Barnett sets up all three as Town ease past Carlisle
Town: 1 Cameron Gregory, 2 Josh Agbozo, 3 Rhys Davies, 4 Jack Leask, 5 Rory Huntbach, 6 Christos Shelis, 7 Reiss Corfield (Aaron Gilpin 60), 8 Kian Taylor, 9 Tyrone Ofori (Harri Lovett 76), 10 Ryan Barnett (C), 11 Lifumpa Mwandwe.
Subs: Jack Atkinson, Brett Taylor, Aaron Gilpin, Tom Huxley, Harri Lovett.
Subs: Josh Dixon, Liam McCarron, Ceiron Cassow, Kieran Kirr, Reagan Ward.
Town went down early in the first half after failing to clear a corner. Mwandwe beat two men in the box to equalise in the 26th minute. Barnett assisted the second in style as he slipped Ofori through on goal. Tyrone beat Ashton finding the bottom left to make it 2-1. Carlisle had chances to equalise in the second but Town fought hard to hold on. In the final moments, Josh Agbozo met Barnett’s corner to secure the win. The victory moves Town up to 5th in the Northwest Division, 3 points off Rochdale at the top having played two more games.
First Half:
Carlisle got the game underway, pushing men forward to mount an early attack. Earning a corner in the first minute, Town then failed to clear their lines. The ball dropped to Papa in the box who made no mistake finishing emphatically into the top corner.
Town had hardly seen the ball before the goal and were eager to get level swiftly. Pressing forward Town earned a corner in the third. Barnett delivered a good cross which Huntbach rose to meet. His header ended up just wide of the post.
Corfield showed good movement in the early stages. In the sixteenth he beat Brockbank for pace down the right before looking for Ofori in the box. The cross was over hit resulting in a goal kick.
Jack Leask picked up the ball in his own half before looking to set Ofori on the run through the middle. The low ball proved tricky for Carlisle who made a mess of clearing it due to Ofori’s pressure, conceding a corner.
The Corner was cleared setting Carlisle on the counter through Adewusi. Jack Leask made a fantastic challenge to stop the attacker on the half way line, winning possession in the process.
Tyrone Ofori was a constant problem for the Carlisle defenders. His high pressure earned Town a throw in deep in Carlisle’s half. Ofori took it quickly to Mwandwe who made a darting run along the 18-yard line, winning Town a free kick. Agbozo stepped up to take it, curling his effort towards the bottom corner but Ashton got down well to turn it wide.
The breakthrough came for town in the 26th minute. Captain Ryan Barnett did well to find Mwandwe inside the box. Mwandwe showed his talent skipping past two men to work the angle before slicing the ball across Ashton into the bottom left corner.
Town pressed on after equalising, coming close in the 31st. Barnett showed good pace down the right flank before curling an inviting ball towards Ofori. Tyrone’s header was deflected wide for a corner.
In the 33rd, a dominant Town got their reward. Barnett broke free in the middle with space to drive forward. He slipped a perfect ball through to an on running Ofori who’s first touch took him slightly wide. At the keeper’s right side, Ofori made no mistake with the finish slotting across the keeper into the bottom left corner.
Shortly after the goal Town nearly broke free for a third. Barnett had a strong first half orchestrating Town’s attack. This time he looked to slip Corfield through on goal with a clever ball. Corfield had the pace but the last man did well to nip the ball away from him.
Half Time: Town 2 Carlisle 1
Second Half:
Town started the second like they ended the first. Pressing from the off, they worked the ball around Carlisle’s box with confidence before Ofori slipped Mwandwe through on goal. Fumpa looked to lift it over Ashton but his shot was too high.
Cameron Gregory hadn’t seen too much of the ball throughout the game but he was ready when needed. A well worked attack from Carlisle saw them break into the box before squaring towards Papa. He looked certain to score but Gregory pulled off an excellent reaction save to deny the striker.
Town were next to work an opportunity. Rhys Davies curled a deep ball for an on running Ofori. Tyrone did well to hit the ball first time but steered the shot wide of the post.
Substitution: Reiss Corfield was replaced by Aaron Gilpin on the hour mark. Aaron making his first appearance this season after injury.
Gilpin was keen to make an impression on his return. Two minutes in, he powered past two men in the middle before finding Barnett with space to shoot. Barnett’s shot was deflected wide for a corner.
Carlisle refused to lie down and moments later forced a strong double save from Cam Gregory. With McCarron through on goal, Gregory did well to get down and beat away the first before springing to his feet and fending off a second. The third shot was fired over the bar but Cam had it covered on the dive.
Town found it harder to break forward for stages of the second as Carlisle pressed forward. With twenty minutes to go, Barnett worked the space to shoot on the edge of the box. The strike towards the bottom left forced a good save from Aston. The keeper was slow to his feet though and Ofori took full advantage pouncing on the rebound steering it across goal. Nobody was in a position to convert the pass and Carlisle cleared.
Substitute: Harri Lovett came on for Tyrone Ofori in the 76th. Ofori had pressed relentlessly in a strong performance for the striker.
Town dominated in the final ten minutes with Aaron Gilpin looking strong on his return. Winning the ball in his own half, he powered forward past his man before playing a clever pass forward to Barnett. Gilpin continued his run into the box and Barnett looked to square it to him but Carlisle did well to intercept and clear.
Aaron Gilpin then worked the opportunity to shoot from outside the box in the 85th. His effort curled over the bar. A minute later Town earned a corner which Barnett Curled into the near post. A deflection saw the ball flash across the face of goal before rolling out for another corner.
This time Barnett looked for runners in the box. Josh Agbozo rose highest to meet the ball, his powerful header finding the back of the net to secure the win in the 88th minute.
Carlisle Showed spirit forcing another fantastic double save from Cam Gregory in the 90th minute. This time Cam did well to react to the first shot from close range before springing back up to stop a second shot and Town cleared. A remarkable piece of goalkeeping.
Full time: Shrewsbury Town 3 Carlisle United 1