“The socialism I believe in is everyone working for each other, everyone having a share of the rewards. It's the way I see football, the way I see life.” - Bill Shankly
Ninety minutes of eleven men working for the common good saw Mansfield Town arrive as cocksure promotion certainties and leave as victims. I arrived at the ground hoping for the best but fearing the worst. I left throat-sore and with my heart practically bursting with pride at what I had seen.
Another new recruit to the Broseley/Shrewsbury Town fold is Alice Waymont , one of Katie’s school friends, here to see her first game. In fact quite a few of Kate’s classmates were at the game. The absence of Jake Nutt (at a friend’s birthday party) meant further concern as the Town have collected ten points in the four games he has seen. Shrewsbury Town started with the same personnel as they did against Orient, and 4-3-3 too. The line-up was as follows:
Dunbavin
Moss Heathcote Redmile Thompson
Murray Atkins Woan
Jagielka Lormor Lowe
Tolley was not fit enough to make the bench but at least Aiston was there. I think it was right to start with the same line-up because Jags does seem to make more impact when he starts a game. It’s Sam who now has to fight his way back into the team, for the fourth time this season. The only surprise was the continued presence of Andy Thompson at left back. He is here for another month. I think Kevin Ratcliffe is playing “Cat & Mouse” with Cardiff City over Andy, and is determined to get his man. Greg Rioch meanwhile is confined to the stands – an unjust reflection upon his season.
The pitch looked surprisingly good, especially the penalty areas. A week of replacing divots had paid off.
Mansfield brought a good and vocal following. One thing I did notice was how the stand seemed to fill-up more than the Station End, and with the sort of people who you usually stand behind the goal. And so it proved.
Football in this country is a parallel of Celtic warfare. Itl is a tribal ritual properly played out with the two sets of supporters shouting and singing the praises of their own champions, and howling derision at their opposite numbers. But the issues are always settled on the pitch and not outside in the streets. It is only fools who do not recognise this.
Now as an adopted Salopian it does get my heat up to hear the opposing team’s fans making more noise than our own, especially in such a crucial game. It is hard work at the back of the family stand without the band and nobody daring to bring as much as a child’s kazoo upon pain of confiscation but something had to be done. Hopefully something on the pitch would spark us into life a bit.
The first 30 minutes saw a very even contest. It was evident that we were seeing two quality sides able to close down the other’s attacks but also able to pass the ball and link play well from the back. It was entertaining but there was not a lot of space. We looked well balanced although I thought Woan struggled defensively and gave Thompson a lot to do, although he was more than up to the task. The Mansfield fans continued to roar along their team, coaxing a response from the Riverside.
On the 34th minute Shrewsbury open the scoring. Tankard (formerly of Fail) pulls up in possession at left back with a hamstring problem leaving Steve Jagielka free to run on goal. He lifts the ball over the advancing Pilkington (an outstanding goalkeeper) only for the woodwork to save the day. The ball comes back into play, Mansfield didn’t clear it and Ryan Lowe poked it in.
Laryngitis in the Station End.
The fear was Mansfield striking back immediately, surely they’re too good not to? But we were settling, a couple of more openings for Shrewsbury, not clear ones but enough to test Pilkington. Woan collects a ball that ricochets around between players to the left of the Mansfield box. The ball treads through to Lormor, and seemingly in slow motion, as every Shrewsbury fan sees the opportunity open in front of the on-loan player, he steadies himself and fires the ball into the net. Pandemonium! Two goals in eight minutes just before half time. The Mansfield team are in disarray and their fans no less so.
In the second half, pessimist as always, I expected Mansfield to take the game to Shrewsbury, but it doesn’t happen. The midfield is more packed now as Mansfield seem to be playing three at the back, with Reddington (former Chelsea reserves captain) covering more over the right side of defence than in the first half.
With Greenacre being snuffed out by the Shrewsbury Town defence the one hope for Mansfield seemed to be Kelly’s experience and guile. A crafty fox, in quick succession he buys two free-kicks in dangerous areas, but he is inexplicably taken off on the hour. I’m very happy with that decision.
As the second half progresses Shrewsbury Town have the better of it. As an attacking unit we look balanced. Woan and Atkins are keeping the ball moving for Jagielka and Lowe as front-runners to stretch the defence. Murray is bringing the ball forward with muscular and increasingly threatening runs from midfield. Lormor holds the ball up well and lays it off.
I would highlight the contribution of Mark Atkins in this period of play. With space at a premium he showed his ability to deliver the ball crisply to a team-mate, giving him extra time to develop play. Often these are short passes of ten to fifteen yards delivered along the ground, but there is one pass that was particularly superb. As he receives the ball in the centre circle he sees Ryan Lowe making a run in the inside-right position. A beautifully weighted pass moves through the air as Lowe gathers pace. The ball moves from left to right, Lowe moves inside its flight, lifts his right arm to allow it through and it bounces into his path without his having to break his stride to set-up another attack.
Chances, clear scoring opportunities, were now coming the way of Shrewsbury Town. Lormor, Jagielka, Woan, and Murray all could or should have scored. Finally, Woan puts the ball away to reflect the balance of play. Three-nil. Heaven and earth belong to Shrewsbury Town. The Mansfield hordes fall back in dismay to mocking waves and singing of “cheerio” from the Family Stand. Invitations to step outside and discuss the matter are declined, “go home safe to your wives lads, the issues have been settled on the pitch.”
And emphatically so. Mansfield are a well-beaten side. No individual comments or scores for performances this week because the sum was greater than the parts. This was an excellent performance by Shrewsbury Town that harked back to the start of the season, where shorn of first-teamers (and match winners at that) we showed organisation and a style that had been hinted at in the pre-season games.
Report by Sean_Broseley