Latest / Blood, Sweat & Gills / Voice Notes: Shrewsbury Town 1-2 Gillingham
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- Voice Notes 014 Shrewsbury Town A: Welcome to Gills 365 voice notes. Please leave your message after the tone. Walking down to get onto the supporters coach for the trip to Shrewsbury this afternoon. Well, what does today bring for us? I've absolutely no idea. This is a side, the Gills who can win 4-1 away from home, but can lose by the same score line at home. What I want to see today is a response from the team and from the manager. to that quite dreadful capitulation second half against Grim 3 last Saturday. There has to be changes to the start in the 11. I don't think we're to change the shape or the system, but I think there is a need to freshen up the side, just really as a response to that defeat. And also, of course, Ainsworth in his post-match interview hinted that he wasn't happy with some players. Well, if that's the case. make changes. I think those changes should be in midfield. I think the problem here is his hands are to a very large extent tied by the current injury crisis and perhaps he's being forced to play certain players who wouldn't be near the side if everyone was fit and available but that's not the case. You've got to get on with it. We're still struggling to find our best system. post Eli King and that's a conundrum that needs to be solved pretty rapidly. Today won't be easy. Shrewsbury have had a funny old season so far, started it really poorly, losing four out of first five. But in the last eight, they've only won undefeated. They're now above us in the league, albeit by one point. I can't see today being a 0-0, I'm afraid. I think there will be goals as ever on away day. I'll be very very happy with a point. But you know this is league two. You know it's really unpredictable. We're not in great form. So we are in better form. But this is a league where every single match day there are surprises. And hopefully today we can be one of those surprises and... emerge with a win. So fingers crossed that is the case. The Wade A's are back. I passed seven. Cold and fresh but bright. Looking forward to this one. Need a reaction. Surely Gareth Ainsworth makes changes for today's game against Shrewsbury Town. Having said, Just two weeks after he mentioned we had the best squad in league two with everyone fit, but now he thinks some of his players are not up to task. Surely he only means those that have been with us in previous seasons. So, team news will be interesting today at 1.45. Point on the road is never a bad thing, but if we do only get one... That would be four games without a win. So it's imperative that we see a performance. And fingers crossed, three points is a byproduct of said performance. Just taking our seats at the new meadow, the crowd meadow, whatever it's called, in the aptly named away stand. Four changes made by Gareth Ainsworth. So he's true to his word after last week's defeat against Grimsby. Jack Daly, Armani Little, Robbie McKenzie and Gareth McCleary all drop out at the start and 11 and in come Logan Dobbs, Harry Waldoch, Ethan Coleman and the returning Lamine Siller. So it looks like the same system. Good options on the bench as well, the likes of Eves and Dac and Kendall and McCleary. So yeah. No excuses today if we turn up this is a side that's capable of getting something but we have to be better than we've been in the last couple of games. Safely arrived at Shrewsbury, team Newtons in, four changes and good to see four changes really. Ainsworth is very critical of his side and in particular the second half capitulation against Grimsby. And when you come out with such criticism, I think it's very important that the manager then follows up the words with the deeds which he has today. Everyone's favorite scapegoat, Little has been removed from the side, he's on the bench and I think quite rightly removed as well. He's been poor recently, there's no escape in that. He's been responsible for giving away goals. So he's out the side along with McKenzie. McKenzie, I think, has been struggling in that central midfield role. I think it's his worst position as a utility player. We have a midfield today of Waldoch who returns to the side and quite rightly so. Not quite sure why he spent so much time out the team having played so well early in the season. and he's partnered with Coleman. Coleman essential for today. Defensive midfielders are away from home. And up front we have Silla returning from injury. And he's replacing McCleary, who you might say did a job when there's no other available options last week. McCleary drops to the bench. And then we have Dobbs coming in for Daly in the back three central defence. Maybe a little bit harsh on David that, who I think has been OK. But Dobbs again started the season really well, formed it, but then that's what happens with young players. It's going to be a tough game this. Shrewsbury are in decent form. They've only lost one out of last eight games. They score goals, particularly from set pieces where we're vulnerable. I'll be absolutely astonished if this was 0-0. 2 is always completely unpredictable so I've got no idea what the scoreline will be but as it's an away game I would not be too displeased if we emerge with a point. Jill's going to pick it up on his left hand side as an early attack is unfolding with Brophy. on that far side, he's taken on Stubbs there, gets it inside to Rowan, how it looks like at the shot away, Gilles trying to pass and move, there's a gap, a possibility, Gilles has got Gilles has got it, yes! my God, we've got an early goal! That is one way out of Paul Week last week and Gilles have found a quick way to make amends and really step on the gas. Early goal here at Shrewsbury and good news is, it's gone to us. And it's a very well-worked goal, pass and move. Down our left, ball comes in from McManus and Waldock tucks it away a treat. A really, really encouraging start, just the response we needed after last week. Something happened here, he's got a few runners running forward, he's got support from Hale, the left-hand side, there's a great chance for Gilles. Hale takes the shot and it's a decent save by Brooke. It's half-time here at Shrewsbury and the good news is it's 1-0 to the Gilles, very early goal. from Harry Waldoch, lovely move that, pass and move down the left hand side, nicely tucked away by Waldoch which I think is his first senior goal for the club. Since then there's been very few alarms actually. They've had a couple of opportunities from dead ball situations which Wright has done some routine saves. At the other end we've created a couple ourselves some hail forcing the keeper into some