JACKSON’S FIVE GOAL THRILLER
MIKE Jackson oversaw a thriller in his first match as permanent Shrewsbury boss, but he had to do it the hard way with the strugglers coming from two goals down against ten-man Notts County.
Jackson, who on Friday was appointed as Shrews manager until the end of the season, had been in temporary charge since January 22 following the departure of Graham Turner.
But Jon Taylor’s double, either side of James Spencer’s sending off for County, and David McAllister’s late winner earned the Shrews’ first three points since New Year’s Day.
“I left Jon Taylor out last week (against Port Vale) because I didn’t think he did enough in the game against Sheffield United,” said Jackson.
“That was the response I wanted from him and Tom Eaves – I thought Tom was unplayable in the second half. That’s what it's got to be.
“I nearly had a heart attack on the side. The first 15, 20 minutes we looked scared to death as we never did anything.
“But credit to them as they’ve stuck at it, come through it and we've got a result.
“That win was never going to be simple. It was always going to be something like that.
“At half time I said to them that I didn't want them just to pass the ball around the back. As we had an extra man we needed to get it up to our front two and start causing them a problem.”
Jack Grealish opening the scoring on eight minutes for County before being felled by Shrews captain Tamika Mkandawire in the penalty area – Alan Sheehan stepped up to slot home his third goal of the season from the spot.
Taylor reduced the Shrews’ arrears on 32 minutes and the visitors’ hopes were given a further boost when Notts’ striker Spencer was sent off just before half-time for rashly elbowing Connor Goldson.
Taylor then got his second goal of the game on 67 minutes before McAllister converted a scrappy winner three minutes later.
Notts County boss Shaun Derry said: “There’s frustration and anger, all the things that come with losing a 2-0 lead at home against a relegation rival.
“Every time we’ve done well since I've been here it’s because we’ve followed the rules that I put on them. As soon as they decide to become 11 individuals again that’s where the problem is.”
On the red card for Spencer, Derry added: “You know what he’s going to do on the training field and I didn't think for one minute he would be doing anything like that.
“That’s the question that I have to ask him because I’m sure he doesn't even know why he did it now.
“In the heat of the moment people do silly things but you have to harbour those frustrations.
"If you’re getting hit by a centre half you can’t do that. He’s let everyone down. At this level you’re bound to get knocks and
elbows from the back.”
NOTTS COUNTY: (4-4-2): Bialkowski 6, Freeman 7, Roberts 6 (Murray 75 6), Boucaud 6 (Showunmi 90 N/A), Smith 6, Sheehan 7, Campbell-Ryce 7, Mullins 6, Spencer 4, Grealish 8, McGregor 6 (Appiah 46 6) Subs not used: Fotheringham, Speiss, Hollis, Dixon SHREWSBURY: (4-4-2): Anyon 5, Woods 6, Mills 6, McAllister 8, Mkandawire 5, Goldson 6, Taylor 9, Hall 6, Eaves 7, Mendez-Laing 7 (Storey 62 6), Parry 6 (Grandison 90 N/A) Subs not used: Weale, Jacobson, Winfield, Atajic, Smith