Town and Gillingham share the points after drawing 1-1
Town: Max O’Leary, Aaron Pierre, Ro-Shaun Williams, Omar Beckles, Ollie Norburn, Ryan Giles, Donald Love, Sean Goss, Daniel Udoh (Fejiri Okenabirhie, 31), Josh Laurent (Shaun Whalley, 59), Jason Cummings (Dave Edwards, 72).
Subs: Joe Murphy, Scott Golbourne, Dave Edwards, Shaun Whalley, Fejiri Okenabirhie, Brad Walker, Louis Thompson.
Gillingham: Jack Bonham, Stuart O’Keefe, Max Ehmer, Connor Ogilvie, Brandon Hanlan, Regan Charles-Cook (Ollie Lee, 80), Alfie Jones, Mark Marshall (Lee Hodson, 90), Alex Jakubiak (Mikael Ndjoli, 82), Tom O’Connor, Jack Tucker.
Subs: Joe Walsh, Lee Hodson, Mikael Mandron, Mikael Ndjoli, Ousseynou Cisse, Ben Pringle, Ollie Lee.
Referee: Will Finnie
Assistants: Joe Clark and Richard Woodward
Fourth official: Alan Clayton
Attendance: 5076 (186)
Shrewsbury Town this evening extended their unbeaten run with a 1-1 draw against this evening’s visitors Gillingham.
It was the Gills who took the lead in the game but Town battled back and managed to earn a point due to a second-half Omar Beckles goal.
First Half:
Shrewsbury Town’s Tuesday evening Sky Bet League One clash with Gillingham got off to a bright and competitive start, with both teams looking to push up the field and create chances. Within the opening 10-minutes, Town managed to flash the ball across the visitors’ box but saw the threatening ball cut out by the Gills keeper Jack Bonham.
The positive opening period allowed Town go grow in confidence and enabled Sam Ricketts’ side to string a number of positive passes together, making his side look continuously dangerous in the opposition half. Town’s midfield particularly dispatched the ball around the pitch well.
The first yellow card of the game was brandished by referee Will Finnie in the 19th minute. Gillingham’s number 14, Alfie Jones, pulled down Daniel Udoh in the final-third and was subsequently booked for the foul. Despite this, Town were unable to capitalise with the free kick.
It was Salop who managed the first real chance at goal during the first-half. Josh Laurent picked up the ball just outside of the box and let off a good shot. Unfortunately for the midfielder, Bonham was equal to the effort and managed to claim the ball well for his side.
The Gills managed to receive their second booking of the game in the 30th minute through Stuart O’Keefe. The defender made a late challenge and caught Jason Cummings on the ankle.
Cummings forced Bonham to make another good save with just over five minutes to go in the half. Town counter-attacked well and Laurent managed to feed a good ball through to the forward. After a good run, the striker dispatched a left-footed effort, which required a good sprawling save from the Gills’ shot-stopper.
In the 42nd minute the visitors were awarded a penalty after Ryan Giles was deemed to have committed handball in the Salop box. O’Keefe managed to fire the penalty into the left corner of the Town net - giving his side the lead.
Ro-Shaun Williams was also put into the referee’s book after blocking a Gillingham forward from progressing into Town’s half.
The half came to an end with Gillingham taking the one-goal advantage into the break.
Second Half:
The opening 10-minutes of the second-half was mostly being battled out in the middle of the park. Both teams were fighting for possession and looked to pass the ball through the opposition defence, but neither side had many clear chances to progress.
Town were beginning to utilise the wings more and nearly calved out a chance in the 63rd minute. Giles swung in a good cross towards Cummings, box but a Gills defender managed to get a solid connection on the ball to clear it away.
Town went that step further with their next chance and managed to earn the equalising goal. Sean Goss recycled a corner kick and found Omar Beckles who had the task of tapping in from close range to put his team back on level terms.
Goss was given a yellow card in the 68th minute for pulling back Regan Charles-Cook.
The introduction of Shaun Whalley did prove to be positive for Town, as the midfielder often carried the ball into the final third. In the 87th minute Whalley won a free kick on the edge of the box for his team but Goss couldn’t convert to grab a late winner.
Fejiri Okenabirhie was given a yellow card late on for blocking play in the middle of the park.
Even with the additional four minutes added on, neither team were able to find a winner and both took away one point.