Shrewsbury Town 3 Hereford 1 - match report

Comfortable for the much part, pure carnage for a short spell.

But the final destination for another roller-coaster Shrewsbury Town journey was the top of League Two.

Town's lunchtime victory over Hereford took them on to that lofty perch for two hours on Saturday before both Morecambe and Rotherham usurped them in the later kick offs.

But Graham Turner won't lose too much sleep about being eclipsed for top spot at this stage of the campaign.

Instead he will be delighted with the way his side have recovered from a sluggish start to the campaign to reel off four successive victories, in the process reaching the two-points-a-game benchmark which is such a valid gauge of a promotion challenge.

They got there after a slow-burner of a derby which burst into life in the second half and ended up containing just about everything.

Unfortunately, that included a red card for Terry Gornell who would have spent the weekend coming to terms with missing what is potentially a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to grace the Emirates in eight days time.

Gornell's 62nd minute challenge on Hereford goalkeeper David Cornell portrayed more the over-exuberance of a hard-working striker than any malice.

But the forward arrived late enough for a challenge – for which he was never the favourite to win the ball – to convince referee Oliver Langford the ultimate punishment of a red card was warranted.

It duly arrived and, while it was the moment which ruined Gornell's Emirates dreams, it also put this A49 showdown back in the melting point.

From Shrewsbury cruising towards the final minutes, the subsequent 15 minutes produced a frantic period where all kind of shape disappeared out of the game and both sides.

Hereford were to be rewarded for a bold, all out attacking approach by halving their 2-0 deficit when substitute Tokm Barkhuizen volleyed home a Ryan Green centre as he ghosted in behind the Town backline.

Shrewsbury were briefly rattled as Delroy Facey headed into the side netting before astonishingly, seeing a 45 yard effort into an open goal – after a scuffed clearance from Town goalkeeper Ben Smith – take a huge bounce before striking the bar and rebounding to safety when the flight of the ball suggested it was destined for the net.

Yoann Arquin then forced a fine stop from Smith before normal service was restored when Marvin Morgan fired home from 12 yards after excellent work from Lionel Ainsworth.

That was part of an outstanding contribution from Morgan who stretched the Hereford defence throughout, had two strong shouts for penalties rejected and also handed his side a seventh minute lead, capitalising on hesitation in the visitors defence to round Cornell and slot into an empty net.

Without ever truly excelling, Shrewsbury were to dominate the remainder of the first half as Hereford – who appeared not to have taken note of the early kick off time – offered the limpest of challenges in the opening period.

The hosts' lead was doubled within three minutes of the re-start when a mis-cued shot from Sean McAllister fell perfectly into the path of Mark Wright to slot home from eight yards, while Morgan had a headed goal ruled out.

Gornell's dismissal sparked the game in to life with a passage of play which was thrilling for the second largest Greenhous Meadow crowd of the season so far, if a little tough on the emotions of Turner and his opposite number Jamie Pitman.

But it was all's well that ended well for Shrewsbury.

And, while they only occupied top spot for two hours, they are in the type of form to suggest they could return there in the near future.

Match analysis by JAMES GARRISON