The feelings of embarrassment and humiliation were all too familiar.
For the second time in 12 months, Shrewsbury Town were subjected to the FA Cup walk of shame on Saturday.
For Blyth Spartans in 2008, read Staines Town in 2009.
And there was a feeling that Paul Simpson’s side had plummeted even greater depths than they had in the north-east one year earlier.
This was, after all, not a trip into the unknown which comes from having to travel to a non-League outpost.
Shrewsbury had the comfort of home advantage and yet still found themselves at the centre of the weekend headlines for all the wrong reasons.
Upsets have, and will continue to be, at the centre of what makes the FA Cup such a sporting institution.
But two defeats to part-timers in the space of as many years? Simply unacceptable.
Credit must go to Staines who were full value for a famous victory which sparked such joyous scenes at the conclusion.
But the home fans, who greeted the final whistle with a chorus of ‘what a load of rubbish’, were left to ponder how a Town side who performed with such poise and promise at Notts County seven days earlier could follow up with such an inept display here?
All over the pitch individuals dipped well below par to produce an afternoon of collective misery.
And arguably the most damning analysis of Saturday’s encounter is that Staines, a hard-working and well organised but limited outfit, weren’t required to produce anything out of the ordinary to book their place in round two.
“It’s another fantastic occasion for the club,” said Staines manager Steve Cordery, whose team defeated Stockport on penalties after a replay at the same stage two years ago.
“The players have done themselves and the club proud.
“In fairness – and this is meant as no disrespect for Shrewsbury – I felt we were the better team for long periods of the game.
“I feel as though some of my players have the ability to play in the League and they have shown it here.”
So a dream day for Staines but this really was the stuff of nightmares for Shrewsbury.
Town started slowly and never woke from the slumber as Staines goalkeeper Louis Wells was rarely called into action.
And they had plenty of time to save themselves with the Staines winner arriving after just 20 minutes.
Entertainer Ali G may be the town’s most famous son but it was Ali C who proved the Staines hero on Saturday, Ali Chaaban having the honour of scoring the winner in the Prostar Stadium’s first ever FA Cup tie.
And it summed up Shrewsbury’s lethargy. Young Harry Hooman’s mis-placed pass put the hosts under pressure, but there was still plenty of time and bodies for the danger to be cleared.
But Chaaban picked up the ball 30 yards out and danced through Town’s defence with the minimum of fuss before directing an angled shot past Chris Neal into the bottom corner.
Surely that would produce a reaction from a Shrewsbury side who had to wait 27 minutes before mustering so much as a shot?
No such luck. For if the hosts were defensively slack for the Staines winner, the greater concern came with the dire shortage of attacking potency on display.
Throughout the entire 90 minutes Town continued to be stuck in first gear, lacking the urgency, spark and quality to put Staines under any pressure.
There was the occasional half-chance in the opening period – headers from Dave Hibbert and Jake Robinson – but nothing to even begin to suggest that two divisions and 51 places separated these two teams.
If anything, the second half performance became even more laboured as Staines were allowed to cruise through to the final whistle without so much as a minor scare.
Long range efforts from Paul Murray and Shane Cansdell-Sherriff and a header over the bar from Hibbert represented the sum total of Town’s efforts on goal after the break, despite Simpson introducing three substitutions.
Indeed, it was Staines who could have added a late second as substitute Dean Thomas headed over the bar from eight yards when unmarked.
But not even five minutes of injury time could save Town and they were left to contemplate a fourth successive first round Cup exit after a real horror show exactly a week after Halloween.
Town responded to last season’s defeat at Blyth by going within 90 minutes of securing promotion.
Only a similar remainder of the season will erase the memories of this desperate day.
By James Garrison
Share this article:
What are these?