Shrewsbury 1 Burton 1 - Report and pictures

A scrambled Daniel Udoh effort salvaged Salop a point and handed Ricketts a lifeline as he desperately tried to stop the rot against Burton Albion after four defeats on the spin.

The Brewers were on the cusp of a first win in 10 games and first clean sheet in 21 but Udoh levelled after Kane Hemmings’ goal on the hour mark looked like leaving Ricketts on the brink

Town were seconds from a fifth straight league defeat for the first time since April 2010 and were bottom of League One before Udoh pounced from a corner, leaving Brewers players seething at officials.

Burton had just missed a chance to put the game to bed. Ricketts had sent big defender Aaron Pierre up front in desperate search for an equaliser with half an hour left and Town were finally rewarded with a point for their late perseverance against the strugglers, but the search for a first home league win goes on.

Ricketts changed the system as he went about ending a poor run of form that had seen his side slump down the table and the pressure rise as 22nd welcomed 23rd.

Town reverted to a 3-5-2, the formation utilised by Ricketts throughout much of his first couple of campaigns with the club, for the visit of the struggling Brewers.

The 4-3-3, worked on so tirelessly throughout pre-season, was ditched after the run of defeats. Three centre-halves Ro-Shaun Williams, Ethan Ebanks-Landell and Pierre were called to bolster the side that shipped five at London Road.

Jan Zamburek was recalled for a first start in a few weeks to replace the suspended Josh Vela, who serves a three-match ban for his costly Posh dismissal.

A fully-fit Jason Cummings was Town’s other change. The Scot had been suffering from illness but was deployed in his natural central role alongside Udoh as Ricketts went about halting the run of results.

Marc Pugh and Josh Daniels, who combined for the goal that briefly drew Town level on Saturday, dropped out.

The Brewers, managed by rookie boss Jake Buxton after Nigel Clough left at the beginning of the pandemic, went into the contest without a victory in nine in all competitions and with no clean sheet in 20 games. But they were boosted by the timely return of experienced defensive leader John Brayford, who had been missing with a muscle injury.

Burton, led by in-form striker Hemmings, did manage a 2-2 draw at Peterborough last week, where Town were heavily beaten last time out.

Ricketts had insisted on Monday that there were ‘no issues’ in relation to the board’s support of him but talk ahead of kick-off was the former Wrexham boss requiring a victory to ease mounting pressure.

The Brewers have scored the first goal in a league game just once this season but they should have added to that tally inside barely five minutes. Lively right forward Charles Vernam got beyond Marlon Fossey and turned Ebanks-Landell before firing inches wide across goal via a deflection. Burton made the early moves but a long ball over the visiting defence had the Staffordshire visitors all at sea, with Cummings unable to sneak his finish in at the near post beyond Kieran O’Hara.

Ebanks-Landell, on the right of the back three, looked shaky and a sloppy ball out was almost punished by Vernam but Pierre stood firm.

A scrappy contest broke out with little pattern of play developing. Charlie Daniels curled a presentable free-kick well over.

Hearts were in Shrewsbury mouths midway through the half as Ryan Edwards went down in the Town box after Scott High dangled a foot but the Brewers man was booked for simulation.

There was little quality in the clash with passes often astray. Town had Ebanks-Landell block Hemmings’ shot on the spin before Vernam’s shot pinballed wide for the visitors.

Burton keeper O’Hara almost gifted Salop the opener shortly before half-time but his spillage could not be converted by Udoh five yards out.

The resulting corner found its way to Ollie Norburn on the corner of the box and the skipper’s fierce low drive was superbly flicked on to the post by O’Hara.

Town went into the second period knowing a big 45 minutes was required but were reshuffling barely five minutes in as Fossey limped off to be replaced by Brad Walker.

O’Hara saved well low to his right corner to deny Zamburek’s shot from the edge of the box from a Cummings pass. And as it looked Town would crank up the pressure, a potential fatal sting in the tail.

Burton broke a Shrewsbury corner and Vernam’s through ball was perfect for midfielder Edwards, who charged through on Burgoyne’s goal.

The Town keeper stood up to save but the ball dropped to Hemmings on the edge of the box and the Burton-born striker netted his fifth goal in six games with a low finish from the edge of the box that went through Scott High on the line.

Ricketts reacted with the desperate move to send big defender Pierre up front. Pierre flicks caused problems but the Grenadan and Cummings got in each other’s way before the latter drew a smart O’Hara save. Ricketts sent Josh Daniels and Pugh on in search of a desperate equaliser as little remained between the sides in an even contest devoid of moments of quality.

Pugh sent a half-volley flying inches wide with his first touch as Town penned the Brewers in late on.

Burton defended heroically late on but, after O’Hara saved Pierre’s header, Udoh popped up with what could be a priceless goal eight minutes into added time to Burton anguish, leaving Brewers players furious with officials at the sound of the final whistle.

Teams

Shrewsbury Town (3-5-2):

Burgoyne; Williams, Ebanks-Landell, Pierre; Fossey (Walker, 50), Norburn ©, High (Pugh, 79), Zamburek (J Daniels, 72), C Daniels; Udoh, Cummings.

Subs not used: Gregory (gk), Barnett, Tracey, Caton.

Burton Albion (4-3-3):

O’Hara; Eardley, Hughes, Brayford ©, Daniel; Quinn, Lawless (Varney, 90+2), Edwards; Akins, Hemmings, Vernam.

Subs not used: Sharman-Lowe (gk), Powell, Fox, O’Toole, Ennis.

Referee: Anthony Backhouse

Attendance: Zero