Steve Cotterill salutes Shrewsbury players after battling draw with Fleetwood
Posted Sunday, February 06, 2022 by PA
Shrewsbury boss Steve Cotterill saluted a magnificent second-half response from his players as they hit back to secure a 1-1 draw against Fleetwood.
A Luke Leahy penalty earned the Shrews a deserved point as they hit back following Anthony Pilkington’s Fleetwood opener.
The Shrews moved up to 16th place in League One having now lost just once in nine matches.
“Looking back over the second-half performance I am disappointed because I thought we could have won,” said Cotterill.
“On another day we would have stuck away one or two more of those chances we missed, particularly in the second half.
“We came back well, though, and to a man our players were magnificent I thought.
“The conditions were difficult, and I know full well that as a player you can take the rain and the snow, but when it’s windy that’s the worst.
“It wasn’t quite a complete performance, we need to do that over 90 minutes.
“Their goal was a bad one to concede, too. I just saw it coming in the build-up and that’s disappointing.
“It was a bit of a stodgy game, but my players were brilliant at half-time when we spoke.
“They came out and put in a great second-half effort.
“We definitely looked the likelier of the two sides to go on and win it in the second half.”
On a blustery Shropshire afternoon, Fleetwood struck in the 21st minute when Pilkington nodded home a precise cross from Callum Johnson.
The Shrews then levelled from the penalty spot three minutes after the restart when Leahy slotted home after Zak Jules had clumsily felled Dan Udoh.
Both sides had chances late on, before Fleetwood midfielder Callum Camps was red-carded for apparent dissent in stoppage time.
Fleetwood missed the chance to leapfrog their hosts in the table.
Boss Stephen Crainey said: “I thought we were excellent in the first half.
“We had opportunities to kill the game off too, which is a bit frustrating.
“If we’d gone and got a second or third goal it would have been no surprise, but at least we’re creating those chances.
“Once we get that clicking we’ll win games of football.
“Shrewsbury had us a bit penned in during the second half, without really threatening us too much because I thought we dealt with them superbly at the back.
“Obviously we conceded the penalty at a crucial time, and that was disappointing for me because it was a soft one as far as I could see.
“We just need to lick our wounds with that one and get on with it.
“I did expect a reaction from Shrewsbury after half-time, and that’s what we saw.”
On Camps’ sending-off, Crainey offered little reaction, adding: “I’m still not sure what the red card was for. I need to look back at it.”
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