Shropshire Star

Shrewsbury Town 2 Gillingham 2 - Report and pictures

Former striker Tom Eaves broke Shrewsbury hearts as his 90th minute winner snatched a point for Gillingham after a late show had looked like sealing the three points for Town, writes Lewis Cox at Montgomery Waters Meadow.

Published

In a pulsating finale Ollie Norburn netted an 88th minute goal, his first for the club, as John Askey’s men recovered from a poor first period to edge ahead against the struggling Gills.

Lee Angol netted a much-needed equaliser just before the hour and it was the home side that looked like they had gone on to get the winner after a razor-sharp break, leading to Norburn’s finish.

But Eaves, who scored eight times for Town across two loan spells, had the final say with a crisp late finish in the 90th minute.

A topsy-turvy encounter finally swung the way of the visitors and they will be much the more pleased with a point after Town looked to have stolen the victory at the death.

Gillingham’s opener in a dour first period full of breaks in place was amateur defending from a Town side unable to clear their lines.

The result will leave boss Askey tearing his hair out at his side’s inability to see out three point despite firing ahead with two minutes to play.

The point moves Salop a place up the League One table to 19th, with just one win from their first 10 league games.

Analysis

Askey used powerful forward Amadi-Holloway from the off in the league for the first time since the second weekend of the season, when he picked up an injury at Charlton.

The Town boss had been toying with the idea of switching system and personnel after the previous week’s disappointment at Scunthorpe.

The striker came in for Alex Gilliead, who dropped to the bench, but otherwise Town were unchanged.

It raised the question whether the boss was to use 4-4-2 for the first time from the off, or whether fellow strike Lee Angol would be forced in a more unfamiliar position out wide.

Gilliead’s omission meant one of the central midfielders, Greg Docherty, was deployed on the left flank.

Visitors Gillingham were on a hapless run of form that had brought five straight defeats in all competitions and seven from nine, in which time the Kent outfit were winless.

Steve Lovell is plagued by injuries at the MEMS Priestfield Stadium, with important players left-back Connor Ogilvie, Regan Charles-Cook and Billy Bingham all absent with ankle injuries.

Askey tasked his players to kick the visitors while they were down and give them no whisper of confidence to build from. Despite only being in the end of September, the League One table read 20th against 21st before kick-off, adding to the spice and importance of the afternoon.

Ironically there was a slow start all round as an issue with the net in front of the DM Recruitment Stand delayed kick-off by some seven minutes.

But when Ross Joyce got proceedings under way, Town were lucky to remain level inside 60 seconds as Luke Waterfall inadvertently helped a fizzing Bradley Garmston cross a couple of feet over his own bar.

It quickly became apparent Askey had stuck with a 4-3-3 system, moving Angol out to the left to accommodate Amadi-Holloway - who showed some nice early touches - up front.

Aside from the scare inside the first minute the visitors offered nothing of note and gave the impression of a poor side low on confidence.

Askey’s men had all of the ball in the opposition’s half and were searching for ways through. The presence of Amadi-Holloway was a useful focus point while Josh Emmanuel was seeing plenty of it on the right flank. Angol, in his left position, had a couple of moments one-on-one but failed to find a way past the defender.

Gills barely wandered into the Town half but took advantage of the set-piece opportunity when they did.

With 18 minutes on the clock, a short corner was Shrewsbury’s undoing as a cross was first missed by Norburn, then - amid pinball in the box - the ball squirmed through Josh Emmanuel’s legs. Max Ehmer of Gills sent a strike at Joel Coleman that the keeper flapped at and couldn’t hold.

Then, as panic ensued, Hanlan was the man credited with the telling touch as the ball spun over the line amid dejected Salop bodies.

It was a woeful goal to concede and one you may find on a local park pitch on Sunday mornings.

A break in play as Tomas Holy, in the Gills goal, received treatment hardly helped the game’s slow tempo but Town - who were often disjointed on the ball as groans were audible from the stand - did have a couple of efforts on goal after half hour.

All their spark came through Shaun Whalley, easily the standout player in blue and amber. His strike from distance, saved by Holy, was followed by a delightful pacy cross for Amadi-Holloway, who saw a bullet header also straight at the shot-stopper.

But the theme of a sluggish first half was indecisiveness on the ball and no cohesion.

Another head injury, as Amadi-Holloway and Gabriel Zakuani collided, meant five minutes of added time from the officials, but it should have been more.

The hosts mustered one more effort before the break but luck went against them. Waterfall, who had just been the target of jeers for a misplaced pass, saw his header hit a defender before Docherty flashed a cross-shot through a dozen bodies and wide.

