Barnett Volley Earns Point Against The Dragons
: Ilkeston v Shrewsbury Town (FA Youth Cup - Second Round Proper, Wednesday 18 November, New Manor Ground, 7.45pm kick-off). NEXT FIXTURE
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ASSISTANTS: Paul Shepherd & Keith Davies
: Jack Wildman REFEREE
GOALS: Johny Smith (26).
UNUSED SUBS: Dane Rigby, Alex Downes, Harry Hughes.
: Reece Airey (GK); Douglas Tharme, Jordan Davies, Leo Smith, Danny Roberts, Oliver Marx, Ryan Williams (George Harry, 62), Rakim Newton (C), Niall Freeman, Johny Smith, Tom Creamer (Scott McHarry, 76). WREXHAM LINE-UP
GOALS: Barnett (45+1).
UNUSED SUBS: Ethan Jones, John McAtee, Chris Gallagher.
: Leon Reece (GK): Ryan Sears, Joel Bonner, Nathan Millis, Jack Butts (C) (Joe Ashley, 81), Mathew Jones, Joel Carta, Jacob Rammell, Ryan Barnett, Joe Kenton, George Hassall (Tom King, 75). SHREWSBURY TOWN LINE-UP
FULL-TIME: Shrewsbury Town 1-1 Wrexham
And there was one last chance for Shrewsbury to find a winner as King fed the ball through a gap for Barnett who broke into the box on the inside left, but his high shot was parried away by the goalkeeper as Wrexham held on for a point.
Town goalkeeper Leon Reece had to remain alert to snuff out a late burst behind the Shrews' backline from Wrexham striker Freeman as the second half approached injury time.
There was also a chance for substitue Tom King to find a winner with five minute to go as Kenton pulled the ball back from the right, but the midfielder's low effort off his weaker lacked enough power.
However, it was Shrewsbury who went closest to the winner as Butts again crossed from the right and Hassall headed against the top of the crossbar from inside the penalty area with ten minutes to go.
Wrexham always looked to counter attack and, in the 68th minute, Freeman skipped to the edge of the Town penalty area from the left and blased just wide of the right post.
The ball then came back to Barnett around 12 yards out and he look to find the empty bottom right corner, but his low shot came back off the post and again to Hassall, whose low shot was saved down low at the near post.
First, Kenton fired a cross from the right into the six-yard box which was met by the head of Hassall, but the striker's effort was denied at point-blank range by Airey as he scrambled across his goal.
There was then a triple chance for the Shrews just past the hour mark where they will wonder how the ball never went in.
Town came out much stronger in the second half and Hassall looked to give his side the lead with a looping header from Butts' cross on the right, but the effort was easily caught by Airey in the Wrexham goal.
HALF-TIME: Shrewsbury Town 1-1 Wrexham
Mathew Jones cross from the left to the far side of the penalty area, Barnett waited for the ball to drop before hammering a side-foot volley in over the goalkeeper to make the score level at the break.
But the young Shrews did find an equlaiser a minute into added time at the end of the first half thanks to a stunning goal by Barnett.
The second-year scholar then almost nicked an equaliser a minute before half-time as he just beat the goalkeeper to a deflected cross, but the ball squirmed just wide.
Kenton was denied from close range at the near post, however, as the goalkeeper got out quickly to save low.
Shrewsbury almost hit back at the other end, though, as Jack Butts, who was captain for the day, sent a low ball into the box which missed Barnett but found Kenton behind him.
The visitors then looked to double their lead as Niall Freeman flicked wide a header inside the box from Douglas Tharme's cross on the right.
Wrexham did take the lead a minute later, though, as Davies chipped the ball upfield down the inside left and Smith went on to fire into the right corner.
But it was the visitors who were the closer to grabbing the opener and, in the 25th minute, Davies saw a free-kick from the edge of the penalty area clip the outside of the post as he looked to find the top right corner.
However, Town looked for the opener at the other end and Mathew Jones picked out Barnett who then drove to the edge of the penalty area before firing a high shot which forced a diving stop from Wrexham goalkeeper Reece Airey to his left.
The visitors then went close to an equaliser when Niall Freeman headed over inside the box from Jordan Davies' cross on the left with 15 minutes on the clock.
At the other end, three minutes later, Hassall fed Kenton through the inside right of the Wrexham penalty area, but the latter, after speeding forward, shot high over the crossbar.
Wrexham got the game underway at Shrewsbury Sports Village and registered the first shot on goal when Ryan Williams chested and volleyed over from the edge of the box in the sixth minute.
FIRST HALF
Callum Roberts, Callum Grogan, Chris Gallagher, Tom King, John McAtee and Ethan Jones were all rested, with Joel Bonner, Nathan Millis, Mathew Jones, Jacob Rammell, Ryan Barnett and Joe Kenton coming into the side.
Head of Academy coaching Ian Dawes made six changes to the side which lost 2-1 at Preston North End a week before, with one eye on Wednesday night's FA Youth Cup - Second Round Proper trip to Ilkeston.
TEAM NEWS
Town had chances to win the match in the second half, with George Hassall's header against the crossbar being the closest, but neither side could pick up all three points.
The Under-16s' man smashed home in first-half injury time to cancel out the visitors' opener through Johny Smith at Shrewsbury Sports Village.
A stunning volley from Ryan Barnett was enough to earn Shrewsbury Town a point at home to Wrexham in the Football League Youth Alliance - North West league on Saturday.