By Albatross
October 5 2002

Pools continued their good start to the season - and their record-breaking away form - with a 1-0 victory at Shrewsbury that sees them stay on top of the table. Albatross was there to witness it, and reports on events at Gay Meadow. Pools lined up with the same players that started against Rushden, although there was a change on the bench where Marcus Richardson took his place together with Kevin Henderson, Paul Smith, James Sharp and Jim Provett.

The personnel may have been the same, but the formation definately wasn't, as Barron moved into the middle of a three man defence, Humph also moved into the middle, and Darrell Clarke found himself asked to play as the right wingback. For the Shrews, Luke Rodgers was indeed fit to start, and was partnered up front by Nigel Jemson - two players that Poolies know of old.

It didn't take long for Eifion Williams to make himself known; a cross in from the left found the Welshman inside the first 60 seconds, but his shot was well off target. Shrewsbury won a free kick when Spike pushed Jemson shortly after, but a combination of good marking and a poor delivery saw the cross go behind without causing any danger.

On 4 minutes, Pools won a corner, which Humphreys took; the ball found it's way out to Tommy Widdrington, but he sliced his shot well wide. Shortly after Rodgers had a half chance when he got into a decent position on the left of the box, but he pulled his shot well wide of the far post. Jemson then got involved in the action when he body-checked Spike, and was spoken to by the ref. Pools were then almost caught out when a good throw by Dunbavin in the Shrewsbury goal set up a breakaway attack down their left, but a poor ball into the box gave Rodgers no chance of reaching it.

There were a few hard challenges going in on both sides, and it looked like the game might explode on 9 minutes, when Barron slid through on Rodgers; the Shrewsbury man reacted, shoving at Mickey before being restrained. The outcome was a yellow for Barron, but Rodgers can consider himself lucky to have avoided the same fate for his petulant reaction. It has to be said that other than that he did manage to keep his cool though! The Free Kick suffered from the same poor delivery as before.

On 15 minutes the Shrews had another free kick, and this time the delivery was better; the ball was cleared to the on-loan David Artell, but his shot was straight at Williams and was easily claimed by Taff.

Up to this point, it had been a fairly even game. Both sides were looking to attack, but there hadn't really been much in the way of clear-cut chances. The attacking from Pools in particular seemed to be getting so far and then no further.

Shrewsbury were forced into a substituion on 20 minutes, Thompson was unable to continue and Wilding came on to replace him. Not long after came the Shrew's best chance to date; a cross from Jemson found Woan inside the box, but the midfielder's header went wide when he should have done a lot better. This did seem to gee Shrewsbury up a bit, and they put in a couple of dangerous-looking crosses that no-one could get on the end of. They then won a Free Kick after Ritchie Humphreys was penalised - a little harshly - after going in for what seemed to be a 50/50 ball about 35 yards out. The kick was touched off to Mark Atkins, but his long-range effort was straight at Williams and the keeper claimed it fairly comfortably.

Pools then came back into the game with a spell of good pressure that failed to produce a shooting opportunity; the final ball seemed to be lacking a bit. A better move came on 31 minutes when a long crossfield ball found Mark Robinson in acres of space; he played the ball in to Boyd, who turned and then saw his shot deflected wide for a corner. From the corner the ball broke to Robinson, but the shot was poor and failed to trouble the keeper.

Jemson got himself booked on 35 minutes when he fouled Lee; he didn't help matters by seeming to claim it should have gone the other way! As far as most Poolies were concerned it was about time - and also a good sign: Jemson tends to moan when things aren't going his way, and although the Shrews had played some decent football they weren't creating much more than Pools.

Shortly after there was a nast moment when Westwood fluffed a clearance, but Jemson put his shot wide. Shrewsbury were now being reduced to shooting from outside the area, and next to have a go was Moss, who tried an effort from all of 30 yards that was always rising a bit too much.

It was then Pools turn to carve out an opportunity, as another crossfield ball found Robinson with time and space; he headed the ball infield to Boyd, but his shot found Dunbavin in the Shrewsbury goal.

