Off-colour Imps waste chance to go 2nd.

By Nathan Jackson
January 13 2007

A very lacklusture performance from City saw them lucky to take a point from Shrewsbury as the visitors were the better team. With other results, City would have gone 2nd, clear of 4th by 2 points if we'd have won, but a Mike Jone's equaliser meant City gained their first home draw since August.

Shrewsbury started well, winning an early corner but that was wasted with City going on the counter attack from the set piece. Forrester gave the ball to Amoo and he in-turn crossed it into Frecklington and only a fine save from Shearer kept the shot out. Michael Symes should have really done a better job with his open chance, but he couldn’t challenge Marriott with his weak effort. Symes ambitious shot almost embarrassed Marriott on the 13^th minute when his long range effort went under Marriott, and only just went wide of the target.

 

Hughes and Forrester both had shots blocked from a corner, before Hughes again saw his shot easily claimed by Shearer. The ball went back down the end of the pitch before finding it’s way to Lee Beevers, he sent a brilliant cross into the box and it was met with the head of Lee Frecklington and went past Shearer into the net.

 

The game slowed down after this and the next effort was 15 minutes later when Davies wasted a good opportunity and saw his long range chip go well over the net. The former Chester man had the next opportunity as well but his volley went just a foot wide of the target. Stallard gained his 5^th card of the season, meaning he will miss the game at Bury next week. That was the final incident of a rather boring first half.

 

Jones replaced Cooke for the visitors just before the beginning of the second half. Shrewsbury controlled the opening stages but it was City who should have had the opportunity to score the game’s second goal as Kelvin Langmead denied Lee Beevers a run on goal with a clear and blatant handball to take it out of his path.

 

Hughes had a golden opportunity to score his 4^th in 5 games but his shots when unmarked in the area hit the outer side of the post. Hope was booked for the visitors and from a City corner, they broke forward. Symes ran down the wing before sending a cross into the box, and Mike Jones was unmarked about 5 yards out as he glanced a header past Marriott and into the net.

 

Frecklington wasted an early chance to re-establish the lead when he selfishly shot from 30 yards out instead of passing to one of several players in better positions. It could have cost the Imps as Shrewsbury broke from this and Edward’s weak effort nearly beat Marriott. With 15 minutes to go, City rather unsurprisingly wasted a set piece in a good position as Kerr aimed a free kick into the back post….. a back post where no-one was waiting as it drifted out for a goal kick.

 

Stallard was unlucky not to score with his first contribution of the afternoon as he shot from a Beevers ball was blocked on it’s way into the net. The quiet Jamie Forrester was then replaced by Spencer Weir-Daley. Edward’s saw his shot tipped over by Marriott, before the games final chance as Mayo smashed over from close range.