A word of referee Ollie Yates: average. He did try to let the game flow, but I thought he missed a couple of tasty tackles, for both sides. Another ref might have flashed a few cards, and whilst I admire one who keeps them in his pocket, poor Callum Morton must have been wondering what he needed to do to get a free kick. I fear if a ginger limb had come off, Yates might have seen it as part of the game and waved it on. He didn’t get any big calls wrong, there weren’t really any big calls to make in a bruising but relatively fair encounter, but I’d hate to see Yates in a game that required a big call or two. I thought he got worse in the second half, swayed by a home crowd that wasn’t there, but maybe it’s my red and white tinted glasses. We’ve had some good refs in the past and whilst this one wasn’t bad, I couldn’t mark him down as ‘good’ either. So, back to the start of the 198-word paragraph and one word on the ref: average. Why didn’t I just leave it there, eh?
The home side certainly had the best of the opening exchanges of the second half, as we made another change. Liam Brdicutt got his 45 minutes, and Tom Hopper came on for another 45 too. It meant a reshuffle for City, one I don’t think we were comfortable with at first. it showed too, as Salop edged further into the game. They were a little quicker to balls in the middle of the park for a period, but I didn’t ever feel as if we’d concede. I thought the back four, untouched by the formation swap, looked comfortable all evening. Regan Poole shrugged off the disappointment of giving the penalty away on Saturday to deliver a solid outing, and neither Eyoma nor Montsma looked to have a problem with anything Shrewsbury had. In truth, it was a damp squib of a second half, chances were at a premium with very little for either team to shout about.
Salop did get a couple of free-kicks which barely troubled Palmer, Whilst a few passages of play later in the half saw us knock on the door, but with all the conviction of a Jehovah’s Witness’s child sent out reluctantly to canvass doorsteps. Sure, we knocked, but there was never going to be an answer and both parties were pretty happy with that. Literally, I’m three paragraphs in on the second period and that has more or less summed it up. It wasn’t poor, not by a long shot, both teams played some decent football at a good pace, but there wasn’t quite the edge that you’d expect from the game. I found myself spending as much time scrolling through the BBC website looking at the latest scores, a veritable soap opera of football that thrilled me because it didn’t really bother me. After all, if we win games, nobody stops us going up, so with us winning and in no real danger of throwing it away, I felt comfortable looking elsewhere for saga and intrigue.
Grimsby were relegated after going 2-1 up at Exeter, having a man sent off and losing 3-2. Honestly, I don’t take a lot of pleasure in it because I have time for Luke Waterfall, Sam Habergham and Matt Green, but I won’t shed a tear for the club closest geographically to my house. Scunthorpe hammered away at a Newport side containing Aaron Lewis, could still go down as well, although it would have to be some set of results that made that happen.
In our league, goals kept flying in and yet over at the New Meadow, I never felt like it would happen to us. I did quite like the look of the boy Salop brought on, Harry Chapman, and if anyone was going to score for them he was, but he didn’t. Towards the end we looked like we might get another too, Morgan Rogers came to life in the last 15 and threatened to bag another worldie as he did against Rochdale and Ipswich. He hasn’t always impressed fans with his rather languid style, but his capture was incredibly important in the winter window and if we do make the play-offs, which we will, none of the teams we face will be happy trying to stop him. He’s a player who could explode at any minute, who might be quiet for ten, but only needs a yard and a partial sight of goal to turn a game on its head. I like him, can we have him back next season please Manchester City? You won’t play him and we promise to look after him. Cheers.
What plusses do we take from tonight? Obviously, the result, especially as those goals kept going in around the grounds. Accrington and Crewe did us (and Sunderland, Oxford and Blackpool) a favour with late goals to damage Charlton and Pompey’s hopes. Sunderland should make the play-offs, but they’re in horrible form (no wins in seven), look shaky at the back, and I wouldn’t mind facing them. Blackpool are still a side I’d not be comfortable facing, but we’re unbeaten in three against them. Whichever of the other sides manage not to throw away sixth place wouldn’t scare me either. We’re the side in form and another win tonight underlines that.
Getting those injured bodies back is massive too. 45 for Hopper and Bridcutt suggests they’ll be ready for 60 or 90 on Saturday, but don’t expect them to be risked. We’re in a unique position now of needing one point, or other results, to 100% secure our spot in the top six, then you plan. Do we go hell for leather in the last three games, risk injury, but keep the level right up there? Do we shuffle the pack, lose momentum but have a fitter, leaner squad? I’ve seen both approaches fail: in 2004/05 we secured the play-offs early, but then went three without a win as we stumbled into the semi-finals, starting the likes of Aron Wilford and Ritchie Hanlon and resting key players – did it backfire? We were lacklustre against Macclesfield over two legs and could have beaten Southend in the final. In 2006/07, we were the side out of form and were beaten by Bristol Rovers despite having barely been out of the top three all season. In 2017/18, injuries and squad depth left us short against Exeter at a crucial time. You only know the right way after the play-off final. If you go up, it was the right way to do it. If you don’t, you got it wrong. Probably.
The thing is, I trust Michael Appleton and the staff to get it right, because I don’t see anything they got wrong at all this season. I don’t think he’ll risk the form, nor will he risk the players, but he’ll manage the three games sensibly. We’re getting to a point where the squad looks more or less complete, and if Joe Walsh comes back this weekend, then bar maybe one face, we’re full strength. Have we been in that position at all this season? Maybe on a handful of occasions. It’s frightening to think that we let the top two slip from our grasp, but as we now head into a play off campaign (all being well), we’ve rescued the season and now look as good as we did at any other point. Tonight proved it, we won a game against a decent side without any real threat after we took the lead. That’s not to say Shrewsbury didn’t maybe deserve a point, perhaps they did, but they didn’t get one. We saw the game out, managed it well and always posed a danger, the third 1-0 away win in a row. On Saturday, we deserved a point against the Champions-elect, another huge positive.
In fact, since Easter, all I’ve seen are positives. Players coming back, results ground out, results in games we’ve dominated, massive tests of character (2-0 down against Blackpool) and a return to what I believe is the ‘norm’ under Michael Appleton, a well-honed, tactically aware side willing to fight and scrap, but easy on the eye as they do. Operation Championship is still very much alive and kicking, so strap in folks, it’s going to be an interesting two weeks for this football club, and hopefully an engrossing and exciting month.
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