Swindon 0 Shrewsbury Town 1 - Report

Salop’s loan star thumped in a stunning 25-yard half-volley for his third goal in three games - all beauties - to add to his repertoire and help his side increase the gap to the drop zone to six points.

Blackburn loanee Chapman latched on to a fine piece of hold-up play from debutant Curtis Main - who was excellent on his Shrewsbury return - before dispatching his fine match-winning effort to hand the visitors a half-time lead they fully deserved.

John Sheridan’s Swindon rallied after the break but, aside from a couple of Brett Pitmen efforts, never really looked like troubling Town, who recorded just a second win at the County Ground in 20 attempts dating back to 1961.

Steve Cotterill, who remains absent in hospital, played another vital role throughout on the phone to his assistant Aaron Wilbraham, and the Shrews chief will have been delighted as his side held out expertly to pick up a huge victory in the race to safety.

Main was superb on his second Shrewsbury debut and the visitors held out for a welcome clean sheet in response to the home midweek disappointment against Crewe, doing so without the influential Aaron Pierre at centre-half, who missed out through injury.

Chapman’s winner, on the back of his stunning home double against Peterborough last weekend, keeps Shrewsbury 17th but in a good position ahead of those trailing them. Salop have at least two games in hand ahead of most of their rivals and this week face home clashes against big-hitters Sunderland and Ipswich.

Shrews were rocked by an injury to centre-back stalwart Pierre.

Salop’s giant stopper has rarely been out of the Shrewsbury side this season, missing just one game through a suspension in the second week of the league campaign.

It is understood the Grenada skipper could miss up to a month with the injury, with Wilbraham set to provide more of an update after full-time at Swindon.

The injury meant a change in system for Shrewsbury, who switched to a back four for the first time since Cotterill’s November appointment.

Ro-Shaun Williams and Ethan Ebanks-Landell were the central pairing with Donald Love recalled from illness to play at right-back, with impressive new boy Nathanael Ogbeta on the other flank.

There was also a recall for Sean Goss as part of Shrews’ midfield three. Goss struggled with a muscle injury prior to the Covid-19 breakout but had been back on the bench recently. It was a first start since mid-December.

There was a (second) Shrewsbury debut for new deadline day signing Main.

The centre-forward, 28, failed to score in his six appearances, including five starts, on loan to Shrews from Middlesbrough in the 2013/14 season.

But he was given an immediate chance up front at the County Ground, where Shrewsbury had won just once in 19 attempts going back to 1961.

Prior to Tuesday’s vital 1-0 victory over struggling Wigan, Swindon had managed just a single win in 11. They went into the clash 19th but could go level on points with 17th-placed Shrews with a win.

John Sheridan’s side had used several formations this season and opted with 4-4-2 to start, but quickly switched to 4-2-4-1. They handed a debut to deadline day Swansea loan signing Jordon Garrick.

Swindon were missing four centre-backs through injury and skipper Dion Conroy through suspension.

Despite the subsequent change in management, memories were still fresh of the 3-3 draw at Montgomery Waters Meadow in November, where Sam Ricketts’ side somehow relinquished a 3-1 lead.

The opening 30 seconds of the clash went exactly how Shrewsbury would not have wished.

Little more than 20 seconds had surpassed when Williams and Ebanks-Landell rose to contest a header and both came off worse for wear.

The sight of the pair lying prone on the messy, cut-up surface was one Shrews could do without.

Ebanks-Landell came out worse. The duo were down for the best part of five minutes but it was Williams sitting up and back to his feet.

Both were bandaged, though Ebanks-Landell looked a little groggy. When action finally got under way after seven minutes the Robins made a point of testing Town’s struggling duo.

Home skipper Jordan Lyden sent in a cross that evergreen striker Brett Pitman clambered above Ebanks-Landell but could only head over.

Shrewsbury settled and recovered almost instantly. A really neat move around the left side of the box saw Josh Vela pick out Goss’ reverse run with a clever pass and the midfielder gave keeper Mark Travers an early test of his reflexes with a low strike saved by the legs.

A scrappy contest broke out but Shrewsbury looked quite clearly the more competent side, though the surface did little to help any flowing moves.

Main started superbly. The hustling bustling striker proved a real handful for the Robins’ makeshift defence.