The first half display and result meant the second period was, unquestionably, the biggest of Askey’s tenure.

The theme of the day continued as the Meadow crowd fumed while Gills keeper Holy failed to emerge for the second half. The other players had been out some four or five minutes before the Holy - sporting an even bigger bandage than his first half effort - emerged.

Town began the second half with more purpose as they attacked the loud safe standing section in the south stand.

Gills were doing their utmost to make the game as bitty and horrible as possible. They were succeeding. The experienced Zakuani was the ringleader, making foul after foul and complaining with the officials. Town’s attacks and numerous set-pieces were coming to nothing until just before the hour mark.

Finally the breakthrough a better second half had threatened. A deep Whalley delivery was well recycled at the back stick by Norburn and the ball fell at Angol’s feet 12 yards out. He still had work to do but span expertly to lash a half-volley into the corner.

The momentum was with the hosts and Askey’s men needed to be on the charge for all three points. Norburn whistled a rocket over from distance before Angol could have done better but glanced a header wide at the far post.

But momentum stalled as the clock ticked away with Salop struggling to build up a head of steam. Amadi-Holloway, who was lively in the second half, was brought off after tiring with Lenell John-Lewis on in his place.

Luke O’Neill’s free-kick for Gillingham was a note of warning that the visitors were not quite done.

Ironic cheers greeted the decision to send Gilliead on late for Anthony Grant with just three minutes remaining.

There was still so much drama to come.

Norburn looked to have won it in with his first Salop goal in the 88th minute after his simple close-range finish following a sharp Town break led by Whalley.

Sub Gilliead sent over an accurate low ball and Norburn finished despite Holy getting a couple of gloves on it.

But it wasn’t over. Almost from the kick-off the visitors attacked and punished Askey’s team for not clearing the ball. Multiple Town bodies were unable to clear and sub Eaves crept into the box on the right with a delicate touch and thrashed a corner in across goal, sparking wild scenes in the away end.

It was a topsy turvy game but Askey and Town somehow only came away with a point after it looked certain they had stolen all three at the death.

Key moments

2 - Luke Waterfall is lucky to not score an own goal inside 60 seconds as he shanks at a Bradley Garmston cross and sends it narrowly over his own crossbar.

4 - Decent effort from Ollie Norburn from the edge of the area after Aaron Amadi-Holloway showed some nice touches in the build-up.

18 - Goal Gillingham. Very poor goal to concede. Town fail to clear a short corner on a handful of occasions and Brandon Hanlan helps squirm a finish over the goal line. A sloppy goal if ever you’ve seen one.

28 - Decent strike from Shaun Whalley with his weaker left foot from outside the box but it’s straight at Tomas Holy.

29 - Chance Town. Whalley’s sumptuous pacy cross is direct goalwards by Amadi-Holloway but the bullet header is straight at Holy who saves.

45+5 - Luke Waterfall’s header hit a defender before Greg Docherty hit a strike through a host of bodies and wide across goal.

59 - Town goal. Whalley’s deep cross is sprinted on to by Ollie Norburn who played a smart ball into the box from the left and there was Angol to spin and thrash into the corner on the half-volley for his fourth Salop goal.

64 - A Norburn rocket from fully 30 yards whistles towards goal but flies inches over.

80 - Luke O’Neill’s free-kick for Gills is inches wide of the top angle and clips the woodwork on its way wide. The away fans behind that goal thought it was in.

88 - Town goal. Norburn looks like he’s won it after finishing from close-range from a sharp Salop break.

90 - Goal Gillingham. 2-2. Heartbreak as Tom Eaves slides in a smart finish against his former club.

Teams

Shrewsbury Town (4-3-3):

Coleman; Emmanuel, Waterfall, Sadler ©, Beckles; Whalley, Grant (Gilliead, 86), Norburn, Docherty; Angol, Amadi-Holloway (John-Lewis, 76).

Subs not used: Arnold (gk), Okenabirhie, Bolton, Laurent, Barnett.

Gillingham (4-4-2 diamond):

Holy; O’Neill, Ehmer, Zakuani ©, Garmston (Fuller, 54); Lacey, Reilly, Byrne, Parrett (Rees, 65); Hanlan, Parker (Eaves, 68).

Subs not used: Hadler (gk), Wilkinson, Nasseri, Simpson.

Referee: Ross Joyce

Attendance: 5,695 (217 Gillingham fans)

Star man - Lee Angol. Did well with limited service or movement around him.

Position in the table - 19th (eight points from 10 games)