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18th october 2002 
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Shrewsbury Town
At Gay Meadow
Saturday
19/10/02 3:00pm
We take on Shrewsbury on Saturday and it's about time we stopped this bad run of results we seem to get when we go to Gay Meadow.  Our home record against them is exemplary but for some unknown reason we seem to reserve our worst performances for when we go there.

Last seasons effort was a good example.  We had a few injuries and so Jan Molby decided to experiment with Scott Stamps at centre half.  Along with the rest of the defence having an off day we crashed to a 4-0 reversal and the cries of 'what a load of rubbish' ringing in the players ears.

Ian Britton This year we look more solid and Ian Britton seems to know what he's doing but I have this awful feeling in my bones that that we're overdue an embarrassing result.

The first sign came last week against Macclesfield when the team seemed to have lost all the urgency that saw them put Hull City in their place the previous week.  The fact that Drewe Broughton was out through suspension can't be held as an excuse, the fact is that no one player really looked interested.

The Shrews are another club having a similar season as Macclesfield.  Win some, lose some, but never get onto that winning streak that will see them surge up the table.

Boss Kevin Ratcliffe realises this and has been busy in the loan market during the past month and bought in a number of new faces in all departments.  Favourite among fans seems to be central defender David Artell signed on a months loan from Rotherham.  The Shrews defence has been tightened up since his arrival, having conceded only one goal and that includes two away games in which the side haven't lost.

Also bought in are former Cambridge United and Motherwell winger Davy Williamson.  Jason van Blerk, the former WBA and Hull City man and Freddie Bryngelsson of whom not much is known.

Other good news for Shrewsbury this week was Jamie Tolley gaining his fourth appearance for the Welsh U21 team and scoring with a memorable goal in the opening minutes of his side's narrow 2-1 defeat to Italy.

That's where the good news ends.

Arch villain Luke Rodgers is in trouble again.  This time he's been charged with allegedly wounding a teenager with a firework.

The alleged incident happened a week ago when he threw a lighted firework into a 16yr old girls face causing her to allegedly receive severe burns.  The girl is allegedly still in hospital and will be having plastic surgery in the near future.

Solihull magistrates have remanded him on bail until October the 28th, when he'll allegedly appear at Warwick Crown Court.

This follows numerous wrong doings by the talented striker including allegedly attacking a member of the coaching staff at Hartlepool last year after an alleged on field clash with an Hartlepool player.  He was also allegedly charged with driving offences towards the end of the 00-01 season

He has been struggling with a groin injury all week though and may miss the match anyway.  I think 'groin' should read 'brain'.

On the injury front they will be without Sam Aiston, Mick Heathcote, Steve Jagielka, Andy Thomson and Alex Mortimer and there are doubts about Ryan Lowe, Karl Murray and Ian Dunbavin.


We have got to get back on track for the play-offs soon but as I said earlier I don't think it'll be this week.  We can but hope and I hope I'm proved wrong.

Sean Parrish With Drewe back in the line-up we should look a bit more menacing up front.  Sean Parrish is fit after being out with a hamstring strain and he should make the bench at least but there will be fitness tests on Lee Ayres, Kenny Coleman and Craig Hinton who have all picked up hamstring injuries this week.

Dean Bennett may miss the game, with the bug he picked up before the game last week.  Hopefully he may have recovered in time.

Kenny Coleman, the new lad on loan from the Wolves, should get a game, if fit, but might be starting on the bench.  He was the subject of criticism last week from some fans.  Give the lad a chance and get off his back please, he was thrown into the deep end but he had some promising touches and could surprise a few people yet.

Abdou still isn't ready for his comeback yet!

Teams

Harriers from:
Brock, Danby, Joy, Stamps, Coleman, Melligan, Ayres, Blake, Smith, Hinton, Williams, Parrish, Flynn, Bennett, Shilton, Ducros, Doyle, Foster, Broughton, Henriksen, Lower, Khela, Lewis.

Shrewsbury from:
Dunbavin, Kendall, Wilding, Thompson, Moss, Drysdale, Heathcote, Tolley, Murray, Woan, Redmile, Atkins, Bryngelsson, Murphy, Lowe, Corbett, Rodgers, Harris, Stevens, Jemson, Artell, McCann, Van Blerk, Evans, Courtney.
Previous
Encounters
Season 01/02 Season 00/01
Shrewsbury 4 - 0 Harriers
Shrewsbury 1 - 0 Harriers
Harriers 1 - 0 Shrewsbury
Harriers 3 - 1 Shrewsbury
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