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Shrewsbury Town 0-0 Ipswich Town - Match Report
Tuesday, 4th May 2021 21:03

Town’s final away game of the season at Shrewsbury ended in their ninth 0-0 draw of the season. Clear-cut chances were rare at both ends with Troy Parrott forcing home keeper Harry Burgoyne into a couple of saves and the Irishman and Norwood both shot over for the Blues, while sub Dan Udoh looped a header onto the top of the Town cross-bar at the other.

Parrott replaced Teddy Bishop, who dropped to the bench, in a side otherwise unchanged from Saturday’s 2-1 win at Swindon.

Dai Cornell was again in goal with Kane Vincent-Young at right-back and Myles Kenlock at left-back with Stephen Ward again missing out.

The veteran Irishman, who is out of contract this summer, appears to have played his final game for the club with his total of league starts this season having reached 29 and we understand, as was the case with Alan Judge, a 30th would trigger Town’s year’s option on his deal.

Andre Dozzell partnered Flynn Downes in the middle of midfield with Gwion Edwards on the left and Armando Dobra on the right, and Parrott behind lone out-and-out striker Norwood, who again skippered.

For Shrewsbury, former Blues loanee Matthew Pennington started at the heart of their defence, while Donald Love and Shaun Whalley replaced Ethan Ebanks-Landell, who missed out on a place in the 18, and Harry Chapman, who was on the bench.

Tom Bloxham, a 17-year-old striker, kept his place having impressed when making his full league debut in Saturday’s 3-2 home defeat to Oxford.

Pennington headed the game’s first chance over the bar from a corner on the left in the seventh minute with the Blues having seen plenty of the ball in the early stages but without threatening.

The game, played in cold, blustery and intermittently rainy conditions, continued in a similar pattern with Town, wearing their light blue away kit, creating their first opportunity in the 18th minute when Norwood headed wide from Vincent-Young’s cross.

A minute later, the Shrews, with manager Steve Cotterill loudly shouting instructions from the back of the directors’ box, claimed a penalty when a free-kick from the left reached skipper Ollie Norburn on the other side of the box from where he hit a shot against Kenlock. Referee Lee Swabey showed no interest.

Pennington was shown the game’s first yellow card in the 27th minute for upending Parrott as the on-loan Spurs man sought to break away down the left.

Parrott forced home keeper Harry Burgoyne into action for the first time seven minutes later, the Irish international cutting in from the left before hitting a powerful shot which the Shrews number one batted away to his right.


Town ought to have gone ahead in the 35th minute when Dobra tricked his way past his man on the right of the box and his cross reached Edwards, who slipped as he tried to turn the ball goalwards from eight yards.

Cornell was forced into his first serious save of the half on 39 when Whalley was played in on the left of the box by Norburn but the Town keeper was quickly out to block.

A minute later, Edwards claimed what would have been a very generous penalty when he was dispossessed on the left of the area with Shrewsbury repeatedly giving the ball away inside their own half. Town similarly gave it away again before they were able to create a chance of note.

Cornell was in action again in the 41st minute when Love played Bloxham in on the right of the box but the Blues keeper saved down to his right.

Norwood was yellow-carded for frustratedly kicking the ball over the stand into the car park soon afterwards with referee Swabey subsequently going to the touchline to have words with Blues boss Cook, who had expressed his frustration at a number of decisions, most notably a foul given against Downes, which led to the Town manager to claim the referee was “making the game a farce”.

That was the final excitement of a half which won’t live long in the memory, the game every bit a meaningless end-of-season dead rubber. Town had seen plenty of the ball without creating much with Cornell having been forced into marginally bigger saves than his Shrews counterpart.

The Blues’ best chance was Dobra’s cutback from the right to Edwards with the Welshman losing his footing as the ball came to him.

Two minutes after the restart Vincent-Young skipped away from his man on the right of the box but his cross was cut out. A subsequent Kenlock ball into the area from the other flank was similarly cut out as Town began the half on the front foot.

On 52 Edwards hit a shot after a corner had been cleared which struck a defender and almost fell for Norwood as Burgoyne came off his line. Somewhat surprisingly, referee Swabey indicated a goalkick.

Norburn shot through to Burgoyne two minutes later, before Josh Vela was booked for foul on Dozzell.

As the game passed the hour mark rain began to fall heavily once again, then Parrott hit a well-struck shot from distance which Burgoyne palmed away from goal.

On 62 the home side made a double change with Love and Bloxham replaced by Dave Edwards and Dan Udoh.

