Blog: Bad run is over, but now keep calm
Monday 12th April 2010, 9:39AM BST.
Tom Bradshaw of Shrewsbury Town steps up to score his second goal to make it 0-3
Blog: Town may have ended their poor run in the league, but fans mustn’t get carried away, writes Shrewsbury Town blogger James Pugh.
What a relief is was on Saturday to finally end our run of six defeats in a row – especially against a local rival in Crewe.
Many fans wouldn’t have expected such a comprehensive win and even more of a surprise was the impact of a player not familiar to many – 17-year-old striker Tom Bradshaw.
Youngsters are told to take their chance when it comes and the super-sub certainly did, showing the more experienced players who have been poor in the last few weeks how it should be done.
It was a much-improved performance by Town, but I fear it may have come too late to re-ignite our play-off chances.
Hopefully confidence among the players will be boosted and all they can do now is forget about other teams’ fortunes and concentrate on winning their own matches.
Many players have their futures with the club at stake and have a reason to want to end the season with a bang, while Simpson should take note of Saturday and give more of the youngsters a chance to show what they can do. In their favour, they have got the hunger and passion that some of the other players haven’t been showing recently.
I had to smile this week when I heard the news that Jamie Cureton would be happy to extend his stay with Town. Jamie – if you are reading this then you are going to have to work a lot harder and show us the kind of form you have produced throughout your career.
The bottom line is that a striker needs to score goals and you have produced none. And you now have Tom Bradshaw waiting in the wings to fill your boots.
The victory on Saturday has kept us mathematically in the running for the play-offs, but with so many teams in with a chance, we are probably going to need to win at least four out of the five remaining games.
The good news is that our next two games are at home against league strugglers Cheltenham on Tuesday, followed by a visit from Lincoln on Saturday.
Town will be looking to repeat their away victories against both sides in September, although with our form the way it is at the moment it is difficult to predict what result we are likely to produce next.
Do fans think we should stick with experienced players or give the youngster a chance in the last few games of the season?
Shropshire Star on Twitter
Keep updated with the latest breaking news and content on our Twitter feed.
Lifestyle
Interactive Dining Out map
Hundreds of reviews by the Shropshire Star and Express & Star's teams to help you decide where to eat.
Entertainment
All the film reviews
Before you plan a trip to the pictures, get our critics' verdicts on all the latest movie releases.
OUR NEW APP
Get the new Shropshire Star app
Download the Shropshire Star’s new app to your iPad or iPhone to get one week of access to our digital newspapers absolutely FREE.
shropshirestar.com
Popular sections
Useful links
Play off chances are gone – accept it!
To get to the last play off place, town need to win the next 3 games or the next 2 games and score a total of 9 goals. All that needs to be done without the teams currently above town winning any games. Tall order is an understatement!
Town and their supporters need to accept that they will be league 2 for another year! Too little, too late.
Report abuse
Our play off chances are gone. Too late after dismal performances home and away vs Darlington and Rochdale and away at Bournemouth. We deserve little this season. But play the youngsters in the last few games, see if they can spark some energy into a lack lustre side – particularly midfield.
Report abuse
James – Superb performance by all after what has been a terrible time of late.
Great to see Tom score and an improved performance by Jamie Cureton but still not at his best.
Of course the playoffs are still there. Look at it this way a win tommorow and other teams draw or lose we are 3/4 points off with 4 games left.
Come On You Blues.
Report abuse
if we win 5 remaining games and other results go with us we could reach the p/offs but if we are honest town are not good enough to get to L1 let alone stay up. i also urge extreme caution against cheltenham the beat burton 6-5 away a few weeks back. we need a strong defence simmo. and about time cureton scored
Report abuse
The Irony of Football if Shrewsbury had won 5 of the 6 straight losses and maybe drawn the other they be sitting pretty in third place especially with the recent form of Bournemouth,Rotherham and Bury,but the simple fact is 6 straight defeats at a time in the season when you need to be strong has cost Shrewsbury both automatic and play off hopes,i like many others witnessed their poor performances against the lesser teams and now is the time to forget the play offs and more about consilidating their position and building for next season, as they have a good Youth set up and maybe give the young guys a go with so little time in season i think that the final two places in play offs could well be decided by goal difference and even head to head results if both points goals and goal difference are the same if that applies but sadly im resigned to saying Shrewsbury just aint good enough to be there,we always seem to be light in midfield so big chances need ed in summer,as for Cureton wanting to possibly stay longer Paul Simpson needs to be strong and say sorry Jamie but no contract and at hs might be better if he goes back to watch Soccer Saturday
Report abuse
And further to add our poor performance of 6 straight defeats coincided with the injury to Craig Disley and Dave Hibbert and though i like Paul Murray he is simply the wrong side of 30 would like to see Simpson play Disley through the middle next season not been wasted out on the right or left,a key to a good team as always been its spine so lets get those key players for those positions and build a successful team around them ,and take League two by storm and lets do a Rochdale and bring the glory days back to town,I suspect though if this fails to materialise that Mr Simpson will be looking for a new job before the end of 2010
Report abuse