The minutes just before half time saw Spike get booked after he went through the back of Jemson, and Shrewsbury go close to taking the lead; Murray shot from just outside the area, but saw his shot hit the angle of post and bar.

Shrewsbury had maybe shaded the first half, but Pools were getting plenty of possession and Jemson and Rodgers were starting to look a little frustrated.

Rodgers had the first effort of the second half, when he shot weakly at Taff, but it was Pools that started the brighter; a good attack down the left saw Robinson swing a cross in that he just got a little too much on, and then some excellent play from Eifion Williams caused the Shrewsbury defence some problems, the ball eventually making it's way to Tinkler. Tinks seemed to have left his shooting boots at home though, and put his shot well over the bar from the edge of the area.

Pools then won a free kick when Tolley chopped Humph about 35 yards out, the Free Kick was cleared though and Rodgers broke away down the right, went past Westwood and then put a poor cross over that never threatened the Pools defence. A few minutes later a Woan free kick from the Shrew left did cause Pools some problems though; Redmile headed wide from a good position.

The only goal of the afternoon though came to Pools on 55 minutes, and a well-worked goal it was too. Shrewsbury failed to clear their lines following a Pools attack, and the ball fell to Mark Robinson. Eifion Williams started his run, Robinson spotted it and delivered the ball into his path, the offside trap well and truly broken, WILLIAMS strode into the area before coolly sliding his shot wide of Dunbavin and into the net in front of the joyous Poolies. A good strike, and well deserved.

Two minutes later and Williams was again in the thick of the action; he cut in from the Pools right to latch onto a pass, got past two defenders and then played the ball into Boyd in the area. Boyd couldn't get the shot away, and the ball was cleared.

Shrewsbury were now pushing forward as they looked to get back into the match, and the Pools defence had to be alert as several crosses tested them. Then came a bad foul from Darrell Clarke, who went through Murray. The Shrews player reacted angrily, shoving Clarke so hard that he went flying. Both players were deservedly shown the yellow card. The free kick again found Redmile, this time his header was on target but straight at Williams.

Another free kick from the same area followed shortly after, and this time Artell got his head to the ball; Westwood though was alert to head the ball behind.

Kevin Ratcliffe decided to shuffle his pack and surprisingly it was Rodgers making way for Ryan Lowe. Rodgers had looked possibly the Shrews best player, and I was pleased to see him go off; he has been suffering from injury and it may have been that he was starting to feel it again.

Pools had a good chance on 75 minutes, when he managed to get into the box and rob a Shrewbury defender; he couldn't get the shot in, and found Tinkler who saw his shot deflected away for a corner.

Shrewsbury were starting to put some good balls into the box and pressure Pools, and so with about 10 minutes remaining CT decided to change things. Glenn Tolley replaced Murray for the Shrews as Pools swapped Robinson and Boyd for Smith and Richardson. Both players soon showed their worth, as Richardson did well to hold the ball and lay it off to Smith; Smith then put in a peach of a cross that only needed a touch to put Pools further ahead, unfortunately there was no-one close enough to do the honours.

Richardson was certainly making a nuisance of himself up front, and we were pushing Shrewsbury back again as they struggled to cope with this new threat. With time running out, Willo and Humph decided to do a bit of showboating by the corner flag, to the delight of the Poolies.

Shrewsbury did try and put the pressure back on as time started running out, the Pools midfield seeming content to drop deep,but the best chance fell once again to Williams. A Shrewsbury corner was cleared, and it found it's way to him with a clear run on goal. He broke to the edge of the area after running hakf the length of the pitch, but Dunbavin had come out well and blocked his shot.

The match ended with Pools once more in the Shrewsbury half, to send the few hundred Pools fans home with a smile on their face.

Another win then, and a hard-fought one. Shrewsbury will feel that they should have got something from the game, but once again Pools ground out the result without necessarily hitting top gear. Eifion Williams was again outstanding, the defence performed well as a unit, and Richardson offered something a bit different when he came on.

Pools remain top then, and next up is another tricky away game, this time at Bournemouth live on Sky. With Torquay needing only a draw on Saturday we may not be table toppers at the start of that match, but for the moment Pools fans can still sing "We are top of the league"!