I like the town, I like the ground, I like the fans and I even like the shirt, especially on lukewarm 1980s heavy metal bassists, but crikey, there’s not a lot to love about their team is there? Time wasting from about the third minute, niggly fouls, pushing, arms round our players, elbows, diving, dangerous fouls, feigning injury and constantly whinging to the useless referee and his two mates. At one point there were three players surrounding the ref, with another Shrewsbury player on at each linesman. Connell’s booking was ridiculous, and it appeared to me he only got the yellow card out when their number 8 told him to. I couldn’t see Cadden’s challenge, but if it is no worse than the one their number 6 did on Kane, which is unlikely, as that was an awful challenge, we should send videos of the two of them to the FA, along with a giant question mark. That all said, Duff needs to be sitting the team down and having a word with them. Coasting at 2-0 and with them not looking at all threatening, we should have been killing the game. It was clear that they were going to throw themselves to the floor and start surrounding the referee at every given opportunity, so we shouldn’t be giving them the chance. There was no need. We were footballing them to death. Andersen was extremely lucky to stay on the pitch. Shortly after Cadden’s Red he went flying in at their whiney number 14, missing the ball and the player. I was very surprised a trailing leg didn’t happen to catch Andersen, so 14 could fall over. If he had Andersen would have been off. There was no need for that challenge. We need to be smarter against teams who are more interested in the dark arts than playing football, especially with yet another inept referee in the middle.
Agree with everything here. Would also add that someone needs to have a word with Watters. Yet again he got away leading with an elbow. Their players were doing it all the time but i don’t like ours to be doing it.
I think as a player you know if someone is deliberately trying to leave one on you & we know Mads isn’t the type to lose his head so I think it’s safe to say the elbows on him & Thomas were premeditated. Shrewsbury were awful today & deservedly got nothing. Strange to see them adopt such dirty tactic when their seasons effectively over.
In fairness,Connell’s yellow was blatant, he put his arm around his neck and shoulder and pulled him round as he ran by. Plain as day from family stand, as was his dive when not touched and pretended to be injured, and got the foul.
I too was worried about Andersen. It was strange to see him so ruffled. He's normally really calm, as well as being an excellent defender and great character.
Okay, fair enough. But the ref didn’t go for his pocket until the number 8 started suggesting he should, so that irritated me. The number 8 was irritating all game though. My son was desperate to see him either sent off or on the receiving end of one of Liam Kitching’s crunching tackles, and I wouldn’t even dream of writing what Molly shouted at him when he scored…
I hope Shrewsbury do well for the rest of the season. Well, when they play Plymouth and Sheffield Wednesday anyway.
Agree I thought the Shrews were quite an ugly side. Seemed to be part of their tactics from the off. Last minute assault on Kane worthy of a straight red.