The defeat was all my fault, says boss Askey
SHREWSBURY boss John Askey held his hands up and said he picked the wrong formation as they lost at Fleetwood Town.
Paddy Madden’s 18th-minute header after a 23-pass move and Wes Burns’ 28thminute effort gave Fleetwood a twogoal cushion.
That all came with Shrewsbury in a 4-4-2 but Askey switched things up at the break moving to 4-3-3 and his men fought back as Josh Laurent’s 58thminute effort set up a tense finish.
Askey said: “I’m disappointed. I got it wrong.
“We went 4-4-2 to start off with, but that does not excuse the lack of commitment and effort really in the first 30 minutes.
“We did not compete enough or win enough tackles or headers.
“Once we changed to a 4-3-3 we played a different game.”
Fleetwood went ahead when Madden nodded home his fifth goal of the campaign from a Ash Hunter cross.
It has been a lethal combination so far, winger Hunter creating four of Madden’s five goals and providing 10 assists in total after just 13 games.
Burns lit up the pitch for the second.
The forward picked up the ball in the middle of the park and beat three Shrewsbury players before sliding the ball to Madden on the edge of the box and sweeping home the return pass.
Fleetwood boss Joey Barton was full of praise for his goalscorers.
He said: “Wes has the ability to turn a game with a flash of absolute brilliance.
“The goal he scores today is outstanding.
“You will struggle to see a better individual goal right through the football calendar.
“He shows everything. Great first touch, speed, turning circle then the awareness to find that bit of calmness and composure to pick a pass, get in the position.
“Paddy Madden deserves a huge amount of credit for picking the weighted pass that Wes finishes.
“If Wes can get more consistent he can play easily at a higher level.”
Shaun Whalley had got Shrewsbury back into the c contest, sliding the ball through to Laurent, who fired past Alex Cairns.
But the Fleetwood keeper made a great reaction save to keep out ex-Fleetwood player Aaron AmadiHolloway’s header in stoppage time to seal the victory.