12/12/21 – Port Vale vs Shrewsbury Town match report
Venue: Bradley Development Centre
Score: 1-5 win for Shrewsbury Town
Following an impressive win in the first round of the Tom Farmer’s Cup Town would look to continue this winning form as they headed into their final game before the Christmas break. It would see the team travel to play Port Vale for their first clash this season.
The game saw Town playing a rotated squad for the match, with players earning their spots in the team from their impressive displays in training and in last week’s cup game.
Shrewsbury XI:
Phoebe Carter
Vikki Owen (C)
Jessica Williams
Lottie Etterley
Leanne Rimmer
Abbie McShane
Jess Walley
Lily McShane
Paris Schofield
Zoe Child
Shannon McShane
Shrewsbury Bench:
Anna France
Libby Veitch
Maddie Jones
Mia Pugh
Brogan Cook
Kick-Off
From the start of the game, it’s clear that the difference in pitch conditions can create difficulties for the team early in games where they are not used to more difficult states of pitches. In contrast to the teams usual 3G pitch they play and train on, they instead are having to adapt their style to play on a grass pitch which has clearly been affected by recent weather conditions.
Shrewsbury the clear aggressors in the game with Port Vale tacking up a more defensive formation and playstyle throughout the match. But Shrewsbury falling behind in the 13th minute due to a corner call being given despite avid protest from the players. Town may have been thrown off by the decision for the corner that then led to Port Vale taking the lead early in the game, leaving the Shrewsbury players furious with how that goal came to fruition.
This result only seeming to drive Shrewsbury to compose themselves and get themselves back into the game, it wasn’t long until regular attacks began at the Port Vale end with Zoe Child and Shannon McShane causing difficulties for the home side. It would only take Shrewsbury 10 minutes before the speed of Zoe would bring Town to their equalising goal. As soon as the first one went in it seemed that the team only became more and more composed in their play and attacks creating displays of great possessive control and attacking chances for players.
Before Half time the attacking due of Zoe and Shannon would create themselves another goal from a great cross for Zoe and a clean finish for Shannon giving Shrewsbury the lead heading into the second half. Half Time sees defender Brogan Cook coming on for Jessica Williams, for the start of the second half it’s all Shrewsbury attacks with possession being held by the visitors but just struggling to break down their last defender to get a chance at goal. Twenty minutes into the second half and Maddy Jones and Libby Veitch are brought on to try trouble Port Vale with some fresh legs, it doesn’t take long before Maddy’s quick speed creates some chances at goal for Town and within a few minutes she’s collecting herself a goal, it’s clear that the speed and energy that the two players have brought from the bench has made a huge impact in the momentum for Shrewsbury.
For the rest of the game, it’s attacking control for Shrewsbury and within ten minutes from the last goal, Jess Walley finds herself with the ball in space on the edge of the box and just like in previous games she fires of a good shot that comes off the post and into the goal making Shrewsbury’s lead 3 goals. Before Port Vale could hold off from any more goals going in Maddie Jones again with her speed and persistence collects her brace within a short time on the pitch to finish off the game, with town scoring 5 by the end of the game after going down early at the start of the game. A truly impressive performance from Town who didn’t get thrown off by conceding but instead motivated to compose themselves and take control of the game.
Full Time Port Vale 1 – 5 Shrewsbury Town
Goal Scorers:
Zoe Child x 1
Shannon McShane x 1
Maddie Jones x 2
Jess Walley x 1