Preview: Fleetwood Town v Shrewsbury Town

24 December 2021

Fleetwood Town face Shrewsbury Town on Sunday 26 December at Highbury in Sky Bet League One, and we have all you need to know ahead of the 3pm kick-off in our match preview.

Fixture: Fleetwood Town v Shrewsbury Town

Competition: Sky Bet League One

Date: Sunday 26 December 2021

Kick-off: 15:00

Venue: Highbury Stadium,

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FLEETWOOD TOWN

The Cods extended their unbeaten streak to three games after playing out a stalemate against local rivals in a Lancashire derby against Morecambe last Saturday.

In the last outing against Morecambe, Shayden Morris came closest for Town in the first half when he was denied by the goalkeeper. Cole Stockton had the best of the hosts’ chances in the second half, but his close-range effort was kept out by Alex Cairns.

In the game before, Town faced Steve Evans’ Gills as Harrison Biggins notched his fourth goal in three games to open the scoring late on in the first half. Tom Clarke added a second 25 minutes from the end after scoring a bullet header and even though Robbie McKenzie pulled one back, it was the Cods’ win in the end.

SHREWSBURY TOWN

The Shrews are in a similar position to Fleetwood in the league after winning their last game, which was a home clash against Cheltenham Town.

In the game that took place last Saturday, Daniel Udoh opened the scoring just 10 minutes into the game, but that was soon cancelled out by an Andy Williams effort six minutes later. After a red card for Shrews forward Tom Bloxham, they drove forwards, with Udoh completing his brace, and David Davis adding a third late on.

Before that, it was two narrow defeats for Steve Cotterill’s side as they lost out to Doncaster Rovers in a 1-0 defeat after travelling to Wigan Athletic earlier that week and fell to a 2-1 loss. It was a last-minute goal from Latics midfielder Thelo Aasgaard that settled that tie resulting in heartbreak from the away side.

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LAST THREE MEETINGS

Fixture: Shrewsbury Town 0-2 Fleetwood Town

Competition: Sky Bet League One

Date: Saturday 6 March 2021

Venue: Montgomery Waters Meadow

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Fixture: Fleetwood Town 1-0 Shrewsbury Town

Competition: Sky Bet League One

Date: Tuesday 27 October 2020

Venue: Highbury Stadium

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Fixture: Fleetwood Town 2-2 Shrewsbury Town

Competition: Sky Bet League One

Date: Saturday 18 January 2020

Venue: Highbury Stadium

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	Fleetwood Town	Draws	Shrewsbury Town
H2H results	8	5	2

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PRE-MATCH QUOTES: STEPHEN CRAINEY

Stephen Crainey spoke to the media for the first time since being named Head Coach as he previewed his side’s home clash against Shrewsbury Town on Boxing Day. Here is what he had to say in his interview:

“The Christmas period is crucial in any league and League One is no different. We’ve got a tough game against Shrewsbury on Boxing Day, which is then followed up by two away days against Wigan and Sunderland. They are all games we are looking forward to, but we can’t look past Shrewsbury on Sunday.

“We treat every game the same as we want to win every one we play in, starting with Shrewsbury on Boxing Day. It’s one that we are looking forward too but we know it’s one that is going to be a real battle to get the points, as is every game in the league – we will be prepared for it.

“Where we are in the table, it’s crucial that we start winning some games. In the last three games, we’ve won two and drawn one so I’m hoping we can back that up on Boxing Day against Shrewsbury with another three points. We want to prepare well and play the way we want to on the day, with a bit of look at the same time, and get the three points."

GET YOUR ONWARD CARD TODAY!

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Match Previews

Match Reports

Report: Town defeated on Boxing Day by Shrewsbury

26 December 2021

Fleetwood Town fell to a 3-0 Sky Bet League One defeat to Shrewsbury Town at Highbury on Boxing Day.

Even though Fleetwood managed to create multiple chances throughout the game, which challenged Marco Marosi, they were defeated after goals from Ryan Bowman, Josh Vela, and Daniel Udoh.

The first half-chance of the game was by the visitors as Luke Leahy dispossessed Jay Matete in the midfield and tried his luck from the halfway line, with his effort easily collected by Alex Cairns.

The Cods could have taken the lead 10 minutes in as Tom Clarke got on the end of a deep free-kick, playing the ball across goal to Ged Garner, but he couldn’t get it out of his feet. The play ended up going to Harrison Biggins who seemed to be dropped in the box, but the referee waved play on.

Two minutes later, Andrew did well to keep hold of the ball and find G.Garner in the midfield, he played a tricky one-two with Harrison Biggins, with the forward’s eventual effort going just wide of the near post.

Shrewsbury managed to forge a few half-chances from the left, as Bowman and Leahy almost got on the end of the low crosses, but neither of them put their chances on target.

Just before the half-time break, Fleetwood half-cleared a cross from the right, with the looping ball falling for the visitors, more specifically Nathanael Ogbeta, whose volley went just wide of Cairns’ near post.

The Shrews took the lead just after the restart as a forward latched onto a through ball, played from the midfield, before playing it across goal to Bowman who passed it into an empty net.

Cian Hayes looked like he had got Fleetwood back on level terms 64 minutes in as he dispossessed Ethan Ebanks-Landell on the edge of their box, but the ball rolled a bit too close to the goalkeeper, as he played the ball away from his goal.

Town had another chance two minutes later as Andrew lumped a ball up from the back, toward substitute Chris Conn-Clarke who ran towards goal, tricked his way around his marker, and forced a diving save out of Marosi.

In the 67^th minute, Hayes proved to be a terror for the Shrews defence as he pushed his way towards goal from the left of the box, earning his side a corner after his effort was deflected out for a corner. The set-piece was played into a dangerous area but was cleared well by the away side’s defence.

Town were on the attack again, searching for the equaliser, just a few minutes later as Hayes played the ball to Harrison Biggins in the midfield, who tried his luck on goal and even though Marosi lost control of the ball, he was able to collect it before Hayes could capitalise.

The away side doubled their lead soon after as Vela went on a solo run from the right, after a nice bit of play from him and Bowman, with the former whipping an effort from the edge of the box into the far corner, out of Cairns’ reach.

A third followed 10 minutes before the end as Udoh decided to try his luck from the edge of Town’s box, with his effort rifling off the bottom of the bar and into the back of the net.

Town XI: Cairns (GK), Andrew (C), McLaughlin, Clarke, Camps (Morris 59’), G.Garner (Conn-Clarke 35’), Matete, Biggins, Lane, Johnston, Hayes (C.Johnson 76’).

Subs not used: Crellin (GK), Clark, Boyle, McMillan.

Shrews XI: Marosi (GK), Leahy, Ebanks-Landell, Pennington, Vela, Udoh (Cosgrove 86’), Bowman (Pyke 86’), Ogbeta (Daniels 90’), Davis, Bennett, Nurse.

Subs not used: Burgoyne (GK), Caton, Leshabela, Craig.