There was a scare for the Blues in the 66th minute when Whalley was sent away on the right, although appearing to have strayed offside. His low cross only found Cornell’s arms as Kenlock made a challenge. The Town left-back appeared to get nothing on the ball and Whalley claimed a penalty and appeared to have a case.

Parrott blazed well over for Town in the 68th minute having been teed-up on the edge of the box by Edwards.

Two minutes later, Norwood crossed low from the right having been sent away by Dobra but too far in front of Edwards. Kenlock sent it back in to the far post but Norwood headed wide and in any case the linesman indicated he was offside.

The second half had become increasingly open with the Blues seeing most of the ball but without being able to create a clear-cut chance to break the deadlock.

In the 80th minute the home side should have gone in front. Edwards was played in on the left of the box but was thwarted by the advancing Cornell. The loose ball ran back to Edwards, who crossed to fellow sub Udoh on the edge of the six-yard box with Cornell out of his ground but the striker’s header hit the top of the bar.

Dobra, who had put in a lively display, sent Norwood away on the right on 84 but the striker failed to find Parrott with his pass with the Town number 40 otherwise through on goal.

A minute later, Dobra played in Norwood but the stand-in skipper shot over when he should have at least have hit the target.

On 88 the former Tranmere man, who wasn’t enjoying his finest few minutes, appeared to hit an effort against his own foot and wide when found inside the box.

In injury time, Vincent-Young looked in some pain having appeared to slip and hurt his shoulder. The right-back left the field with this left arm in a makeshift sling made from his shirt. Oli Hawkins took over for literally the final couple of seconds of the game.

The Blues controlled the second half but without carving out too many opportunities, although they ought to have done better with those that the did create. Shrewsbury went closest to scoring via Udoh’s header.

Town’s sixth 0-0 draw in their last 10 matches, while Saturday’s win at Swindon the only one of their last eight games in which they have scored.

The result leaves the Blues ninth going into Sunday’s final day home game against Fleetwood.

Shrewsbury: Burgoyne, Love (Edwards 62), Pennington, Pierre, Walker, Ogbeta, Davis, Vela, Norburn (c), Whalley (Chapman 77), Bloxham (Udoh 62). Unused: Bevan, Williams, Goss, Main.

Town: Cornell, Vincent-Young (Hawkins 90), Woolfenden, McGuinness, Kenlock, Dozzell, Downes, Edwards, Parrott, Dobra, Norwood (c). Unused: Holy, Chambers, Nsiala, Bishop, Harrop, Bennetts, Hawkins. Referee: Lee Swabey (Devon).


Photo: Pagepix



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BromleyBloo added 21:04 - May 4
Match between two average/not very good league 1 sides, but at least we competed a lot better than we have done and dominated at times, albeit with little end result.

We worked hard or should I say laboured, but so obviously lacking in quality and such poor decision making or at times appearing to just not know what to do with the ball, especially in the attacking third. Also a mistake waiting to happen at the back on more than one occasion, giving the ball away on a regular basis.

Norwood toiled as usual leading the line and Dobra again the brightest spark, Downes solid, KVY trying, but little else of real note.

Notably, no subs used until the last minute when KVY injury necessitated.

As many have said, let's just get this season over and get started on the rebuild work ASAP!!!
1

warksonwater added 21:13 - May 4
Usual goal fest. Ninth it is then. Great.
1

TimmyH added 21:13 - May 4
Sounds like the usual Town yawn fest...only 1 more match until we're put out of our misery and hopefully on to a brighter horizon.
11

del45 added 21:13 - May 4
Boring Boring Boring waste of time
4

blueboy1981 added 21:22 - May 4
At least the Defence did their job again - we know who's let who down in all those clean sheets, just one goal a game in those last six clean sheets would have yielded another 12 points.
Makes you think of what could have been ... !!!
Don't dismiss - it's fact .... !!!
3

Karlosfandangal added 21:24 - May 4
Better game than we have been use to. Dobra looks very good.
Woolfenden, Downes,Dobra looked like they could do well for us next season, Some silly mistakes from Woolfenden but overall good.

Some small shoots of promise this evening.
1

dirtydingusmagee added 21:25 - May 4
Norwood is not good enough , we need better .
6

runaround added 21:25 - May 4
Thankfully just one more game to go before we can start again. Future still seems bright but massive rebuild needed as a large number of this squad just aren't good enough
2

Northstandveteran added 21:26 - May 4
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Nobbysnuts added 21:29 - May 4
If we could just string 3 wins together we could make the playoffs...😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
1

VanDusen added 21:29 - May 4
Much better performance - and at least we didn't lose. Good build up, just a shame the finishing wasn't there. Dobra had some real fight to him and Edwards made a case for his contract being renewed. Norwood - apart from kicking the ball away for the booking - so much more responsible as captain and his work rate elsewhere on the pitch rather than just up front was fab. Usual problems at the back playing McGuinness, but Cornell largely did pretty well.

