County travelled to Shrewsbury on Saturday as the young Hatters looked to bounce back in the EFL Youth Alliance League, but were unfortunately felled as the home side emerged 2-1 winners.
A swift break down the left saw a crossing opportunity for the hosts. A floated ball into the box found a Shrewsbury head, but the headed effort was comfortably wide of Billy Blake’s goal.
County could’ve found the breakthrough moments later. Patient play by Kingston Fligg opened up space for a pass into the box, where James Barry took a great touch but fired his shot into the side netting.
The opener came through a Shrewsbury corner. A whipped cross into the six-yard box found the head of a Shrewsbury player, who ghosted in between two County bodies and guided his header into the far corner.
HALF-TIME: Shrewsbury Town 1-0 County
County found the equaliser fifteen minutes into the second period. Taylor McMahon launched a long ball down the left for Che Gardner to chase, whose press forced the hosts into a mistake. Partington latched onto a loose pass, played a quick one-two with Trialist A, before lifting a cool finish over the goalkeeper.
A great chance for County to take the lead came moments after the equaliser. Great link up by Partington and Gardner on the left caused unrest in the hosts box, and a venomous strike by Lee Williams hit the underside of the bar, bounced on the line and cleared away.
Shrewsbury took the lead with a swift counter attack. The forward drove into the County penalty area, opened up the defence with two quick passes, and an effort from close range found the bottom corner.
Trialist A had a great chance to level the scores. Freddie Redshaw broke down the left and played a low cross into the forwards path, but his close range effort was kept out by the goalkeeper, and the defence cleared on the rebound.
Blake produced a fantastic save to keep County in the game. A fierce strike from inside the area looked destined for the back of the net, but the ‘keeper stood his ground and parried the ball to safety.
FULL-TIME: Shrewsbury Town 2-1 County
County XI: Blake; Scruton, Kenny, McMahon; Partington, Fligg, Johnson, Hillary; Barry, Trialist A, Gardner.
