Turner: 'There was tension but without doubt pride in our performance'

Last updated : 22 January 2012 By westfield shrimper

Turner: Praises team

Turner: 'It concerned us obviously at 1-1 with them going for the winner'

There can be no doubt that ten man Shrews deserved the 2-1 win over the still league leading Shrimpers, a result that kept them in fifth place but narrowed the gap behind the top three to just four points.

 
Turner told www.shrewsburytown.com: "There was tension but without doubt pride in our performance. We worked hard for it and played well. Even with ten men we passed it. We did lose a liittle bit of calmness in places, for their goal we had one or two chances to clear it. It was always going to be difficult, they were always going to launch balls forward with big men in there so we got penned back a little bit but I am delighted with the character and the performance in passing the ball and creating chances."
 
What with 'the big men' again, so Shrewsbury are a team of midgets are they?
 
The winner came from a corner with a header by the 6ft 4in Jermaine Grandison, while we have the 5ft 9inc Elliot Benyon up front, and the equliser came from a lovely pass back from Liam Dickinson to Ryan Hall.
 
Turner; I rest my case.
 
Anyway, the tale of two sending-offs; one that happened & one that didn't!
 
Where their top scorer Marvin Morgan saw red.........
 
Turner said: "I have got to be honest. Managers often claim not to see things but I couldn't see a bad tackle in it. He was reaching for the ball. I will be interested to see it on DVD but up in the stand I was a little bit shocked when I saw a red card come out because from the distance I was it didn't look too bad. The referee talked about a reckless challenge but I didn't see that."
 
It certainly got the home crowd going!
 
Turner agreed: "I thought before the sending off we got into some good positions but didn't play the final ball or pick it out. When we went down to ten men it lifted the crowd, they really got behind us in a serious way and we responded, playing some good stuff."
 
And then, after the daft spot-kick given away by peter Gilbert had given the Shrews the lead, on 66 minutes sub Hall made the game all-square and it looked as if we would get away with it. Not to be.
 
Turner continued; "I thought the goalkeeper (Chris Neil) had saved it. He was unlucky; he got a hand to it but knocked it in with his other hand. It concerned us obviously at 1-1 with them going for the winner but there were some great set pieces from us and a great run from Jermaine."
 
Who, that small bloke at the back?
 
As for the 'incident' between defender Cansdell-Sherriff and Shrimeprs striker Liam Dickinson, Turner kept his council, focusing on his player.
 
He said: "The injury to Shane is a serious one. He is off to have his shoulder looked at. As well as concussion he has popped his shoulder out. It could require surgery but he might get away with it but he is off to hospital. Witha disruption like that in the back four it can be tough but Carl Regan came on, settled in well and Jermaine did well in the middle."
 
Fair enough, and the former Hereford boss, who the Shrews face next Saturday in a much anticipated local derby, well local in these parts, saw that other scores went the way of themselves and the other Town from Swindon, who United take on at Roots Hall in their next game on Tuesday, January 31st under the lights.
 
Turner concluded: 'It is closing up. You look at the results today and the gap has closed a little bit. There is a lot of football to be played and there are a few teams creeping up but we are narrowing the gap. The big thing for me now is to make sure it isn't a case of after the Lord Mayor's show. It was a great performance today, a big three points but we need to get people grounded and make sure we do well next week and pick up another three points."
 
Come on you Bulls!!!
 
Top Ten cosy on up
 
1 Southend United 26 7 4 2 21 9 9 0 4 30 19 16 4 6 51 28 52 +23
2 Crawley Town 26 10 1 2 29 11 5 6 2 19 19 15 7 4 48 30 52 +18
3 Cheltenham Town 26 9 2 3 19 8 7 2 3 20 15 16 4 6 39 23 52 +16
 
4 Swindon Town 26 9 2 1 26 7 6 2 6 15 13 15 4 7 41 20 49 +21
5 Shrewsbury Town 26 10 3 0 22 7 4 3 6 17 18 14 6 6 39 25 48 +14
6 Torquay United 26 6 5 2 25 17 6 3 4 15 15 12 8 6 40 32 44 +8
7 Oxford United 27 5 6 2 23 14 6 3 5 15 13 11 9 7 38 27 42 +11
 
8 Gillingham 26 7 3 2 22 12 5 2 7 22 23 12 5 9 44 35 41 +9
9 Burton Albion 27 6 4 3 16 15 5 4 5 24 26 11 8 8 40 41 41 -1
10 Accrington Stanley 27 7 1 5 20 16 3 9 2 14 13 10 10 7 34 29 40 +5
 
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