Shrewsbury Town analysis: It was so nearly the Stadium of delight in Sunderland

It was ‘only’ one point rather than the three Sam Ricketts wanted at the imperious Stadium of Light, but seldom has a team worked so hard and been so deserved of the spoils.

Ricketts’ men, with the poorest away form in the league, put paid to any predictions that their glamorous hosts would enjoy a walk in the park at home, where they are still unbeaten.

Salop ground out a result that feels so much more worthy than one point.

As a team performance goes, it was right up there. The first half of 2018 was memorable for any Shrewsbury supporter yet this was one of the most gutsy displays they produced in the entire calendar.

Sunderland are brimming with an embarrassment of richest that, on paper, made the Wigans and Blackburns of last season blush.

But the Black Cats were limited to just one shot on target – Josh Maja’s equaliser on the stroke of half-time – as Shrewsbury dug in, battled, rolled their sleeves up and chucked their bodies in front of everything.

It was an inspiring performance to behold. If it wasn’t Anthony Grant making a block it was Mat Sadler, or Luke Waterfall, or James Bolton.

If an entire XI (plus subs) has worked harder than Shrewsbury did to keep an opposition attack at bay then it would be some going. They were warriors.

And Town were in dreamland after half an hour as they not only contained their hosts early on but dominated them and deservedly led.

Fewer things would have pleased Ricketts more than a set-piece goal. The immense Greg Docherty with another perfect delivery and Waterfall with a towering guided penalty high into the net from the penalty spot.

Docherty, as always a bundle of energy and quality, capped a fine personal day after watching his parent and boyhood club Rangers dominant the Old Firm derby.

Unfortunately Town were cut open by one piece of quality before the break as international and former Champions League winger Aiden McGeady latched on to a pass from Premier League stalwart Lee Cattermole to set up top scorer Maja.

But in their heart of hearts no Shrewsbury fans would have expected Town to have led. As the surprising team news seeped through, where Ricketts boldly left top scorer Fejiri Okenabirhie on the bench, there were bemused reactions.

Aaron Amadi-Holloway (illness) also missed out and Ricketts’ replacements were Lenell John-Lewis and Alex Gilliead.

John-Lewis is often the fall guy and comes in for plenty of criticism but, like others, carried out a more unfamiliar role to perfection.

The striker was stuck out on the left of a 4-5-1 (or at times 4-3-3). Gilliead took his place on the right, with natural midfielder Josh Laurent the makeshift striker.

Ricketts hailed his side for their hard yards and throwing bodies on the line afterwards but what he was truly pleased with was how they understood and carried out his game plan to a tee.

The Town boss, nearing a month in the job, produced a supreme tactical performance to totally nullify the best squad in League One.

The formation worked a treat. It asked a lot of the wide men and Laurent but they delivered selfless performances, winning the ball back in their own third and always looking a threat on the counter.

Ricketts stressed that Shrewsbury were not set up in that manner purely to block, defend and sit in. They cherished the point but did not come for it.

The formation set them up to exploit space when they turned the ball over and with the pace of Gilliead and Laurent, the maturity and intelligence of John-Lewis and Docherty’s craft, they were a constant menace to the Black Cats.

On a handful of occasions Town found themselves within a final touch of retaking the lead in the second half as Sunderland committed bodies at the other end.

Laurent was half of a yard from a totally unmarked diving header before John-Lewis spurned the real chance at the near post after being found from a Gilliead cut-back.

Naturally the hosts enjoyed territory late on and launched balls into the box but Shrewsbury defended heroically.

It came to a head in added time as a deflection off defender Jack Baldwin from Docherty’s delivery somehow flew straight at Jon McLaughlin in goal rather than a yard either side of him.

Then, seconds later down the other end, Sadler produced the most stunning goalline clearance to lift it over his own crossbar from inches out.

It was a breathless clash and one Town should be very proud to have matched Sunderland in.

A chorus of cheers from the near-700 Town fans in a crowd of 33,288 – beating the Villa Park 1970 record by some 2,000 – greeted the full-time whistle, almost drowning out the home boos.

Ricketts’ tactical masterclass won the day, as did Town’s resolute, manful, gritty, brave and tireless work-rate and defending.

Shrews’ new man at the helm produced the kind of tactical game plan that should earn supporters’ confidence in him.

The boss is always chasing more. Upon being told ‘congratulations’ when greeting the press he said ‘it was almost congratulations’. He spoke about the referee blowing 10 seconds early when Town had another break on.

He possesses such an ambition. It was Town’s best point of the season but he wanted more. As an entire performance, all things considered, it is up there with the win over Barnsley as the best this season.

Now he says his team have set a standard and must deliver it time and time again.