Gutted for KVY at the end, but maybe it's fate to allow Chambers to make a deserved final appearance at Portman Road on Sunday - hope Cook allows him that after nine years of dedicated service to the club.
4

Monkey_Blue added 21:30 - May 4
How ever had we were at times under Lambert, Cook has somehow made us the most toothless team in all four divisions. Most managers get jobs when a club is fighting relegation , not off the back of three wins and fighting for promotion. The last 15 games have to have been the worst in the clubs history for excitement. I'm not convinced a snow globe system of squad replacement is the solution. He seems utterly clueless tactically to turn us into anything resembling an attacking force. Whilst there weren't many 5-0's in the last few years how many of those 0-0's have been since Cook turned up. He's got a lot to do to convince me he's not the next Manager who's achievements are behind him. More and more it looks like Leam Richardson was the key to cooks record .
You can't seriously believe that this squad is full of players who don't care, but they do look demotivated and scared..... neither of which produce good football.
5

ChrisR added 21:32 - May 4
Eight Games , 12 hours , 2 goals (and those a penalty and a gift) . Just unable to construct a deliberate attacking move, let alone score. And we look small and puny compared to most opposition. Let's face it , our recruitment of manager and players since Mc.Carthy has been a disaster, and I doubt PC can fix it .
2

Saxonblue74 added 21:33 - May 4
Dobra decent. Defensive blunders (poor playing out from the back) would have been punished by better opposition. That's what I got for my £10!
0

ringwoodblue added 21:41 - May 4
Hope KVY's injury is nothing serious as he has been so unlucky with injuries since arriving here.
4

ThaiBlue added 21:42 - May 4
Sorry dirtydingusmagee did not mean 2 mark you down make you right really dont think hes that good.same dozzell.
1

ButchersBrokenNose added 21:42 - May 4
The second half is the best I have seen us play in a while, but the holes in our squad are still glaring: no one can score goals, and we lack a midfield playmaker and an experienced central defender who can command the penalty box (among others).

This lack of goals, more so than us not making the playoffs, concerns me, as does Cook's inability to get results out of this squad. I don't understand some of his decisions, such as not putting some subs on today and going for a win. Yes, our season has petered out and there was nothing to play for, but he has used up any patience the new owners and we fans had. I'm not one for sacking managers, but everyone will expect an immediate improvement next season.
5

Roystontown added 21:44 - May 4
People said we were boring under Mccarthy, at least we managed to score goals, this lot are an embarrassment, we need more creativity and a proper striker not some fat pub player up front in his own
7

Skip73 added 21:49 - May 4
A completely new midfield and strike force needed before anything else this season, the current shower are a joke
2

bringonbrazil added 22:04 - May 4
Shrewsbury is a long drive home. Good.
0

RegencyBlue added 22:07 - May 4
A dead rubber between two teams with nothing to play for yet still we looked second best for much of the game. These players have had every opportunity to perform under Cook and most have failed miserably to do so.

The season ends in days and then the cull can begin. Cook will be ruthless in my opinion and rightly so!
1

slimjim added 22:08 - May 4
Sorry Monkey Blue down marked you by mistake!!
0

midastouch added 22:14 - May 4
I think I'd rather play tiddly winks than pay £10 to watch us on iFollow. Thank goodness the season is coming to an end. We need more than a fresh lick of pain in the summer, we need a top to bottom refurbishment!

And just to say I very much enjoyed Kieron Dyer's post match interview, it was very refreshing and honest. We need to keep him at the club as he's got a hell of a lot to offer. I'd very much like to see Dyer as understudy to Cook with him being groomed as a potential successor.
4

midastouch added 22:16 - May 4
@ paint.
It feels more like pain than paint though to be honest! :-)
0

Henrietta_R_Hippo added 22:21 - May 4
Cook for FIFA President!!!

....
....

PS: Oh and for his shiny desk sign in the Zurich Headquarters , I have the following suggestion for 3 super appropriate reminders/mottos:

"YOU WILL MISS 100% OF THE SHOTS YOU DON'T TAKE" - Unknown

"A MAN WITHOUT A GOAL IS LIKE A SHIP WITHOUT A RUDDER" - T. Carlyle

"BUT A DAFT MANAGER WHO ONLY PLAYS 1 UP FRONT & CAN'T GET OR SET HIS TEAM UP TO SCORE, IS LIKE A SHIP HEADING STRAIGHT FOR THE BOTTOM OF THE OCEAN! - Me
3


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