Narrow Home Defeat For The Under-18s
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: Shrewsbury Town v Tranmere Rovers (Football League Youth Alliance - North West league, Saturday 14 March, Shrewsbury Sports Village, 11am kick-off). NEXT FIXTURE
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BOOKED: Gibbons (33), Bergin (61).
GOALS: Barton (70)
SUBS: Harry Pickering, Liam Mottram, Brian Barton, Taylor Attrell, Michael Calveley.
: Callum Ferrie (GK); James Gibbons, Kyle Clarke, Billy Reeves, MacKenzie Faulkner, Lewis Bergin, Brad Ede, Chekaine Steele, Jonny Kapend, Dan Turner, Omar Haughton. PORT VALE LINE-UP
BOOKED: Burton (85), Fletcher (90+1).
GOALS: King (41).
SUBS: Shaun Rowley (GK), Jeff Watkins, Niall Flint, Joe Kenton, Nathan Millis, Jack Butts, Joel Carta.
: Harry Lewis (GK); Nathan Sheron, Jake Kerins, Ben Burton, Ryan Hickman (c), Tom King, Alex Fletcher, George Hughes, Ethan Jones, George Hassall, Jordan Wilson. SHREWSBURY TOWN LINE-UP
FULL-TIME: Shrewsbury Town 1-2 Port Vale
Even goalkeeper Lewis pushed up for a late Shrews corner, but in the end the Valiants held on for the win.
Dawes' side pushed forward for an equaliser late on and King tried his luck from another free-kick, this time right of centre, but it flew over the bar.
Both teams went in search of taking the lead but it was the visitors who restored their advantage in the 70th minute Barton struck into the bottom left corner of the Town goal from just inside the penalty area.
Two minutes later, Wilson broke into the Vale penalty area and took the ball onto his left foot before firing across goal but beating the far post.
There was then a chance for Ethan Jones at the other end as Hassall pulled the ball back to him on the edge of the box, but the former fired his first-time strike over the crossbar.
Vale started the second period the better and after just two minutes of the restart Town goalkeeper Lewis pulled off a spectacular one-handed save tip tip over Omar Haughton's dipping effort from the left.
HALF-TIME: Shrewsbury Town 1-1 Port Vale
King stepped up to the plate to equalise for Town with 41 minutes on the clock, though, as he curled a free-kick, from a central position on the edge of the Valiants' penalty area, in off the crossbar at the top left corner, and it remained level at the break.
There was also a chance for King at the end of a run and cross from Wilson, but his shot was well blocked by a defender.
The Shrews had a chance to respond only three minutes later when defender Ryan Hickman beat his marker on the right wing and pulled the ball back for Hassall whose first-time low shot was held by the Vale goalkeeper.
But the Valiants did take the lead in the 33rd minute Gibbons found the net with a strike from just outside the Town penalty area.
It was a fairly quiet opening 30 minutes at the Sports Village with an inswinging free-kick from Vale's Billy Reeves which flew wide of the far post being the closest either side came in the first half-hour.
FIRST HALF
Harry Lewis replaced Shaun Rowley in goal, while Nathan Sheron, Jake Kerins, Tom King, George Hughes, Jordan Wilson and George Hassall all came into the starting line-up.
Head of academy coaching Dawes made seven changes to the side which won the Shropshire Senior Cup at AFC Telford on Tuesday night.
TEAM NEWS
However, the Valiants went in front for a second time with 20 minutes to go as Brian Barton fired home, and Ian Dawes' side could not respond for a second time despite throwing bodies forward late on.
Vale took the lead through James Gibbons just past the half-hour mark at Shrewsbury Sports Village, but King equalised with a perfect free-kick into the top corner before half-time.
Shrewsbury Town slipped to a narrow defeat against Port Vale in the Football League Youth Alliance - North West league on Saturday despite a stunning Tom King free-kick.