Convincing Rovers See Off Shrewsbury
By Deadly Submarine
July 30 2011
Tranmere’s final away pre-season friendly ended in a convincing 2-0 victory against a tidy Shrewsbury Town side at Greenhous Meadow Stadium on Friday evening thanks to goals from Lucas Akins and Robbie Weir.....
As pre-season draws to a close, Tranmere earned a convincing 2-0 win away at Shrewsbury Town on Friday evening with their first full strength side on display against a solid looking Shrewsbury Town side packed with ex-Rovers players both on and off the pitch.
The game saw the first appearance of Rovers new goalkeeper Owain Fon Williams whilst the Shrewsbury side featured ex-Rovers Shane Sherriff, Ian Sharps (captain) and Reuben Hazell in the starting line-up and Jermaine Grandison and Terry Gornell on the substitutes bench as well as Mike Jackson and Gavin Ward on the coaching staff with Tranmere lining up as follows:
Fon Williams
Kay Goodison McChrystal Bakayogo
Akins Welsh Labadie Robinson McGurk
Showumni
The opening five minutes saw little excitement apart from a miskicked shot from the Shrews player Mark Wright after Zoumana Bakayogo had given away a corner whilst at the other end in the sixth minute, Lucas Akins excellent run and low cross saw a home defender just reach the ball before Andy Robinson to get it away to safety.
There were chances at either end in the seventh minute with first Robbie Weir twisting past his man twice but shooting straight at Ben Smith in the Town goal and then at the other end Fon Williams saw his first real action in a Rovers shirt as he rushed out to head Ian Sharps’s long ball clear and out for a throw-in.
Fon Williams was in action again a minute later as he punched a cross high into the air which was cleared away but it was the home side who attacked again next, with Fon Williams saving well but conceding a corner.
From the Shrewsbury corner though, Rovers broke away with the excellent Robbie Weir and he found Andy Robinson who won a Rovers corner. From the corner, which Robinson himself took, Lucas Akins volleyed home from close range to give Rovers the lead. Just a minute later Weir fed Akins into space with a superb ball but the angle was too tight and the covering defender did enough to allow the goalkeeper to clear away.
A couple of harmless corners from the home side sandwiched a great chance for Rovers to double their lead when a mazy run from Lucas Akins won Rovers a corner from which Robinson’s delivery was met perfectly by Adam McGurk, only for Ian Sharps to head the ball off the line. Following that chance, Robinson fired wide in the 20th minute and a minute later another great cross from Akins was drilled back across the face of goal by McGurk but out for a goal kick.
By this point of the half it was all Rovers and in the 26th minute, Enoch Showumni broke away from the halfway line and fed Adam McGurk superbly but the striker dragged his shot wide of the far post. Shortly afterwards a drilled cross by Michael Kay was headed clear by the Shrews defence before some respite for the Shrews defence saw Lionel Ainsworth fire over Fon Williams’ goal from 18 yards out.
On the half hour, John Welsh played a superb reverse pass to Andy Robinson to set him one on one with Smith but the keeper stood up well and Rovers had to settle for a corner. Robinson’s cross then flashed low across the face of goal and agonisingly deceived both McGurk and Akins coming into the box.
A poor backpass from McChrystal on 37 minutes could have put Rovers in trouble but a throw-in was the result and to finish off the half, McGurk chipped over the bar at one end whilst McChrystal made a great defensive block at the other end to keep the home side at bay.
A neat turn by Andy Robinson won Rovers a free-kick 25 yards out in the 44th minute and although this came to nothing there was still time for two more Rovers chances as first Akins fed Robinson down the line and his cross was just behind McGurk and then the influential Robinson dinked a ball over the top to Showumni who twisted his man well but fired off a weak shot which was saved by Smith.
HALF-TIME
Shrewsbury replaced Carl Regan with Jermaine Grandison at the start of the second half with Rovers remaining the same and it was nearly ten minutes into the game before any chances in the half, the first two of which came to the home side when firstly Mark Wright’s low shot was gathered by Owain Fon Williams and then from a corner, a Shrewsbury shot went high and wide.
A superb ball from Andy Robinson in the 55th minute to Adam McGurk saw his cross blocked before Ian Goodison uncharacteristically sent a stray pass meant for Mark McChrystal out for a Shrewsbury throw in.
