FTDL: Walsall 2-5 Shrewsbury Town
FOURTH OFFICIAL: Adam Mullins
ASSISTANTS: Scott Walker & Tezdzhan Sabri
: Richard Price REFEREE
UNUSED SUBS: Bradley Caswell, Rory Oliver.
: Liam Roberts (GK); Liam Kinsella, Rico Henry (Korey Roberts, 45), Reece Flanagan, Matt Preston, Kyle Rowley, Jordan Murphy, Sam Mantom (Maziar Kouhyar, 45), Tom Bradshaw (Levi Rowley, 45), Amadou Bakayoko, James Baxendale. WALSALL LINE-UP
UNUSED SUBS: Ryan Sears, George Hughes, Jordan Wilson.
: Callum Burton (GK); Sam Patterson, Mickey Demetriou, Darren McKnight, Callum Grogan, Matt Tootle, James Caton, Ethan Jones (Trialist, 49), Jean-Louis Akpa Akpro (C), Tyrone Barnett, Callum Roberts. SHREWSBURY TOWN LINE-UP
With the game entering the last ten minutes, Akpa Akpro made the game safe with a delightful solo run and finish before young centre back Callum Grogan nodded in another Caton corner.
Town had to wait just after the hour for their third as Barnett found room on the edge of the box to drive home his second of the day.
Town stopper Callum Burton was called into action to repel Flanagan, again from distance, before the resulting corner found its way into the back of the net at the via a near post flick from Tom Bradshaw.
From the resulting corner Town regained the lead through Demetriou who headed home Caton’s corner.
Jean-Louis Akpa Akpro came close to putting Shrewsbury back in front but after rounding the ‘keeper, but he could only see his goal-bound effort cleared.
Walsall found themselves behind for just ten minutes, however, as Bradshaw teed up Reece Flanagan who drilled low into the corner from 18-yards.
Shrewsbury, who lined up in a 3-4-1-2 formation, were first to strike after just seven minutes when Tyrone Barnett prodded home Jean-Louis Akpa Akpro’s nod back from a high Matt Tootle cross.
Mickey Demetriou and James Caton, who have both returned to the Club from loan spells at Cambridge United and Wrexham respectively, both played a big part for Town on the day.
Three second-half goals fired Shrewsbury Town to a resounding victory over Walsall in the Final Third Development League on Tuesday afternoon.