Shrewsbury Town player ratings v Gillingham: One 9 and two 8s in six goal thriller
Shrewsbury Town were forced to settle for a mere point in their reunion with former manager Gareth Ainsworth on Saturday as they played out an entertaining 3-3 draw with Gillingham at the Croud Meadow.
What would otherwise have been a fourth straight home win in League Two transpired to only return a single point after the visitors' second half fight-back which cancelled out a George Lloyd double and a fine Luca Hoole strike in the first half.
Sam Stubbs had put through his own net, too, before Robbie McKenzie's penalty and Elliott Nevitt's late leveller. Here is how we rated the Town players on Saturday.
Will Brook 6
Ironically didn't have an awful lot to do in between the goals, one of which was an own goal and another a penalty. The third, Nevitt's equaliser, was past him in a flash.
Luca Hoole 8
Superb early skill to skip past his man with a nutmeg and win his side a corner and he went one better when galloping forwards with the ball before doubling Shrewsbury's lead.
Tom Anderson 7
Key aerial battle won in the lead up to the first goal which ultimately went in off Lloyd.
Sam Stubbs 6
Long throws prompted concern, a few scrambles and the opening goal, but Stubbs couldn't help but nod beyond Will Brook to give Gillingham a helping hand back into the game. Conceded the penalty which really kick-started Gillingham's chase for a point.
Will Boyle 7
Played one excellent cross-field ball in the first half which was brought down excellently by Hoole. Was hurried into action when dallying on the ball in first half stoppage time by Dack but cleared his lines.
Isaac England 7
The teenager got the nod in the middle and got through his work impressively in the first half, encountering and winning a couple of 50-50s in his own half.
Josh Ruffels 7
Continues to look a really smart pick up on this evidence. Playing alongside such a young midfield partner, even one as talented as England, requires leading by responsibility in work-rate, something Ruffels did.
Sam Clucas 7
Set piece abilities were tapped into by Town, and Clucas rose to the responsibility with a string of inviting deliveries. Struck one particular effort in the first half which was blocked but wouldn't have been stopped by the keeper, how well it was connected with. You can tell he's played higher by the way he conducts himself throughout.
Ismeal Kabia 7
The speedster helped to bring the ball out from the Town half and relieve pressure with his pace, but he used that to his advantage in first half stoppage time when he sent in a wicked delivery from the right which Lloyd almost clinched his hat-trick from. Tireless working too.
Anthony Scully 8
Relentless in his work as an advanced playmaker. Tried his luck, after his Newport exploits, with a drive from distance which Turner held, and then he robbed Williams in the middle of the park to set up Lloyd's second in stoppage time. Almost scored the goal of the season with an outrageous first touch.
George Lloyd 9
If he didn't mean his first goal, then Harry Kane couldn't have finished his second any better, a truly brilliant finish having taken in the ball from Scully and striking across goal just as the angle squeezed ever tighter. A word on his work-rate from the front, too - like a man possessed.
Substitutes
Chuks Aneke (for Kabia 74) 6
Was a presence in the closing stages in the penalty as Town tried to reclaim the lead.
John Marquis Marquis (for Scully 74) 6
Summoned from the bench to give Town a little more presence in the final third as Gillingham chased the equaliser they eventually got.
Substitutes not used: Harrison, Benning, McDermott, Sang, Perry