This Saturday, Barnet travel to Shropshire to play at Shrewsbury Town's New Meadow ground for the first time. Last season, a spectacular Jason Puncheon goal gave the Bees a 1-0 win at Shrewsbury, while the return match at Underhill ended goalless.
Shrewsbury Town, who are managed by Gary Peters, are currently placed 12th with 19 points from 15 games after a poor run with just one win in the last 10 matches. Last season, the club reached the play-offs and began this season brightly with an amazing 4-0 away win at Lincoln City, who had made the play offs the previous season themselves. However, the Shropshire club have had rather a start stop season and, maybe are a bit disappointed at only being mid table currently.
In goal for Shrewsbury is former Bury keeper, Glyn Garner, who joined Town in the summer from Leyton Orient where he had been a first team regular the last two seasons and former Aberdeen keeper, Ryan Esson.
In defence are; Darren Moss who is in his second spell at the club having resigned in the summer from Crewe Alexandra. Moss was part of the Shrewsbury team that defeated the Bees in the 2003-04 Conference play offs, Marc Tierney is a former Carlisle and Oldham player who arrived last season, Kelvin Langmead was formally with Preston and was converted from a striker to a central defender, Colin Murdock arrived from Rotherham United in the summer and was formerly with Preston for whom he made over 150 appearances, Ben Herd was signed from Watford two years ago and scored the equaliser in Town's 2-2 draw at home to Barnet in 2005-06, former Oldham player, David Hall and Neil Ashton has been a regular first teamer since moving to Shrewsbury from Tranmere in January 2005 and who can also play in midfield.
In midfield there is Marc Pugh who joined from Bury in the summer, former Morecambe and Chester City player, Stewart Drummond who moved to Shrewsbury last summer, another former Chester player who moved at the same time as Drummond is Ben Davies who made nearly 150 appearances for Chester, former Leyton Orient player, David Hunt, who signed from Northampton Town in the summer, 20 year old Steven Leslie who has made just a handful of first team starts and Neil Wainwright who is on loan from Darlington.
Up front, Stuart Nicholson is on loan from WBA, having had a similar spell last season at Bristol Rovers, former Bradford City player, Michael Symes who joined last summer and scored 9 league goals for Shrewsbury last season and former Rotherham player, Dave Hibbert who joined in the summer and has scored 7 goals so far this term.
Playing for Barnet will be former Shrewsbury centre back, Sagi Burton who was released by the club last summer. Sagi made 43 starts plus 5 more as sub for Shrewsbury last season. Barnet have no injury worries, but will be missing Ashley Carew who serves a one match suspension after being sent off in the 2-1 FA Cup win over Gillingham and Joe O'Cearuill who has been called up for the Republic Of Ireland under 21 side's games away at Montenegro on Friday (16th) and Bulgaria (20th). Both matches are European group qualifying games. Good Luck Joe!!!!
