Shrewsbury Town 4 Bournemouth 1

Last updated : 18 October 2008 By Footymad Previewer
After suffering their first home defeat of the season last Saturday, promotion-chasing Shrewsbury Town hit back in positive fashion after recording an emphatic 4-1 win over Bournemouth.

Last week's setback against near-neighbours Port Vale was quickly forgotten as the home side raced into a three goal half-time lead.

And although struggling Bournemouth pulled one back after the break, the outcome was never in doubt with Shrewsbury adding a fourth in the last minute, completing a resounding victory which lifts them back into an automatic promotion place.

It was an afternoon to forget for Cherries boss Jimmy Quinn, who four years ago this week was sacked by Shrewsbury after a 14-month reign in which he led the club back to the Football League from the Conference.

But to complete an unhappy return, midfielder Joel Ward was ordered off 12 minutes from time for a second yellow card as Bournemouth finished the game with ten men.

Gylfi Sigurdsson, who joined Shrewsbury on a month's loan from Reading this week, opened the scoring, with skipper Ben Davies then on the mark twice to put Paul Simpson's men firmly in control.

Substitute Brett Pitman reduced the arrears on the hour, but Shrewsbury substitute Richard Walker rounded things off in the closing seconds.

With their first attack of consequence Shrewsbury went ahead. In the 22nd minute, full-back Marc Tierney centred from the left and, when the Bournemouth defence failed to clear, Sigurdsson smashed the ball home from close range.

Eleven minutes later the young Icelandic midfielder turned provider by pulling the ball back for Davies, who crashed home a fierce angled drive from 12 yards.

In the 42nd minute Davies fired in his sixth goal of the campaign with the Bournemouth rearguard in disarray and that at this point Shrewsbury looked on course to notch up their third 7-0 victory of the season.

But after the break the visitors rallied and were rewarded when Pitman took advantage of some slack marking to reduce the deficit.

Shrewsbury finished strongly, however, and following efforts that struck the woodwork from Sigurdsson and Grant Holt, Walker was on hand to score with a sweetly struck drive.