Four talking points from Shrewsbury Town’s opening day stalemate

Salop lifted the lid on their fourth-tier campaign at the weekend against Bromley in a disjointed clash which always looked like it was destined to end all square.  

For Town, it got them their first points of the season, and there were both good and bad things to take from the game. 

This time last year, Town lost their opening three league matches, so the draw gets them on the board early - here are some of the talking points from the clash at the Croud Meadow. 

A clean sheet is a great starting point

Keeping a clean sheet was not Shrewsbury’s greatest strength last year, so it must be something they will take confidence from after they kept a shutout on the opening day of the campaign. 

In total, they kept just four in the season, and Appleton and director of football Micky Moore have spoken about how they wanted to do something about it. 

The Town head coach had said he has gone away from what he usually does - signing attacking players with flair - to bring solidity to the team. 

After an edgy start to the clash against Bromley, which was understandable with five debutants, Salop looked comfortable. 

Attacking play is a work in progress 

There has not been a shortage of goals for Shrewsbury in pre-season, but Town looked a little bit rusty going forward.

Anthony Scully was the man who partnered John Marquis up front, and he looked sharp, but despite some nice play up to the final third, Salop just could not put that final pass together.

And therefore, clear scoring opportunities were at a premium.

It is not too much of a concern just yet. Games like those, where two teams virtually cancel each other out, do happen. 

Sam Clucas will be vital this season

He was not Town’s best player during the game against Bromley, there were a few individuals like George Nurse and Scully who had excellent matches. 

But you could just tell how important the midfielder is going to be over the course of the campaign. It has been a while since Town had a player with his technical ability in the middle of the park, and with this possession-based style they are going to employ, he will be at the centre of it. He keeps hold of the ball, and that will be essential to picking a pass to unlock a defence and wearing a team down. 

It is early days

As Appleton said himself in his pre-match press conference, there is no point getting too high or too low with the opening day of the season. 

It is what the team does over an extended period of time that will ultimately decide whether their campaign is a success or not. 

While it is not an eye-catching start, it is a solid one, and it gives them some form of platform they can build from.