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Town 1 Wolves 1 - Report and pictures

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Wolves and Shrewsbury Town shared the spoils in their pre-season derby clash at the Greenhous Meadow.

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Nouha Dicko headed Wolves into an early lead but Shrewsbury deservedly equalised through Tyrone Barnett.

Both sides hit the woodwork, but a rather lifeless friendly ended one apiece.

Bos Kenny Jackett selected a strong starting line-up, with Kevin McDonald back in the side after missing last weekend win at Burton Albion due to being 'unsettled.'

Shrewsbury came racing out of the block and many home fans thought they'd scored inside 30 seconds, but Barnett's shot flew into the side netting.

The hosts looked sharp in the opening stages and Martin Woods tested goalkeeper Carl Ikeme's reflexes with a 20-yard free kick.

Wolves came into things with their first decent move of the match, McDonald and Benik Afobe involved as they won a corner.

And from that Jackett's team took the lead, with McDonald taking the short corner and floated towards the unmarked Dicko who nodded past Jayson Leutwiler.

The goal gave Wolves confidence and they then went close through Rajiv van La Parra, whose stinging drive was palmed wide.

Wolves loanee Liam McAlinden was then denied a memorable goal against his parent club, with Ikeme making an excellent reflex save to deny the young striker's close-range header.

Liam McAlinden of Shrewsbury Town and Richard Stearman of Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Shrewsbury: Leutwiler; Tootle, Grandison, Goldson, Sadler; Brown, Martin Woods (Ogogo 62), Lawrence (Ryan Woods 62), Akpa-Akpro (Collins 62), McAlinden (Whalley 73), Barnett (Vernon 76).

Wolves first-half: Ikeme; Ebanks-Landell, Stearman, Hause, Golbourne; Van La Parra, McDonald, Coady, Rowe, Afobe, Dicko.

Wolves second-half: McCarey, Doherty, Iorfa, Hayden, Deslandes; Henry, Price, Evans, Graham; Edwards, Wilson.[/breakout]

Shrewsbury were making most of the running and Barnett drove across goal and narrowly wide. after latching onto Woods' through ball.

Mat Sadler sent a dipping half volley over the bar, as Shrewsbury hammered on the Wolves door.

And they scored a thoroughly deserved equaliser on 34 minutes, when Barnett nodded Lawrence's left-wing corner past a helpless Ikeme.

It was the least Micky Mellon's team deserved for some enterprising play, with Wolves in comparison badly lacking a cutting edge despite some tidy possession play in midfield.

McDonald was at the heart of most of Wolves' play in an interchangeable midfield.

Tommy Rowe and Conor Coady popping up in different positions and Afobe often dropping deep, but Wolves rarely stretched the home defence.

Jackett shuffled his pack at the break changing all 11 players, with Shrewsbury-born Jack Price and former Shrewsbury midfielder Dave Edwards among the many substitutes.

Within minutes captain Edwards nearly scored what would have surely been the most spectacular goal of his career, sending an overhead kick against the underside of the crossbar from a right-wing cross.

McAlinden was hungry for a goal against his parent club and sent a long range effort over the bar.

Another player keen to impress was Jordan Graham, featuring for the first time in pre-season, and he lashed across goal from the left wing.

Shrewsbury made a triple substitution and with 14 changes now made in total the game suffered, with little goalmouth action to entertain the 3,604 in attendance.

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After being a spectactor for 26 minutes, Aaron McCarey - in the first-team for the first time since his FA hearing for failing a drug test - made a wonderful save.

He denied substitute James Collins from close range, after McAlinden's cross. The woodwork would later save him.

With just seven minutes to go substitute Ryan Woods was then inches away from a spectacular winner, but his thunderous 25-yard drive hammered off the bar and to safety.

Both sides pushed for a late goal but had to be content with a draw, as Shrewsbury ended Wolves' 100 per cent pre-season record.

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