Shelbourne 0-2 Town - Half-Time
Saturday, 12th Jul 2014 16:06 by Josh Prenderville

Town lead 2-0 at half-time against Shelbourne after goals from Paul Anderson and Darren McQueen in the first half.

Town's first real bit of promise came in the fourth minute of the game, with good work from Anthony Wordsworth, who fed the ball out Paul Taylor, whose cross cannoned into Wordsworth and out for a goal-kick.

In the minutes that followed, Shelbourne attempted several long balls which were met by the head of Town skipper Luke Chambers.

Wordsworth, Anderson and Taylor continued to combine nicely, but Town lacked that end product as they quietly bedded into the game.

In the ninth minute, good individual work down the left from Alex Henshall, playing in his first game since signing for Town permanently, gave the ball into Taylor, whose shot was deflected out for a corner.

In the 12th minute, Town went ahead. The lively Henshall laid off to Anderson, who sweetly struck the ball into the net from 20 yards.

Town began to get comfortable and were starting to dominate Shelbourne, as Taylor won a free kick on the edge of the box in the 15th minute after skipping past two players. Taylor dusted himself down and the free kick was deflected narrowly wide of the post. Wordsworth headed wide from the following Henshall corner.

In the 18th minute, a good combination from Parr and Henshall down the left saw Henshall work his way into the box, before laying it off to Parr who struck well wide.

Paul Taylor continued to threaten, with a marauding run down the right leading to a corner on the 20 minute mark.

Town continued to come close and threaten with Taylor again shooting straight at the keeper in the 24th minute.

In the 28th minute, Town made it 2-0. After a long ball from Chambers, Shelbourne's Willo McDonagh dwelt on the ball, allowing the energetic Taylor to nick the ball from his feet. After Taylor was brought down by the keeper, Darren McQueen put the ball into an empty net.

In the 35th minute after good work from Ben Wyatt, who was playing at right back in his first game since moving from Norwich, McQueen turned and shot, with the ball being deflected narrowly over the Shelbourne bar.

Two minutes later, Anderson combined with Luke Hyam, who drove the ball low into the six yard box only for Shelbourne keeper Nathan Murphy to make a point blank save from McQueen.

The minute after, Shelbourne's Alan Sullivan forced a smart save from Town keeper Dean Gerken after Hyam sold Wyatt short with a pass.

Five minutes before half time, Wordsworth broke quickly and gave it to Anderson, who came inside and tried to replicate his goal, but the ball cannoned harmlessly into the keeper's arms.

Shelbourne's defence looked increasingly error-prone and McQueen and Taylor's pace was something that they struggled to handle.

In the 43rd minute Taylor easily worked his way around two players before passing the ball into Wordsworth's path, who sidefooted it harmlessly into Murphy's grateful arms.

Heading into added time Henshall's run down the left forced a corner which Smith headed well over.

Town's superiority was apparent straight from the kick-off as Shelbourne struggled to match their class.

The younger players, particularly Henshall and McQueen, looked ever more lively as the first half went on, with the experienced players such as Chambers and Anderson looked assured on the ball when necessary.

Town first half: Gerken, Parr, Chambers, Smith, Wyatt, Anderson, Hyam, Wordsworth, Henshall, McQueen, Taylor.

Second half: Crowe, Hewitt, Clarke, Berra, Mings, Stewart, Lawrence, Tabb, Skuse, Nouble, Marriott. Sub Bishop.

Photo: Action Images

Please report offensive, libellous or inappropriate posts by using the links provided.