Town: Cameron Gregory, Ryan Sears, Callum Roberts, George Hughes, Dom Smith ©, Rory Huntbach, Aaron Gilpin (Reiss Corfield 60), Chris Gallagher, Tyrone Ofori (Lifumpa Mwandwe 60), John McAtee, Ryan Barnett
Substitutes: Jack Atkinson, Jack Leask, Reiss Corfield, Harri Lovett, Lifumpa Mwandwe
Shawbury: Matthew Ballard, Liam Armstrong, Harry Farnsworth, Owen Lloyd, Adam Groom, Keanu Cooper, Kieran Dovey, Liam Armstrong, Josh Thomas, Jason Wellings, Tom Worthington
Substitutes: Sean Evans, Mark Jones, Matthew Rooke, Marc Stallard, Stu Ellis
Team News:
Town included all five of their first year professionals with Ryan Sears and Callum Roberts starting in the full-back positions, George Hughes and Chris Gallagher made up the centre of midfield and John McAtee started in behind Tyrone Ofori. Meanwhile, Dom Smith captains the side.
First Half:
It was a quiet opening 15 minutes from both sides as they started to get to grips with the speed of the game. Town were looking to pass it out from the back, whilst Shawbury looked to get it forward quickly.
Town’s first chance came 20 minutes into the game when some lovely build-up play down the Town left between Ryan Barnett, Callum Roberts and John McAtee saw Town create some space and Barnett tried to slip in Aaron Gilpin, but his first touch let him down and Shawbury cleared.
Town continued to push forward with Barnett in particular looking dangerous and after putting pressure on the Shawbury defence he found himself in behind, but his shot hit the outside of the right hand post.
Shawbury looked dangerous on the break, with Josh Thomas involved in most of their best work and he had a couple of efforts which went just wide of Cameron Gregory’s post.
However, it was Town who took the lead on 36 minutes when Ryan Sears drove forward from right-back before playing a through ball for Tyrone Ofori who shot first time and found the bottom right-hand corner.
Town continued to push forward in the final few minutes of the half, but it was Shawbury who came closest a minute before the break when Thomas found himself in behind, but his show was fired wide of the post when one on one with Gregory.
Half-Time: 0-1
It was Town who had had the better of the first-half and they were the first to create a clear cut chance in the second period when John McAtee picked out Callum Roberts in the box, but his acrobatic volley cannoned off the post.
Town continued to press from the rebound and Aaron Gilpin played in a decent cross, but Tyrone Ofori’s shot went over the bar.
Town made their first couple of chances 15 minutes into the half with Gilpin and Ofori being replaced by Reiss Corfield and Lifumpa Mwandwe and Mwandwe immediately made an impact as he won a penalty after being brought down by the Shawbury goalkeeper.
Chris Gallagher stepped up to take the spot-kick, but his effort hit the top of the bar and Shawbury remained in the game.
Town never really got there free-flowing passing game going in the second half and Shawbury were the better side without causing Cameron Gregory any real problems.
However, Town were made to pay for their lackadaisical second half performance when Rory Huntbach brought down Jason Wellings in the box and Liam Armstrong sent Gregory the wrong way from the spot with 15 minutes remaining.
In the final quarter of an hour it was Town who pushed for the winner with a couple of set-pieces being cleared by Shawbury, but they couldn’t create any clear cut chances and the game went to penalties.
Full-Time: 1-1
Penalties:
With Shawbury going first in the shootout, both sides scored their first three penalties. Shawbury then went 4-3 up with Chris Gallagher stepping up next for Town. Gallagher had already missed an earlier penalty and this time saw his effort saved by Shawbury ‘keeper Matthew Ballard.
Shawbury win 5-3 on penalties