Town earn a win against Tranmere Rovers in the Checkatrade Trophy.
Town: Steve Arnold, Josh Emmanuel (Ryan Sears, 61), Ryan Haynes, Kieran Kennedy, Omar Beckles, Greg Docherty, Fejiri Okenabirhie, James Bolton, Lenell John-Lewis, Josh Laurent (Ryan Barnett, 61), Ollie Norburn (Aaron Amadi-Holloway, 74).
Subs: Joel Coleman, Arthur Gnahoua, Doug Loft, Aaron Amadi-Holloway, Ryan Sears, Lifumpa Mwandwe, Ryan Barnett.
Rovers: Patrick Wharton, Adam Buxton (Manny Monthe, 68), Ritchie Sutton, Ben Tollitt (Harvey Gilmour, 45), Jay Harris, Jake Caprice (Connor Jennings, 76), Mark Ellis, Dylan Mottley-Henry, Franklyn Akammadu, Ryan Williams, Larnell Cole.
Subs: Bayleigh Passant, Manny Monthe, Paul Mullin, James Norwood, Connor Jennings, Jonny Smith, Harvey Gilmour.
Referee: Peter Wright
Assistants: Ian Dudley and Richard Wild
Fourth official: Ian Smedley
Attendance: 1379 (113)
Shrewsbury Town earn another win, this time out in the Checkatrade trophy with a six-goal advantage.
Goals from Greg Docherty, Lenell John-Lewis, Fejiri Okenabirhie and Omar Beckles ensured Town won the game by a substantial score line.
Team News: Askey makes a number of changes to Town’s team sheet for these evenings Checkatrade Trophy Clash. Introduced into the starting line up are Steve Arnold, Ryan Haynes, Kieran Kennedy, James Bolton Greg Docherty, Fejiri Okenabirhie and Lenell John-Lewis.
First-Half:
The first 10 minutes of the half turned out to be a cagey affair, until Lenell John-Lewis found the net from just inside the box. Greg Docherty picked up the ball in the middle of the park, dribbled past two Tranmere defenders before finding John-Lewis and the striker took his chance, slotting the ball into the bottom left-hand corner of the goal.
Town doubled the lead just six minutes later in 17th minute. This time around John-Lewis found Docherty with a neat pass near the edge of the box. Docherty still had work to do, but Town’s number eight did well to shift past his man and dispatch a powerful shot, that nestled into the top right corner of the goal.
The Tranmere keeper’s night went from bad to worse in the 22nd minute. The shot-stopper miss-judged Docherty’s free kick delivery and fumbled the ball near the six-yard box. Omar Beckles pounced on the loose ball from a yard out to poke home the ball, making the score three nil
Town were continuing to dominate the play as the half was reaching the latter stages. The Shrews defence was doing a solid job to seal out Tranmere’s front men. Going forward, Docherty was troubling the Rovers back line at any given chance.
A proactive half came to an end and saw John Askey’s men go into the half-time break with a healthy three-goal advantage over the visitors.
Second-Half:
Beckles was given a yellow card in the 52nd minute for a deliberate handball near the middle of the park.
A costly mistake from Harvey Gilmour allowed Town an opportunity at goal just 10 minutes into the half. Fejiri Okenabirhie latched onto a misplaced pass and the forward struck a low and powerful shot from outside of the box, which found its way into the bottom corner of the goal.
Tranmere’s Mark Ellis was given a yellow card in the 66th minute for a rash challenge on Okenabirhie.
Unlike the first half, the second period was a much tighter affair, with both teams looking more even in the middle of the park. Although, Town’s central midfielders were doing well to frustrate the opposition and stifle any sparks of an attack.
Okenabirhie got his second goal of the game in the 73rd minute. Docherty did well to find Okenabirhie on the edge of the box and Town’s front man let off a curling effort, which found the back of the net after the ball slipped from Wharton’s hands, making the score-line 5-0.
As the game was closing out only Town looked like the team who were going to score. Town’s desire had not faltered all the way through the game and Askey’s men were still putting pressure on the visitors, despite the score line.
Right on the stroke of full-time, Town scored and Okenabirhie grabbed his hat trick. The forward latched onto a pass and ferociously struck the ball into the bottom right-hand corner from just inside the box.
The game ended with a 6-0 score line as Town earn a win in the Checkatrade trophy.