|
I suggested on the message board that the game had been largely uninspiring with precious little happening and that was very much the case as neither side really ever looked as though they would get to grips with the game.
New signings Marvin Bartley and Charlie Austin struggled to get into the game and with the real midfield strength of the reserves, midfielders Chris Anderson and Alex-Ray Harvey, not in those central positions we didn't look anything like the side we've looked all season.
Anderson did play until just after the start of the second half, but in an unfamiliar role on the right whilst Harvey was an unused substitute and that left Bartley partnered by an Irish trialist Shaun Williams.
Both Bartley and Austin were given some much needed match action. Both were cup tied on Monday. Bartley hasn't really featured since signing at the end of January and Austin hasn't played since the draw at Cardiff last week.
The first opportunity went Shrewsbury's way but Craig Mawson saved well down to his right and the nearest we came in the first half was when a David Edgar effort was cleared off the line, although Shrewsbury's' Connor Goldson came close as he hammered the ball just wide of his own post. At the other end they missed probably the best chance of the game as he hit a shot way over the bar from close range, it was almost on a par with a Gifton Noel-Williams penalty.
The first half had been disappointing but we'd seen the best of the action as it deteriorated in the second half. There were odd snippets but in all honesty it was mind numbing stuff at times. Dom Knowles, Joe Jackson and Brian Easton came close but overall the 0-0 scoreline was just about right for this game.
At least the second half was brightened up by a couple of Shrewsbury fans sat next to us. We got the opportunity to chat about one of their stars of the 1960s, a former Shrews' manager and two of their more recent players - namely Trevor Meredith, Harry Potts, Marc Pugh and Andy Cooke and Cooke was sat just a couple of rows in front of us watching the game.
Richard Eckersley was the pick for us along with Nik Kudiersky but there was nothing to enthuse about. One Burnley fan took a good option and had a nap during that second half whilst another said as he left the ground: "That's two hours of my life I won't get back."
We're back in action at Radcliffe next week when we face Bury. It will, hopefully, see a return to the sort of football the reserves have been playing all season.
The teams were;
Shrewsbury: Chris Neal, Kelvin Lomax, Danny Taylor, Craig Disley, Paul Downing, Connor Goldson, Ben Evans (David Raven 59), Kevin McIntyre (Ryan Woods 59), James Collins (Nathan Elder 59), Benjamin van den Broek, Steve Leslie. Subs not used: Kane Cork, Omar Recci, Elliot Turner.
Burnley: Craig Mawson, Richard Eckersley, Nik Kudiersky, David Edgar (Chris Lynch 76), Brian Easton, Chris Anderson (Ross Wilson 52), Marvin Bartley, Shaun Williams, Michael King, Charlie Austin (Joe Jackson 75), Dominic Knowles. Subs not used: Dean Overson, Neil Yadolahi, Alex-Ray Harvey, Mehdi Lazaar.