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Preview: Grimsby v Shrewsbury

By: Kevin Dolan
Date: 08/12/2006

BUOYED by their first consecutive wins of the season, Grimsby Town welcome Shrewsbury Town to Blundell Park this Saturday looking to make further progress up the table.

Home > 2006-2007 Season > Previews > Shrewsbury (h)


The Opposition

Overview
After failing to win any of their last 15 games and gaining only one point from the last 33 available, Shrewsbury were surprisingly relegated from the football league in 2003. They immediately bounced back though and were promoted back to league the following season via the play offs. Jimmy Quinn oversaw the promotion back to the league, but resigned a few months into their first season back as Shrewsbury struggled to adapt.

Ex-Preston manager Gary Peters then took over and preserved their league status, finishing 21st, albeit 11 points clear of relegation. They again started poorly last season and were 21st at the turn of the year, before a strong 2nd half of the season saw them flirt with the play offs before finishing 10th, a run that made them one of the outside tips for promotion this season.

The Team
Shrewsbury currently lie in 12th place in League 2, three points ahead of Town. A solid start to the season saw them sit on the fringes of the play offs, but one win in their last seven league games has seen them slide back into mid-table; a run that has coincided with an increase in goals conceded (10 in their last five games). Despite that, they have only lost one league game by more than one goal so far this season (2-0 at MK Dons) and have advanced to the Northern semi finals of the JP Trophy.

The Shrews have healthy competition for places in attack. Michael Symes is top scorer with 9 goals despite only recently signing a contract until the end of the season. He is competing with Andy Cooke and Derek Asamoah (left), who both have four goals and joined in the summer from Bradford and Lincoln respectively, and Leo Fortune West who is on loan from Rushden. Due to the number of strikers, Kelvin Langmead has been playing centre back and Glynn Hurst has gone on loan to Bury. Normally in defence is the experienced duo of Richard Hope and Sagi Burton.

Key Player
After four years at Chester, where he amassed over 150 appearances and was last season’s player of the year, creative midfielder Ben Davies moved to Shrewsbury in the summer. His other previous clubs include Walsall and Kidderminster and so far this season he has scored 7 goals and missed only two league games.

Recent Form

TownShrewsbury
WBarnet(a)1-0
WAccrington(h)2-0
LNorthampton(h)0-2 (FAC)
DWycombe(a)1-1
DNorthampton(a)0-0 (FAC)
Currently 18th in League Two.
DAccrington(a)3-3
WCheltehham(a)3-2 (JPT)
WChester(h)2-1
LHereford(a)0-2 (FAC)
LMK Dons(a)0-2
Currently 12th in League Two.

Top Scorers

TownShrewsbury
Peter Bore5
Gary Jones5
Symes9
Davies7

Team News

TownShrewsbury

  • Paul Bolland is still struggling with a bruised foot suffered in the Accrington game.

  • John McDermott and Isaiah Rankin should both be fit for selection after shaking off knocks.

  • Otherwise Alan Buckley is likely to stick with the team that won 1-0 at Barnet in midweek.
  • Sagi Burton, who scored at Blundell Park last season, is serving the third of a three-match ban and will miss the game.

  • Ben Davies is available for selection after serving a one game suspension.
  • Probable Teams

    TownShrewsbury
    1Phil Barnes
    20Gary Croft
    5Nick Fenton
    6Justin Whittle
    3Tom Newey
    17Peter Till
    12Ricky Ravenhill
    11Anthony Pulis
    23Nick Hegarty
    19Gary Jones
    14Martin Paterson
    31Scott Shearer
    12Ben Herd
    5Richard Hope
    8Kelvin Langmead
    3Neil Ashton
    19Dave Edwards
    4Stuart Drummond
    14Ben Davies
    2Daniel Hall
    10Derek Asamoah
    24Michael Symes

    Subs

    TownShrewsbury
    13Robert Murray
    16Danny Boshell
    4Gary Harkins
    22Danny North
    12Isaiah Rankin
    21Chris MacKenzie
    TBAGavin Cowan
    TBAThomas
    TBALuke Jones
    29Leo Fortune-West

    Head to Head

    The Mariners have a good overall record against Shrewsbury, although they have failed to beat them in the four meetings over the last two seasons, drawing three and losing one.

    P 46 W 21 D 10 L 15 F 69 A 62

    Shrewsbury Head-to-Head (19th on The Opposition Ladder)

    Last Meeting

    The last time Shrewsbury visited Blundell Park was on Easter Saturday last season and despite producing a good display, the home side could only manage a draw thanks to a penalty from Marc Goodfellow, his only goal for the club.

    Grimsby1 - 1Shrewsbury
    Goodfellow 66(p) Burton 27

    Grimsby Team: Mildenhall, McDermott, Whittle (Futcher, 89), Jones, Newey (Croft, 48), Parkinson (Mendes, 64), Bolland, Woodhouse, Goodfellow, Reddy, Jones
    Subs: (not used) Kalala, Toner

    Shrewsbury Team: Hart, Herd, Hope, Burton, Ashton, Hogg, Sorvel, Edwards (Tolley, 45), Stallard, Hurst (Cadwallader, 89), Langmead
    Subs (not used): Cowan, Leslie

    Attendance: 5,935  Report

    Prediction

    Town 1-0 Shrewsbury

    Reader's POMs

    Directions

    Click on the link for directions to Blundell Park (left).

    Admission Prices

    Click on the link for ticket prices to Blundell Park.

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