He regularly held the ball up expertly, proving too big and strong to get around. His use of the ball was very impressive, feeding Shaun Whalley or willing runners like Goss, Ollie Norburn and Vela. Not for a long while have Shrewsbury possessed such effective hold-up play.

Salop were comfortably the brighter without creating anything clear-cut in front of goal. They sent a number of decent balls into the box and looked confident when knitting neat moves together in the final third.

Half hour passed without Shrews creating anything meaningful beyond the Goss chance early on, and the hosts posed a warning threat as Garrick flicked around the corner for Lyden in the box but the captain opted for another pass when he should’ve shot and Love covered well.

Minutes later Shrewsbury made Swindon pay for their lack of a killer touch with another stunning goal for the club’s new star turn Chapman.

Main played his role superbly. A long point forward was excellently controlled by the frontman, who was strong as an ox to hold off his challenger and set the ball for Chapman the best part of 30 yards from goal.

A bouncing ball on a bobbly pitch, the on-loan star cared not as he arrowed a dipping half-volley into the right corner, leaving the despairing Travers no chance at full-stretch as it kissed the post on its way in.

It was the attacking midfielders third goal in three games and it was another beauty to add to his burgeoning repertoire.

Swindon’s defensive concerns went from bad to worse as Conor Masterson was decked in his unsuccessful attempts to stop the rampaging Main 30 yards from goal. The defender trudged off for Taylor Curran.

Swindon’s lack of quality was highlighted in seven minutes of added time as Lyden failed to punish Matija Sarkic for being out of the Salop goal with a long range effort that went horribly wrong.

Ogbeta was a little fortunate as he got away with falling asleep at the far post as Garrick got an effort in but the full-back just about recovered.

Shrewsbury looked stronger all over the park, a statement depicted when Vela closed the door on Payne just before the interval, sending the talented Robins schemer Jack Payne flying into advertising boards.

But the hosts, no doubt with their ears ringing from a Sheridan team talk after a poor first 45 minutes, looked a different team after the break.

The Robins were on the front foot and the team in the ascendency. Pitman’s aerial presence was this time proving a thorn in the visitors’ side.

A free-kick was well flicked on by Pitman and looked to be dropping wide before the sharp Payne raced to the byline and smothered an effort on target that was well kept out by the feet of Sarkic, who had raced out to challenge the frontman.

Shrewsbury struggled to insert the same dominance with or without the ball. Passes this time went astray and runners were unable to combine with Main’s link play.

Pitman went close on the hour mark, sending a fine header from Dominic Thompson’s delivery a couple of inches over Sarkic’s crossbar with the goalkeeper rooted.

The home side were on top and it was no surprise to see Wilbraham disappear down the tunnel in conversation on his mobile phone. There are no prizes for guessing who was on the other end of the line from their Bristol hospital bed.

Wilbraham re-emerged and went straight over to subs David Davis and Rekeil Pyke, who were introduced for Goss and Chapman.

The changes helped Shrews get a grip and Pyke immediately got stuck into the action, with Davis also contributing physically.

Town worked it to Whalley on the left flank and the No.7 turned his defender well before sending a left-footed cross-shot high and wide.

The contest edged into a nervy final 10 minutes, with plenty at stake for the visitors and Sheridan’s hosts, who have played three more games than Shrewsbury, desperate for something.

Shrews were a little unconvincing in a couple of their clearances but survived as Pitman miscued and sub Tyrese Omotoye’s touch was woeful.

The final 10 minutes and five added on proved edgy but the visitors were comfortable in their defending and wrapped up a vitally important three points.

Teams

Swindon Town (4-4-2):

Travers; Hunt, Odimayo, Masterson (Curran, 41), Thompson; Lyden (Twine, 62), Palmer, Payne; Hope (Omotoye, 73), Pitman, Garrick (Missolou, 73).

Subs not used: Matthews, Caddis, Iandolo.

Shrewsbury Town (4-3-3):

Sarkic; Love, Williams, Ebanks-Landell, Ogbeta; Vela, Norburn ©, Goss (Davis, 73); Whalley (Edwards, 87), Main (Udoh, 89), Chapman (Pyke, 73).

Subs not used: Burgoyne, Golbourne, Sears.

Referee: Antony Coggins

Attendance: Zero