheron, Callum Grogan, Ben Burton, Tom King, Niall Flint, Alex Fletcher, Ethan Jones (Joe Kenton), Jordan Wilson (George Hughes, 62), Kaiman Anderson (George Hassall). SHREWSBURY TOWN LINE-UP
FULL-TIME: Oldham Athletic 0-2 Shrewsbury Town
Oldham picked up four bookings as they battled to get back into the game, but Shrews were strong enough to hold on, keep a clean sheet and get back on track.
Jacobs tried his luck from long range midway through the second half but Rowley was able to hold onto the ball.
The second period proved to be a scrappier affair as Oldham looked to step up their attack.
HALF-TIME: Oldham Athletic 0-2 Shrewsbury Town
And it remained a two-goal advantage to Town going into the interval.
The young Shrews were deserving of more goals before the break and they duly got another, in the 41st minute, as Flint drove in a free-kick which ping-ponged around inside the box before Anderson finished the move from close range.
It was one-way traffic in Town’s favour and Ethan Jones was the next to let fly from the edge of the box but his fierce strike skimmed past the right post.
Hickman could even have had a second moments later but his attempt to find the top corner went narrowly the wrong side of the post.
Town’s goal, and the game’s opener, arrived from one of the unlikeliest sources with 23 minutes on the clock as defender and captain Hickman pushed forward, collected a cross from Wilson in the penalty area before firing low past the keeper with his left foot.
Three minutes before Town took the lead, goalkeeper Shaun Rowley made a crucial save at the other end to deny Devante Jacobs one on one.
The first was a close range stop to deny Anderson’s first-time effort following a cross from Wilson, while the second was a high reach to tip Grogan’s header over the bar from a Flint corner.
Oldham goalkeeper Paul Tyson made two important saves for his side before the Shrews eventually took the lead.
But Town were denied by a defender on the goal line for a second time with 11 minutes gone as Callum Grogan headed Niall’s Flint’s corner toward the far corner but Alex Read on the post was there to clear away.
At the other end, Latics captain Jack Tuohy narrowly missed the bottom right corner with a fierce strike from the left.
Dawes’ side were then denied by a defender on the goal line as Ryan Ellison got back to block King’s strike after Anderson had squared the ball across goal.
Town started the game well and the first chance fell for King, who had burst forward on the left, but he blazed the ball over the crossbar after being found by Jordan Wilson in the fourth minute.
FIRST HALF
Nathan Millis was replaced by Tom King in the wingback position while Nathan Sheron started over George Hughes in defence.
Head of academy coaching Ian Dawes made two changes to the side which lost 2-1 to the Latics on Tuesday.
TEAM NEWS
But they responded with a much better performance at Chapel Road Training Ground and first-half goals from Ryan Hickman – his first of the season – and Kaiman Anderson gave the young Shrews all three points.
Town’s Under-18s went into the game having been knocked out of the Football League Youth Alliance to the Latics on the Tuesday beforehand.
Shrewsbury Town’s youth team put in one of their best performances of the season to beat Oldham Athletic in the league on Saturday.