Mellon is happy to hold his hands up
SHREWSBURY Town manager Micky Mellon accepts he was to blame after his side were forced to fight from a goal down to draw at Bradford.
Last season’s topscorer Billy Clarke put the home side in front at the end of the first half, but Tyrone Barnett snatched an equaliser immediately after the break.
The Shrews then hung on for a draw and manager Mellon believed his side’s defensive performance was well worth a point on the road as they adjust to life in League One.
He said: “I thought it was a tough game, there was nothing in the game that shocked me.
“I think we knew that when we came here we were going to have to deal with a lot, and we dealt with it very well.
“It was a soul-destroyer when we conceded, but I ask them to play and take the ball in dangerous areas, so when it doesn’t go well I can’t throw my toys out of my pram.
“It was pleasing that the team didn’t dwell on it and we battled our way back into it very quickly.
“I was just grateful to see Barnett’s strike hit the back of the net, I’ve not seen it back myself, and to score so early after half-time, it was a body blow to go in to the break behind.”
The away side absorbed a lot of pressure in the opening period but were undone when captain Liam Lawrence gave the ball away to Clarke.
He fed Steve Davies on the left and then got the ball back before smashing into the roof of the net.
But Barnett levelled less than a minute into the second half for the visitors, albeit it in rather lucky circumstances.
Barnett latched on to James Collins’ hopeful knock down and his shot hit Rory McArdle before rebounding back off him and spinning into the net past keeper Ben Williams, much to the home side’s disbelief.
And Bantams boss Phil Parkinson felt his team did enough to get win their first home game of the season as he looked for a response following their Capital One Cup defeat to York City.
“It was a cagey game, but we stuck at our job,” said Parkinson. “We spoke at half-time about starting quickly, and to concede so soon was a blow and I felt it knocked us.
“It was a freak goal really, the lad just kicked it from the back and it was so soft.”
Clarke’s withdrawal through injury seemed to disrupt City’s search for a winner, although his replacement Billy Knott did have a penalty appeal turned down in stoppage time.
“There were two incidents that I thought were penalties, that on another day you might get, but it didn’t surprise me when they weren’t given.”