SHREWSBURY TOWN 0 CITY 0
League Division 2
12th September 1987
attendance 6,280
Ref David Elleray
City Nixon, Gidman, Hinchcliffe, Lake, I Brightwell, Redmond, White, Stewart, Varadi, Scott, McNab – subs Simpson(64), Adcock(unused)
Shrewsbury Perks, W Williams, B Williams, Narbett, Pearson, Linighan, Steele, McNally, Cooper, Robinson, Tester – subs Leonard, Brown
FROM THE PRESS BOX
REPORT FROM THE SPORTS ARGUS 12TH SEPTEMBER 1987
On-loan Spurs striker Mark Cooper figures prominently in Shrewsbury’s early attempts to prise open the City defence.
Cooper neatly flicked the ball over Rednmond’s head in attempting to break clear but then tangled with the City defender and went sprawling. It looked a clear case of Cooper being impeded but the incident went unpunished.
Then Cooper was in the thick of things again when he got on the end of a McNally free kick and saw his volley ricocheted off a defender’s outstretched leg for a corner.
In the 14th minute City striker Varadi was booked when, after being penalised for a hand-ball offence. he was slow to retreat as Pearson tried to take the free kick.
Minutes later referee Elleray made a second visit to the City dugout and clearly delivered a stern lecture to coach Mel Machin…
… City were giving their 2,000 fans behind the Station End goal plenty of encouragement at this stage and Perks did well when he leapt across goal to fingertip a Stewart header over the top.
… A super save by Nixon denied Shrewsbury the lead two minutes into the second half.
… Cooper looked all set for a debut goal when Robinson wormed his way clear on the left and beat Nixon with an angled cross. But as Cooper dived to head home he was beaten to the ball by Hinchcliffe’s split second interception.
Then minutes later Cooper out jumped the City keeper to head the ball home, but there was a clear infringement on Nixon and the effort was ruled out.
Seem to remember McNab missing a last minute penalty to win it for City.