Scramble for Shrewsbury Town tickets after late drama

Shrewsbury Town fans were today scrambling for tickets to a big promotion party this Saturday after missing out on a return to the third tier of English football by just 12 minutes at the weekend.

A record 9,000 Town supporters are expected to pack into the Greenhous Meadow to see the Shrews take on Dagenham & Redbridge on Saturday needing a win to go up.

Such was the demand for tickets immediately following the 1-1 draw with Accrington Stanley on Saturday that the club's website reportedly crashed temporarily.

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Some sections of the 9,875-capacity stadium have already sold out with the club advertising limited availability in other areas today. Fans are advised to check the official website for the latest situation.

A win would have seen Town go up to what is now League 1 for the first time in 15 years. With Torquay losing and Crawley drawing at the weekend, three points would have been enough.

And everything looked good for the 1,600 supporters who made the 180-mile round trip when Shrewsbury took a 1-0 lead and held it until the 78th minute.

But an equaliser from Bryan Hughes meant the champagne was put on ice.

Town manager Graham Turner said: "The support we had was terrific – they've waited a long time to be in this position. I'm sure they went home disappointed but I hope it means there will be a big gate on Saturday, and hopefully we can do it."

The previous highest Town gate at the new Meadow was 8,817 against Oxford last May.

Shaun Yale, a compliance manager from Four Crosses, said: "Let's hope we can fill the ground and have a party." Paul Brown, 55, a builder from Whitchurch, said: "We'll do it. The crowd will spur them on."

The Shrews fans were praised for 'excellent behaviour' by Accrington, who said it was the largest away following they had ever had.

Elsewhere, TNS clinched the Welsh Premier League title, qualifying for the early stages of the UEFA?Champions League.