From the next attack Rovers doubled their lead when Enoch Showumni, who only seconds earlier looked to have taken a heavy knock, poked the ball away from a defender and thus set Robbie Weir through with a free run at goal. Thankfully the former Sunderland man made no mistake when one on one with the goalkeeper, finishing superbly for a deserved goal.
Immediately after the goal, the still limping Showumni was taken off and replaced by Joss Labadie, meaning Akins became the central man upfront instead. A poor defensive pass by the home side saw McGurk have a chance but his shot was weak and shortly afterwards on 58 minutes a dangerous cross from Mark Wright just went past the far post.
John Welsh was forced to head away on 63 minutes when a free-kick on the right conceded by Michael Kay was crossed into the penalty area and immediately afterwards, another great forward move from Rovers saw Robinson spray a great pass across the pitch to McGurk who cut inside and looked to find Weir whose shot was tipped wide by Ben Smith.
A spate of substitutions followed as Shrewsbury replaced mark Wright with James Collins whilst Rovers replaced John Welsh and Michael Kay with Ash Taylor and David Raven. A bullet of a corner from Andy Robinson was headed over by Adam MCGurk before the latter shaped to shoot shortly afterwards on the edge of the area but instead chose to dive to the floor and didn’t win a penalty for his troubles.
For the last twenty minutes there were chances exchanged at both ends with Weir’s cross easily caught by Smith after a patient Rovers build up, before Rovers broke from a Shrewsbury corner conceded by McChrystal but Robinson’s return pass to Weir was just behind the midfielder. The home side then replaced Ainsworth and Richards with McAllister and Leslie whose corner for the home side was headed just wide.
More great work from Andy Robinson saw his cross snatched aay from the foot of Joss Labadie in the 75th minute before the latter cleared away at the other end after Ian Goodison conceded a corner. Nicky Wroe fired over the crossbar for the Shrews after they broke away before new signing David Buchanan replaced Bakayogo. Buchanan ran the ball out for what appeared to be a goal kick but a corner was given and Goodison conceded a free-kick on the edge of the Rovers area which also came to nothing.
Shrewsbury made three late substitutions with Goldson, Jacobson and Gornell coming on for Sherriff, Sharps and Morgan before Grandison headed wide from a corner for the home side and at the other a nasty foul on Labadie saw a quick free kick find Akins whose effort was gathered by the keeper.
Shrewsbury Town: Smith, Regan (Grandison 45), Sherriff (Goldson 81), Richards (McAllister 73), Sharps (Jacobson 81), Hazell, Taylor, Wroe, Ainsworth(Leslie 73), Morgan (Gornell 81), Wright (Collins 63).
Subs Not Used: Neal, Male, Woods
Tranmere Rovers: Fon Williams, Kay (Raven 74), Bakayogo (Buchanan 77), Welsh (Taylor 74), Goodison, McChrystal, Showumni (Labadie 57) Weir, McGurk, Akins, Robinson.
Subs Not Used: Coughlin, Power, Holmes
FULL TIME
CLICK HERE TO READ LES PARRY'S POST MATCH INTERVIEW WITH TOTAL TRANMERE
Andy Robinson
Robinson is sure to be the key to any success Rovers could have this season and today it showed once again witha superb performance. Mention too to the other attacking players including Weir, McGurk and Akins who were all excellent too.
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Robbie weir had a really good game too, took his goal really well.
I've been one of Akins biggest critics, but in fairness tonight (was an emphatic finish off robbos corner) and against Altringham he put in two really good performances. He should be given a chance by fans next season.
I was worried this season we would miss cressa for his deliveries, every delivery from robbo was in the danger area tonight!
This was a good league 2 side tonight and we made them look average. If we can sign 2 quality players next week, we should be optimistic for next season.
Then I ate his Liver.......... with some baked beans and a can of coke.
Quote:Lennonsbrokenglasses
Having being away, thanks for the comprehensive report whoever wrote it. Cheers Gray
Gray.. at the top it says by Deadly Submarine so I'm guessing Mikey wrote it haha
1. Sub uses a Pseudonym or a nom de plume?
2. Sub uses a ghost writer?
Then I ate his Liver.......... with some baked beans and a can of coke.