Another tough one. When are we going to play somebody outside the top half of the league? Think we might have been a bit thin on the ground cover wise on Saturday but hopefully we will have a couple back for Tuesday. All the form books say we should win this one but you know Argyle they never make anything a cert. We can do it.......{crap ref apparently} COYG
Once again a side set out solely with the intention to stop us playing. Shrewsbury regularly has all 11 in their final third and we couldn’t find a way through. Hardie’s game is running in behind and there was no behind to run into. Randell and Lonwijk conspired to give Shrewsbury the first goal by leaving a loose ball to each other, leading Shrewsbury to redouble their already impressive time wasting efforts. It looked fairly hopeless but Schumacher went for Plan J: 4:4:2 with Ennis and Cosgrove up front. Ennis may lack Hardie’s long legged pace but he has good control in tight spaces and for a little lad, likes a scrap. He demanded the ball from Randell inside the box and struck it in with a single touch from a narrow angle. Game on at last. End to end play ensued, as they used to say. Galloway, a CB let’s not forget, then got down the left and fired in a vicious low cross many an attacker would have been proud off, through the proverbial corridor of uncertainty between keeper and defenders. Whittaker popped up unattended at the far post to knock it home from close range. The ref, who to his credit had tried to let the game flow added on 4 minutes when 8 would have been closer to the mark. But all virtually all of that was Shrewsbury time wasting and perhaps it was his form of poetic justice. It wouldn’t have been so funny though if we’d still been a goal down. Far from a classic performance from Argyle but we’re going to get this now from the.opposition now and by hook or by crook, it’s 3 points. The big worry is Azaz limping off with what looked like an ankle injury…..
It was worth saying twice notdistant. I do not want to hear any more about Wycombe. Shrewsbury were by far the worst team I have witnessed for time wasting and call it what you like plain c heating. They were awful. They came with a plan which in my opinion was a point. They managed to score through all the falling down and time delays and that set the tone for the rest of their game. They must have thought all their birthdays had come at once. They then took delaying things to a new level. The Ref did nothing about it until the second half when one of theirs got subbed. He actually booked him for taking too long to leave the field. I will come back to the Ref later. Schuey employed plan whatever it was. He made the right substitutions once again and it did change the game. I think Cosgrove was the difference. He sort of upset the big boys at the back for Shrewsbury and they didn't have it all their own way as they had managed previously. The Ground was pretty muted until Argyle put away their first. Decent move and resulted in the goal. Game on but Shrewsbury had set their stall out and were not about to change. Another pressing move and it was 2 - 1 to Argyle. The tempo from Shrewsbury suddenly changed and they wanted to get on with it at every turn. I agree with notdistant. I think the Ref had enough of the time wasting, they must have had a dozen head injuries by then, that he only added 4 minutes when 10 would have been more appropriate. Shrewsbury got what they deserved which was nothing. Now on to the Ref. He let so much go both ways that it became almost embarrassing. Mumba should have had the most stone wall penalty I have ever seen yet the Man in the Middle waved it away. That decision would have given us the lead had it been converted so I think he was a lucky man we scored again anyway. "**** Referee" was of course the chant from the Greens. Not the greatest spectacle but it was at least the greatest score line it could be for us. Happy enough even though it was a pooir spectacle of a game thanks mainly to Shrewsbury.