good saves. Noticeable that the midfield today is far far better balanced. There's a nice blend there and it seems to be working a lot better with out Mackenzie a little in the midfield and it looks to me that Brophy could be the answer to Eli King's absence. What you've got with Brophy is the same level of technical skill, calmness and assurance on the ball and he's relishing that playmaking role. Waldok we thought has brought mobility and legs into what was previously a very pedestrian midfield. Dobbs has done well on his return to the side. Physical battle out there and he's not shirking from that physical challenge. I think if we can just watch those set pieces where Shrewsbury are very good, we can get something from this game. The good thing is it's a response from last week's quite woeful capitulation against Grimsby and so far there could be no complaints about what we've seen. Another chance. Really solid half back from the Gills and we lead at the break by a goal to Neil. That goal came really early, Harry Waldoch's first professional goal for the club. Really well worked as well. James Brophy, Ronan Hale involved at the start. Then he found his way to Colin McManus and he picked out a really good ball. Waldoch timed his run and the ball went in via the keeper who perhaps could have done better. But yeah, the build up play certainly deserved the goal. Since then we've come under a little bit of pressure. Ollie Wright's made a couple of saves that you'd have expected him to make. Ronan Howell unlucky on two occasions. Keeper has made two good saves to stop him from doubling our advantage. Now it's all about how we start the second period and manage the game. We lead and we've been good value. It's a penalty here for Shrewsbury on the 58th minute which we're going to celebrate the life of Richard Green. So Shrewsbury got a great chance from the spot here to get the equaliser or is it going to be saved by Wright? He takes a short run up and it's in the back of the net and Shrewsbury do find that equaliser. Penalty converted to Shrewsbury, one all. It was at the other end, we couldn't really see what went on. All I would say is there didn't appear to be many, if any, complaints from the Gilles Piers. Disappointing, but... The encouraging thing is we're playing a lot better than last week. We're still creating an attacking threat. So let's hope we can just keep our heads now because Shrewsbury will be galvanised by that equaliser. Some subs for the Gills. Eves has come on for Cilla and Little and Dak have come on for Holman. To be honest, not quite sure why it has come off. It didn't have the best of days, but you then lose him by attacking the threat. Like June, Dak. and Woldlock, he stays on, will be getting close to leave to feed off of him. Coleman coming off, deprives us of that defensive cover in midfield. A lot of pressure on Little now, you know, to prove his doubters wrong. said Dobbs gonna pass it over to left-hands, that's a hold-off, can Dat find the corner? Well, he's gone for something, he's set the crossbar, yes! And it's in the back of the net for Smith! And Dak had this shot that crannied against the crossbar. Another goal here at Shrewsbury. and yes it's gone to the jills we're 2-1 ahead. I take it all back now, the DAT substitution was absolutely inspired. He crosses in from the left, got a cross shot. Good save by the keeper. Lettard Smith following it up, puts it away, 2-1 us. Good news. Just an update. it's not good news because it looks like there's another bad injury. This time to Freeman who's hobbling off the pitch now. It looks like he got platterd when he crossed the ball. He's been helped off. It doesn't look good at all. Our injury crisis continues. Get in, that is a really, really big win. Second half, even like the first half, both teams tried to win the football match. Both teams creating opportunities. Gilles conceded another soft penalty. No complaints from us. So you'd say it's the right decision from the man in the middle and their fella tucked it away with a plomb. But in fairness to us, we reacted really well. Connor McManus forced a great save from their keeper immediately after the scorer had gone to one each. And about 15 minutes from time. Andy Smith in the right place at the right time. 2-1 to the Gills. We managed the game fairly well. There people cramping up, people playing through injury. That is a really good three points as we go into next week's FA Cup tie. Final whistle and it's great news here from Sosby. The Gills are 1-2-1. This is why we love football, isn't it? Coming into this game it's all doom and gloom after our capitulation against Rimsby where we lost 4-1 at home. I don't think any of saw this coming today. Let's be honest here, Ainsworth is under a lot of pressure. responded with the appropriate team changes and although some of the substitutions looked unusual during the game, they worked and you have to say well played to him for that. A much, much improved performance and probably overall, yeah, did we deserve it? Well, we certainly didn't deserve to lose. Overall, a great day. A much improved performance. only downside is Nick Freeman's injury. Yes, hopefully it's not too serious. It didn't look good. But what a difference are we mates in football? Last Saturday, we left the ground in deep depression, calling for the manager's head. Today, we leave the ground exuberant, cheerful, and Gareth Ainsworth is a tactical genius. What a funny game this football is. For me that was a really gritty result that we pulled out the bag there and to get three points away at Strewsbury is always a delight. It's a very difficult place to go to a lot of the time. it's just, for me, as a squad we just left everything out on the pitch and that's all you can ask for from a squad and we definitely saw that today. And occasionally I was a road of luck here and there but we also made our luck as well and I just thought that we were always in the game and the ball did seem to flow. through the park a bit better than it has done in previous fixtures and it is a real response to how we have been underperforming the last few games and just goes to show actually kind of what this squad is capable of considering the injury problems that we have that we still can dig out results and this is a prime example of that and for me I thought McManus was brilliant today on that pitch he absolutely left everything out there and just he was injured about 10-15 minutes after go and he is still putting in still putting in blocks and still giving 110%. That for me is what makes a duels player. So absolutely delighted today and yeah, get the three points. Coming back to Kent makes the whole weekend so much better.