Shropshire Star

Verdict: Shrewsbury off colour but live to fight again in FA Cup

It felt like a proper FA Cup tie at Montgomery Waters Meadow on Saturday.

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OK, ‘Que Sera’ didn’t get an outing and there was no sign of a tin foil Cup, but it was freezing, with a rather subdued crowd as usual at this stage of the competition, and the fresh hint of an upset in the air.

Not that it would have been much of an upset. Bradford looked like a capable side and have a very good manager at the helm in Gary Bowyer. It’s little wonder they are riding high in League Two.

Still, despite just 13 places separating the two clubs, the onus was on Sam Ricketts’ Shrewsbury to make use of their higher ranking and home advantage to progress to round two for the sixth season on the spin.

Town were below par. They have been improving in recent weeks and set high standards for themselves having taken six points from outings against Sunderland, Wycombe and Peterborough, three of League One’s top seven.

That haul had gone hand-in-hand with a tweak of the system from Ricketts to get more bodies forward and make Shrewsbury a more potent force. Results and performances, specifically chances created, have showed the tweak has worked.

But Shrews, as the manager admitted, were not at their best against the Bantams. For much of the game they were in second gear.

While Bradford started and finished the game pretty well and had some decent moments in the Town box, it was an uncharacteristic and poor error from one of Shrewsbury’s most reliable defenders that gift-wrapped an early opener.

Aaron Pierre will not want to see the Aramide Oteh goal back. His poor header back gave keeper Joe Murphy no chance.

You can probably count Pierre’s real errors since joining in the summer on one hand. So it’s tough to be too critical. And as Ricketts highlighted, the big defender recovered well.

The hosts were probably the better side on the balance of play overall but Bradford went closest to booking their place in the second round without the need of a replay next week as they found the woodwork late on.

Josh Laurent was the man to step forward this week for Shrewsbury.

The midfielder was Town’s best player on a day he was moved into a new role – a position that arguably suits his qualities less – but the first-half equaliser was just reward for his work rate, quality and drive with and without the ball.

Laurent has been part of a central midfield two and three this season but on Saturday was pushed up into the more advanced left-sided role that Dave Edwards has played in recent weeks.

And the Town man was busy from the off, finding good positions, gliding forward with the ball with real intent and purpose to his play.

The former Wigan midfielder has often just been lacking that final bit of productivity. The final shot or pass, but he picked up a glorious position to finish well and bring Ricketts’ men level.

If Laurent can find that kind of incisive play on a more regular basis than he will prove to be one of League One’s best performers.

If anything, Shrewsbury paid for being a little too complacent. Especially early on.

They didn’t start well against a lower-league side missing some key players and could have been behind inside 30 seconds without even touching the ball but wise old striker James Vaughan couldn’t find a killer touch.

Town’s languid approach, particularly at the back where they weren’t their usual rugged, robust selves, cost them the valuable clean sheet after 19 minutes.

Pierre, a calm figure at the best of times, was too slack and his weak header was clinically punished.

Town’s attacking intent has increased owing to the recent change in system but the issues of goalscoring are still apparent.

Ricketts’ men have five goals in their last six games in all competitions, netting no more than once in each of those outings.

But Shrews were unable to build on recent strides forward here. Perhaps that was because of the low-key feel to the contest or a slight slump in mindset against lower-ranked opposition.

The hosts got themselves in decent forward positions after the break. Donald Love and Shaun Whalley combined well down the right and there was no lack of probing from Laurent and newly called-up Grenada international Ollie Norburn.

But there was no clear opening for Jason Cummings – whose afternoon didn’t even last an hour – and Fejiri Okenabirhie’s big chance came and went as he skied an effort from 10 yards.

One positive was the return from injury of Ryan Giles. He got a late runout for the impressive Scott Golbourne and offers a different dimension. Giles’ late cross was flicked on by Whalley and Dave Edwards was millimetres from sliding it into the net. It was one of those days.

Bradford too were wasteful in front of goal, although big defender Ben Richards-Everton did well to fling himself at a header that crashed on to the post and wide.

Town are in the hat for tonight’s second-round draw and that is the main thing.

Both teams could do without the Valley Parade replay next week, specifically Shrewsbury who – Grenada results dependant – could be without Pierre, Omar Beckles and Norburn who will not be back in time.

Ricketts’ side have an interesting week ahead without their internationals.

They can make the knockout stages of the EFL Trophy with a win over crisis club Macclesfield on Wednesday and then that competition suddenly get interesting.

The dream lives on for another week-or-so at least.

All eyes will be on the balls tonight as Town or Bradford discover their fate.

A kind draw and Salop can target that dream third-round prize, even if the journey is taking an unwelcome detour via West Yorkshire.