League 2: Torquay United v Shrewsbury Town
Posted: 11 Mar 2011, 20:01
Plainmoor
Saturday March 12th 2011
KO 15:00
This weekend, we entertain a high flying Shrewsbury Town. The Shrews are clearly one of the bigger and better sides in this division and we will have to be at our best to get anything out of the match. Following the performance at Aldershot on Tuesday evening, PB has responded by signing two strikers on loan. At least one is likely to go straight into the starting XI and both will certainly be in the match-day XVIII.
Last 5 seasons
2005/06 – League Two – 10th place – 61 pts
2006/07 – League Two – 7th place – 71 pts – LOST IN PLAYOFFS
2007/08 – League Two – 18th place – 50 pts
2008/09 – League Two – 7th place – 69 pts – LOST IN PLAYOFFS
2009/10 – League Two – 12th place – 63 pts
Well, as we see from the above, STFC are definitely a settled L2 club with obvious aspirations to gain promotion to L1. It seems the two pushes and subsequent disappointments in the playoffs have a hangover into the next season. 18th place in 2007/08 represented a very great failure for a club with the obvious talent of Shrewsbury.
Their first playoff disappointment came it the final against Brizzle Rovers having beaten the MK Dons 2-1 on aggregate in the semis. Two years later, They once again made the very final match of the season, only to fall at the hands of Gillingham having dispatched Bury on penalties in the two legged semi-final seven days earlier.
Head-to-head
TUFC wins – 28 (27 league)
STFC wins – 23 (20 league)
Draws - 13 (12 league)
As we can see, we have a winning record against the Shrews. Our recent record is excellent, we have lost just once against the Shrews since 1998/09, that being a 1-0 at the home of Town, with a goal by Derek Asamoah in the 77th minute of the match of March 24th 2007.
Earlier in the season, we earned a 1-1 draw courtesy of a 34th minute Benyon penalty to draw us level after none other than Jake Robinson had given the home side a fifth minute lead. Elliot s was in fact our second penner of the match, useless Nicky Wroe hoofed the ball so far over the goal for the first one, that it might still be in the air today.
Our other notable season against Shrewsbury was in 1955/56, where the aggregate score over two league and two FA Cup matches was 12-2 in favour of TUFC.
Form (Last 6 matches)
Away – W L L W W W
Collated – W W D L W D
Decent recent form is indicative of their season as a whole, largely reliable and capable of beating pretty much anyone on their day. The only crumb of comfort offered by the BBC stats page is that they haven t kept a clean sheet in three matches. Notable among their last few games is the quality of the opposition. Recently, they have played Bury, Port Vale, Stevenage, Southend and Gillingham have all been seen off with only one defeat in all those games. Also in that sequence was a 3-2 defeat of the mighty Inter Northampton who remember, will definitely finish above us.
Probable line up
This is the side which started against Port Vale on Tuesday
• 25 Smith
• 03 Sadler
• 05 Sharps
• 06 Cansdell-Sherriff
• 18 Grandison
• 07 Wright
• 12 Wroe
• 16 Ainsworth (Bradshaw 82)
• 23 Taylor
• 29 Davies
• 14 Collins
This is with the proviso that Striker Matt Harrold is recovered from a bout of tonsillitis which forced him to miss the Port Vale match.
Players to watch.
Clearly, Nicky Wroe will be the main focus of Gulls fans attention. Since his January move t up north, Wroey has impressed, scoring one goal. Among the other players in the squad, midfielder Mark Wright is the stand out performer. He is top scorer at the club with 12 goals from 35 league matches this year. Their second top scorer will be wearing a yellow shirt.
Prediction
Who knows, predicting Torquay results is like predicting lottery numbers, impossible. Total and absolute guess 2-1 Shrews, with one of the new boys scoring for us and Wroey getting a pen for them.
Matt.
Saturday March 12th 2011
KO 15:00
This weekend, we entertain a high flying Shrewsbury Town. The Shrews are clearly one of the bigger and better sides in this division and we will have to be at our best to get anything out of the match. Following the performance at Aldershot on Tuesday evening, PB has responded by signing two strikers on loan. At least one is likely to go straight into the starting XI and both will certainly be in the match-day XVIII.
Last 5 seasons
2005/06 – League Two – 10th place – 61 pts
2006/07 – League Two – 7th place – 71 pts – LOST IN PLAYOFFS
2007/08 – League Two – 18th place – 50 pts
2008/09 – League Two – 7th place – 69 pts – LOST IN PLAYOFFS
2009/10 – League Two – 12th place – 63 pts
Well, as we see from the above, STFC are definitely a settled L2 club with obvious aspirations to gain promotion to L1. It seems the two pushes and subsequent disappointments in the playoffs have a hangover into the next season. 18th place in 2007/08 represented a very great failure for a club with the obvious talent of Shrewsbury.
Their first playoff disappointment came it the final against Brizzle Rovers having beaten the MK Dons 2-1 on aggregate in the semis. Two years later, They once again made the very final match of the season, only to fall at the hands of Gillingham having dispatched Bury on penalties in the two legged semi-final seven days earlier.
Head-to-head
TUFC wins – 28 (27 league)
STFC wins – 23 (20 league)
Draws - 13 (12 league)
As we can see, we have a winning record against the Shrews. Our recent record is excellent, we have lost just once against the Shrews since 1998/09, that being a 1-0 at the home of Town, with a goal by Derek Asamoah in the 77th minute of the match of March 24th 2007.
Earlier in the season, we earned a 1-1 draw courtesy of a 34th minute Benyon penalty to draw us level after none other than Jake Robinson had given the home side a fifth minute lead. Elliot s was in fact our second penner of the match, useless Nicky Wroe hoofed the ball so far over the goal for the first one, that it might still be in the air today.
Our other notable season against Shrewsbury was in 1955/56, where the aggregate score over two league and two FA Cup matches was 12-2 in favour of TUFC.
Form (Last 6 matches)
Away – W L L W W W
Collated – W W D L W D
Decent recent form is indicative of their season as a whole, largely reliable and capable of beating pretty much anyone on their day. The only crumb of comfort offered by the BBC stats page is that they haven t kept a clean sheet in three matches. Notable among their last few games is the quality of the opposition. Recently, they have played Bury, Port Vale, Stevenage, Southend and Gillingham have all been seen off with only one defeat in all those games. Also in that sequence was a 3-2 defeat of the mighty Inter Northampton who remember, will definitely finish above us.
Probable line up
This is the side which started against Port Vale on Tuesday
• 25 Smith
• 03 Sadler
• 05 Sharps
• 06 Cansdell-Sherriff
• 18 Grandison
• 07 Wright
• 12 Wroe
• 16 Ainsworth (Bradshaw 82)
• 23 Taylor
• 29 Davies
• 14 Collins
This is with the proviso that Striker Matt Harrold is recovered from a bout of tonsillitis which forced him to miss the Port Vale match.
Players to watch.
Clearly, Nicky Wroe will be the main focus of Gulls fans attention. Since his January move t up north, Wroey has impressed, scoring one goal. Among the other players in the squad, midfielder Mark Wright is the stand out performer. He is top scorer at the club with 12 goals from 35 league matches this year. Their second top scorer will be wearing a yellow shirt.
Prediction
Who knows, predicting Torquay results is like predicting lottery numbers, impossible. Total and absolute guess 2-1 Shrews, with one of the new boys scoring for us and Wroey getting a pen for them.
Matt.
