Steve Cotterill ‘really happy’ with squad’s togetherness after Gillingham melee

Posted Sunday, August 29, 2021 by PA

Shrewsbury boss Steve Cotterill believes the stoppage-time touchline melee with Gillingham shows the club’s togetherness after they broke their League One duck.

After Jack Tucker’s first-half opener, the hosts equalised through 17-year-old Tom Bloxham’s overhead kick – Shrews’ first league goal of the campaign – before Sam Cosgrove earned them a first win of the season.

But after Gills’ Daniel Phillips saw red and Salop’s David Davis was sent off, a clash on the touchline led to a large brawl and red cards for substitute Shrewsbury goalkeeper Harry Burgoyne and Gills assistant manager Paul Raynor.

Cotterill explained he was unhappy with Gills boss Steve Evans trying to remind the referee that he had failed to send Davis off, despite handing him a second yellow.

He said: “I absolutely couldn’t give a damn about what happened. I’m really happy with what went on, I don’t give a damn. It shows how tight knit they all are because everyone was together.

“We are going to need that in the coming months.

“I thought today we showed incredible character. When you have been on the run that we have, to come from behind it is incredibly difficult.

“They were resolute, determined and in the end I felt we deserved to win the game.

“It was a spectacular effort from Tom. I’m pleased for him, he is a great young man and I am sure what will now happen is that it will come to everyone’s attention.

“And it was nice for Sam to get on the scoresheet. I thought the goal was excellent, it was a great finish. They were two great goals.”

“What I saw at the end was the ref get it wrong with Digger (Davis) and they were trying to bring it to the ref’s attention which was disappointing for me.

“But the spirit was excellent today.”

Evans described the full-time scenes as appalling, adding: “What happened at the end, I will let the video show that, but I’m appalled by the actions of some people.

“I’ve not seen the video but I am appalled.

“It was hard to take today, because we were in total command of the game.

“Some good goalkeeping and some lucky breaks in their favour kept it at 1-0, and we dominated the first half.

“When they have Cosgrove up front they put you under pressure, and I think before the game it was about us being long ball, but we played all the football today and they just launched it up to him.

“I thought Jack Tucker was fouled for the first goal, although it was a special goal for the kid.

“Then we were off the game and they scored then it’s a scrap to get back in it.”