[choirboy]

I agree with previous comments that this was probably the best game of the season at The Crown. It was a great atmosphere with the Shrews fans turning out in good numbers but the Stanley Ultras too were close to their best and gave excellent support. Shrewsbury started confidently and for the first 20 minutes looked like a well organised team playing slick passes and looking calm under pressure. However, Stanley were clearly up for the game and started to match the Shrews mid away through the first half and then took the initiative. The Shrews goal came a bit against the run of play and it was a scruffy shot on the turn by Gornell that may have taken a deflection of the Stanley defender in close attendance. By half time Stanley should have scored at least a couple of goals with bad misses by Joyce and Barnett and a bit of luck when one rolled across their goal mouth! The Shrews seem to come out in the second half seemingly content to hold their one goal advantage and to their credit Stanley continued to press hard for a goal. Paddy was a bit unlucky to find the Shrews keeper in very good form. The goal by Hughes was superb and it drifted away from the keeper as it flew into the side of the goal! The ref was watching a different game! He made odd decisions but got no help from his linesmen. Stanley also had a good shout for a penalty in the first half when one of our forwards was clearly pushed in the back. (Ashley Young would have buried himself!) Overall I would imagine the stats were much in Stanley's favour and in the end we should have won. I think we hit the post and bar four times in the match! However, it was a good point against a side who will get promoted and shows the continued improvement under Cooky and Liam.