Shrewsbury 2 Albion 2

Half-strength Albion needed two second-half wonder-goals to spare their blushes against League Two side Shrewsbury.

A trio of Baggies teenagers added some extra energy after a sluggish first hour or so, that saw the Shrews race into a shock 2-0 lead with a Grant Holt brace.

It took a stunning thunderbolt from Kim Do-Heon and a fine strike from James Morrison to earn Tony Mowbray’s side a share of the spoils.

Albion’s lack of depth in defence was exposed, as they were carved open for both of the home side’s goals, with the Shrews carving out several more
openings.

Yet Mowbray’s men also proved individual quality remains in abundance, not least in the feet of last night’s central midfield duo of Morrison and Kim.

Mowbray named half of his senior men in the first of two back-to-back evening games. The likes of Leon Barnett, Carl Hoefkens, Jonathan Greening, Chris Brunt and Ishmael Miller were held back for tonight’s trip to Cheltenham.

While Kim and Morrison performed, with Graham Dorrans and Sherjill MacDonald catching the eye at times, the performances of other fringe players
provided further evidence that more depth is required in the Hawthorns squad.

As early as the fifth minute MacDonald received the ball from Morrison and dribbled his way past Ben Herd, before delivering a decent pull-back into the
box.

It fell to Luke Moore just inside the box but he drove a shot wide of the target. Two misplaced passes from Shrewsbury gave Albion chances to attack but
Morrison’s first shot was blocked, with Moore’s follow-up going wide.

Herd went forwards on the overlap and delivered a dangerous cross to the penalty spot for the unmarked David Hunt but his flick header flew wide.

Holt turned well on halfway and fed Richard Walker but his shot was blocked for a corner by Neil Clement.

Michael Jackson made a great saving tackle to rob Moore on the edge of the box after good work by MacDonald.

Walker fed Ben Davies in space on the edge of the box and he turned and fired in a left-footed shot that flew just past the angle of post and bar.

Albion went closest to a first-half goal when Kim was chopped down just outside the box as he charged towards goal. Clement stepped up to whip a
free-kick over the wall and against the woodwork.

After a tepid first-half Albion looked in control but the fell behind four minutes after the restart as the home side cut open the visitors’ defence. Walker drifted out wide to the right and looped a cross over the heads of Pele and Jared Hodgkiss.

Holt connected at the far post with a shot that squirmed past the dive of Dean Kiely.

Albion increased the tempo and Clement’s diagonal ball from left to right was headed down into the danger area by Moore. Morrison beat Garner to the ball but Shane Sheriff cleared off the line.

Clement threatened with another set-piece after Roman Bednar was fouled on the edge of the box. Clement hammered a free-kick through the wall, forcing Garner into a smart save.

Walker threaded a great ball into the feet of Holt but he fired straight at Kiely. At the other end, Graham Dorrans advanced from halfway and exchanged passes neatly with Bednar in the outside right channel, before arrowing a low shot wide of the far post.

A dangerous cross by Hodgkiss on the right was only half-cleared by the home side and Moore hit an acrobatic overhead kick that looped just over. A corner by Dorrans was headed on target by Pele but Hunt cleared the effort off the line.

With 25 minutes left, the match appeared to have been wrapped up when Walker dropped deep and carved Albion open with a sliderule pass to
Davies. His cross was turned in at the far post by Holt.

Albion responded immediately with a brilliant strike from Kim, after manager Tony Mowbray had introduced three of his academy forwards.

They kept possession wide on the left and eventually Kim exchanged passes with Robinson, before lashing a brilliant 25-yard shot into the top corner.

The scores were levelled with seven minutes left ,when youngsters Lateef Elford-Alliyu and Seb Lake-Gaskin retained possession well on the edge of
the Shrewsbury box.

When Shrewsbury only half-cleared, Morrison blasted a 25-yard drive past Garner and in off the post.

There was more drama to come. In the final minute, Lake-Gaskin gave away possession cheaply on the halfway line and Shrewsbury broke through Michael Symes. He dragged his shot horribly wide.

Shrewsbury (4-4-2): Garner; Herd, Jackson, Sheriff (Langmead, 64), Ashton, Davies, Murray (Hindmarsh, 69), Hunt, McIntyre; Walker (Hibbert, 74), Holt
(Symes, 76). Subs (not used): Moss, Leslie, Maguire.

Albion (4-4-2): Kiely (Danek, 69); Hodgkiss, Pele, Clement, Robinson, Dorrans (Lake-Gaskin, 69), Morrison, Kim, MacDonald (Saied, 69). Subs (not
used): Pike, Samuels, Downing.

Referee: Andy Hall (West Midlands)

Attendance: 4,049 (1,326 Albion fans)