Akins Brace Not Enough as Reserves Draw with Shrews
By Deadly Submarine
September 8 2010
An impressive brace from striker Lucas Akins wasn't enough for Rovers Reserves on Wednesday night as they drew 3-3 with Shrewsbury Reserves at Prenton Park during a match which may give watching first team Manager Les Parry a selection headache in the coming weeks.....
Tranmere Res 3 - 3 Shrewsbury Res
Akins 55 and 70
Jennings 85
Strikers Lucas Akins and Dale Jennings staked their claim for a potential first-team place on Wednesday evening as Tranmere's Reserves drew 3-3 in an entertaining match against Shrewsbury Town Reserves who were managed by former Rovers defender Mike Jackson.
Managed by Shaun Garnett and David Lowe and watched by Manager Les Parry, Tranmere's second string side lined up as follows.....
Coughlin
Cathalina Vaulks Wood Bakayogo
Mackreth Power Benson McNamara
Jennings Akins
Subs: Courtney, Stockton, Kirby, Appleton, Wainwright, Healing
The first half of the game was a scrappy affair and Rovers never really seemed to get going although Akins and Jennings were able to link up on a couple of occasions to threaten the visitors goal whilst Jack Mackreth was causing problems down the left and right but his final ball into the box was often proved to be fruitless simply because they weren't met by the strikers.
It was the visitors who took the lead after just ten minutes when an unmarked header beat Coughlin and prior to that goal the only other half-chances had also fallen to the visitors.
Will Vaulks was in good form at the back for Rovers but Cathalina and Bakayogo had quiet games for the opening 45 minutes suggesting quite rightly that chances were few and far between.
Half-Time: Tranmere Rovers Reserves 0 - 1 Shrewsbury Town Reserves
After what had been a disappointing and scrappy opening half for Rovers, the second half was a different matter and Rovers came out of the blocks much quicker than their opponents.
Max Power came into the game a lot more and linked up well with Jennings and Mackreth as well as his central midfield partner Liam Benson.
Jack Mackreth
Indeed it was Rovers who deservedly scored next and it was a goal worth waiting for. Collecting the ball some 30 yards from goal, Lucas Akins ran forward and with Jack Mackreth screaming for a pass to his right, the striker instead chose to cut inside the defender and shoot from 20 or so yards into the bottom corner of the goal to put Rovers level.
Just a minute later the impressive Dale Jennings tried to lob Shrewsbury goalkeeper Hakan Duyan from some 35 yards out but the keeper tipped over superbly for a Rovers corner.
Jennings continued to cause mayhem and eventually it paid off on 70 minutes as he ran clear down the right, not for the first time in the game and his pass was put into the goal by Lucas Akins for his second of the night and to put Rovers in front for the first time.
Just three minutes later though Rovers switched off and Coughlin found himself beaten by a decent finish at his near post to make it 2-2 before Rovers then gave away a free-kick inside the D in a threatening position and Shrewsbury punished them throug ha great free-kick strike to put the Shrews 3-2 ahead.
Rovers continued to be the better side despite falling behind yet again and you felt that another goal was coming. Sure enough, Dale Jennings again caused havoc down the right and although his cross was cleared away the ball eventually fell to the striker to deservedly finish off the move he created to make it 3-3.
In the end a draw was the fairest result and whilst the defence may cause some concern, the front too especially as well as Max Power and Jack Mackreth gave much promise for the rest of this season with Jennings in particular a potential starter for the first team before too long.
Tranmere: Coughlin, Cathalina, Bakayogo, Wood, Vaulkes, Power, Mackreth, Benson (Stockton 83), Akins, Jennings, McNamara (Appleton 65)
Subs not Used: Courtney,Kirby, Wainwright, Healing.
Shrewsbury: Duyan, Wells, Taylor, Woods, Goldson, Hooman, Taylor, Sunasky, Wright, Bradshaw, Neal
Subs not Used: Fletcher, Springthorpe, Evans, Keyes, Turner, Cork, Male.
Full-Time: Tranmere Rovers Reserves 3 - 3 Shrewsbury Town Reserves
Dale Jennings
Special mentions should also go to Lucas Akins and Max Power in particular but Dale Jennings scored one and created two goals including his own strike and looks every bit the striker the first team could be crying out for.
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Did anyone notice that Mike Jackson is now their Reserve team coach!
The second half was a really cracking game of football, end to end stuff. Better footie, good to watch, with some cracking finishes, especially the first Rovers goal.
If Enoch gets injured, then we do have a replacement.
The midfield showed their inexperience at times and we got caught out too many times especially down the right, where Mcnamara was exposed and looked lost, however he switched to the other wing and looked better.
Max Power looked good going forward, but left empty spaces behind him for them to exploit. For me his paring in centre mid with Liam Benson just didn't work.
The strikers in the first half did nothing, coming alive in the second half with better service and my mom was Dale, for his part in all 3 goals.
Overall, Rovers played a much older Shrewsbury team and it showed especially in the first half, but there is some quality there.
Hopfully we won't have to rely on Tim and Woods, for the first team, as on this showing they are nowhere near the standard required!
Negatives
Cataline simply is not good enough !
Jay Gibbs has left the Club apparently yeah - to go to College/Uni I was informed but not 100% sure about that!
if you didn't no Josh Macauley has joined Bala Town of the welsh league. good luck josh
he plays for Bala Town now mate.