Not very Shrewd (L2)

Hi everyone.

First just a quick apology for a few missing reports. I had other things to do.

Here's a quick round up.

Home vs Chesterfield. A good performance, but as so many times this season we couldn't turn our superiority into goals. Nice applause from our support to the Chesterfield lot, who seemed a decent bunch. Certainly the best team in the league, we have taken four points off them this season. 0-0

Away vs Barnet. Bizzare parking arrangements in the car park of the tube station. Bet that pisses of genuine tube users on match days! Pretty ordinary performance (to be kind). Barnet are fighting for their lives, our lot seemed to be waiting for the season to end. Lucky to draw 2-2.

Same sort of performance in the first half home against Lincoln. Dreadful. Obviously there was some teacup throwing at half time and we were better in the second half, coming back to win 2-1.

And so to the last match of the season, away at the new home of Shrewsbury, Glasshous, Xtension, Potting Shd, Consrtvatory, Greenhous Meadow. Apparently government cutbacks have created a lack of Es up in Shropshire.

Up the motorways, and into Shrewsbury. Now it's a bit odd that there's no parking at the Greenhous - or at least there is but it's permit only. Presumably you can buy a permit if you're a local. Very inconvenient for away fans though. So instead you park in the car park of the local government offices and get ferried to the ground in a fleet of old coaches. Hmm. Even odder when you get to the satdium and it is surrounded by green fields. A local farmer needs to diversify and offer parking in one of them. He'd clean up. Actually the fields need cleaning up. The smell was 'agricultural'.

The stadium is OK. Like many modern stadiums it is clean, efficient, modern and completely soulless. (That includes ours by the way, in case anyone thinks I'm having a pop!). Maybe they will all improve with time, with the accrued history and memories adding something to them all. The Oxford faithful travelled in numbers - as someone on the forum wisely remarked, its a RULE to go to the last away match of the season! Over 920 made the trip, which for a meaningless end of season match (for us) was a good showing. For the Shrews it wasn't meaningless though - if Wycombe tripped up they could have nipped into the automatic promotion places with a win against us.

With Jake Wright injured, Tonks moved into cental defence to partner Harry Worley and Steve Kinniborough (likely playing his last game for us) took the left back spot. Steve Maclean started in place of Alfie Potter.

It's difficult to find too much to say about the first half. It was generally pretty even, and pretty toothless from both sides. Actual shooting at goal was at a premium. There were a few things that stick in the memory. Firstly, after about a quarter of an hour news filtered through that Wycombe were a goal down, which jolted the quiet Shrews crowd into what passes for a frenzy up in Salop. They soon quietened down and about five minutes later Wycombe had equalised. Then a few of our lot had a bit of banter with one of the Shrews 'lads' in the stand closest to us. With a complete lack of humour, he went ballistic! Of course that just spurred our lot on, and he made a complete plonker of himself. He was then surpassed by other Shrews supporters in the same stand, who decided to fight amoung themselves. Pathetic. The referee was keeping interest alive by refusing to give us a decision. The most blatent of these happened just before half time when in full view of the ref, Constable was crudely shoved in the back in the Shrews penalty area. It was as obvious a penalty as you could see, the ref just waved it away. Bottle job.

Half time. There were continuing scuffles in the Shrewsbury stand. Did you know that that in Shopshirese, the words 'can you do me a black coffee please?' actually mean 'please can I have a cup of slurry with loads of milk in it?'.

We started the second half brightly, but a defensive mistake from Batt gifted a chance to Shrewsbury who gleefully accepted the chance, despite a decent effort at a save from Clarke. Craddock was crudely challenged in the Shrews area, not a penalty but he had to go off and was replaced by Alfie who immediately looked lively. But generally we were now looking second best with Shrewsbury coming close a couple of times. The we had our best chance of the match, with Beano putting Batt clear in the area. He had the whole goal to aim at. And missed. That was about it as far as chances for us were concerned. Worley had gone off to be replaced by Mich Hanson, who looks a decent prospect.

But the makeshift central defence was breeched easily by Shrewsbury in the last 20 minutes. They simply passed the ball into the space behind the defence to a man running onto the ball. (Note to Oxford: the ball was played in front of the man so he was running onto it. Not at him, so he he had to stop to collect it. And not behind him, so he had to stop AND had his back to goal. Worth considering?).

Two goals in that period made it 3-0 to the home side which was probably a fair result on the second half performance if a bit generous in the 'goals for' column. The Shrews goalie was a plonker for turning to the Oxford crowd and doing a stupid celebration when the third went in. Prat. As it happens, Wycombe had won anyway, so it made no difference. Serves him right, hope they don't win the playoffs.

Some of the home crowd didn't seem interested in watching the playoffs anyway, making a beeline over the hoardings towards us after the final whistle. One got thumped when he reached the yellows. Others got collared by the stewards and yet more decided to keep fighting each other! Is Shrewsbury some sort of overspill town for Milwall? Hopefully they'll miss not only the playoffs but also a few seasons.

Back on the bus to the car park, talking to some decent Shrews fans including one Liverpool season ticket holder who was a regular at Shrewsbury in preference to actually going to Anfield. Pretty bizzare!

A decent start to the journey home, although the battery warning light looked a bit ominous. Got close to home and broke down. Crap end to a fairly poor day. Ferried home by the AA, new battery and alternator looks like. Bugger.

I'll try to sum up my thoughts on the season in another post, although if the runours are right, any ideas on what players we need to sell/drop/buy might be pre-empted by events before I do so.