I’d wanted to say “Shrewsbury boys are back in town again” but we’ve never played Forest in a game that mattered, ever.
I’ve waited 34 years for Salop at Forest.
Then Forest have put out a reserve side – 11 changes.
To add to the anti-climax came the rain which had been incessant all-day, and a below 8,000 attendance
Forest began on top, with chances on the break, but from 15 minutes, Town played better as a team and started to dominate.
Brave changes have been made during the summer break and the team’s average age is 23, with many of the signings from the fifth tier of league football. Surprising the oldest players play on the wing. A stronger emphasis on attacking this season. But the pressure was not creating chances.
Then a couple of mishaps when a full-back pranged his ankle in a challenge on a breaking forward and a slip by a midfielder bringing down the player in the box. Forest converted the penalty, and for Salop it was to be all uphill.
The rain was stronger in the second-half and some of the basics for playing on a sodden pitch were forgotten, like don’t dawdle on the ball when preparing to clear it and don’t take short corners. Worse was the “final ball” – a kind of axiomatic description for a poor ball into the box – but Salop belted the ball over their attacking line 5 times – so often, I was reminded of Harry Kane playing for England in Euro ’16, including that 90th minute free kick against Iceland that was mimicked by Shaun Whalley.
By then, Forest had a got a second – this time direct from the break, whilst Salop had also converted a penalty, although I’d like to see the rejected appeal for a penalty 10 minutes earlier.
These are early days for a new set-up, but given Salop have a recent track record of winning at tier 2 clubs in the second round, it’s worth reminding ourselves that Salop were pitched against Forest reserves; or that tier 2 club budgets means their reserves are better paid than tier 3 first team players, and that this time, the opposition manager had properly drilled the reserves.
