A hard fought and, in the end, probably deserved point for Rovers against a decent Shrewsbury side.
In the first half we were awful in possession with Shrewsbury dominating the play for long periods. We really had two outstanding displays from Taylor and Gibson to thank for restricting the Shrews to relatively few clear chances despite their possession and keeping the deficit to only one goal. Ash in particular I thought was superb, and had we played so poorly last season we would probably have been three down at the break.
I was impressed with Shrewsbury: they mixed up the play between short passing and the long ball, and Richards in midfield was excellent. That said, I doubt our midfield will play as badly all season as in the first 45, as Wallace and Robinson weren't in the game at all, and Thompson was pretty woeful for the whole match.
After the break and an obvious bollocking form Ronnie, we upped the tempo and got our creative players in the game, while inevitably looking vulnerable to the counter attack. We didn't make best use of our opportunities, with Cassidy, Wallace, and Stockton all missing decent openings. However, the introduction of Bell Baggie gave us a second wind and it was his cross which led to the goal, another poacher's effort from Akpro.
On the positive side, we are still unbeaten and took a point from a game we would have got nothing from last season, and in front of a great Rovers turnout of 1,200 - 1,500. We look solid at the back, and have that extra touch of class to dig something out of games. Bell Baggie looked unplayable at times with his pace and directness when he came on and should probably start ahead of Thompson, but not on Tuesday night. Hopefully Akpro will be the prolific striker we have been desperate for in recent years, while Fon Williams produced a couple of world class saves near the end to secure the point.
On the negative side, we are still not defending set plays properly, with their goal coming from a free kick, and the saves by Fonners also resulting from set plays.
In answer to Ian's question, Gornell looked exactly like he did for us: good touch and technique but can't finish. Most Shresbury fans are apparently desperate to see a new striker come in.