Bristol Rovers 2 Shrewsbury Town 1 - Report
Shrewsbury Town’s recent resurgence came to a hugely disappointing end as they were very much second best to a dominant Bristol Rovers at the Memorial Stadium.
Rovers started the day occupying the relegation places just as Town had done before climbing the table under Steve Cotterill, and it was the second game in charge for recently appointed boss Joey Barton.
The hosts carried an extra edge and extra threat throughout, with Town a surprise shadow of their recent selves, and goals in each half from Luke Leahy and Brandon Hanlan pushed Gas within sight of a league double over their Shropshire visitors.
Incredibly though Town almost snatched an unlikely point late on with Daniel Udoh pulling a goal back by scoring on this ground just like on this weekend last season, and fellow substitute Dave Edwards being denied with the very last action of the game.
Rovers survived, and, despite the late surge, it was a lacklustre end to an impressive four-match unbeaten run, and four wins from the last six, leaving Town now searching for vast improvement for this week’s back-to-back home fixtures with Wimbledon and Fleetwood.
Report
There was a pre-match boost for Shrewsbury with the return of Matthew Pennington after five weeks on the sidelines with a shoulder injury.
Pennington came into the team at right back to replace the injured Donald Love, with Ethan Ebanks-Landell and Ro-Shaun Williams continued their centre back partnership.
It was the first change made to the Town line-up since the start of their impressive four game unbeaten run.
Rovers, with Barton looking for that vital first win, made one change from the team beaten at Wigan in midweek with Zain Westbrooke replacing Ed Upson.
There was a big chance for Rovers inside the first 16 seconds of the game.
A ball over the top saw Hanlan get in behind but his shot from an angle was sliced wide of the target.
The same player then had another glorious chance after just two minutes with a low drive which Matija Sarkic did well to save.
The hosts had made a strong start and a free kick from Westbrooke from the left hand side again called Sarkic into action as he clawed the ball away for a corner,
Another free kick into the Town box was headed away from which Luke McCormick’s ambitious half volley was well over.
It was still all Rovers as the 20 minute mark approached although another long range free kick came to nothing as Westbrooke was off target.
After a stoppage for treatment for a head injury to Rovers defender Alex Rodman, Town finally started to string a series of passes together, and Harry Chapman’s through ball almost sent Shaun Whalley in on goal.
But pretty soon it was back to more of a scrappy contest with Rovers winning another free kick just outside the box after Sam Nicholson outwitted Oliver Norburn.
Rovers hadn’t really been troubling Sarkic from their set pieces and that was the case again as Nicholson’s effort came back off the wall.
The breakthrough however arrived in the last minute of the half and it was as easy a goal as Rovers skipper Leahy will ever score.
Rodman found space on the right and his low cross found Leahy perfectly positioned to convert from close range with the goal at his mercy.
It was no more than Rovers deserved after a first half in which they had looked the better side without forcing Sarcic into too much work, and Town went in at the break knowing they would need to be far better in the second period.
The early stages after the break however very much picked up the threads of the first, with Rovers looking the more likely and Town struggling.
The first chance was created by the hosts on 54 minutes when the lively Rodman delivered another cross from the right which was met by Leahy whose header was gathered by Sarkic.
Another attack then saw the ball drop invitingly for Josh Grant on the edge of the box but his powerful first time effort was over.
There was then controversy as Rodman tumbled under a challenge from Josh Vela with the hosts screaming for a penalty.
There looked to have been no contact and referee Paul Howard gave a corner, but with Town unable to clear Cian Harries’ snap header from McCormick’s cross again called Sarkic into action.
Respite was brief however, and on the hour mark Rovers extended their lead.
Hanlon again found some space this time down the inside right channel and made no mistake, drilling home a low shot right into the corner, giving Sarkic no chance.
Rovers were still hungry for more as the onslaught continued, Westbrooke trying his luck from distance with a shot which Sarkic claimed,
Town did manage to get forward for Nathanael Ogbeta to send in a teasing cross from which Whalley was adjudged to have committed a foul and midway through the half the Town coaching staff opted for a change, sending Daniel Udoh on for Chapman.
It was Udoh who had notched the winner in the corresponding fixture on the same weekend of last year but he was clearly going to have to have quite an impression to prompt a similar result this time around.
Dave Edwards was introduced for Sean Goss shortly afterwards before Nicholson went close for the hosts cutting inside and letting fly with a rasping effort which just cleared the crossbar.
Nicholson was inches wide against moments afterwards at the end of an incisive Rovers break.
With the game moving towards its conclusion Town did at least muster some forward intent, Whalley sending in a dangerous cross from Ogbeta’s fine crossfield pass.
Edwards was almost playing up alongside Udoh and Main but the ball just wouldn’t drop for any of them and Rovers were able to clear.
A minute into added time however, Town halved the deficit with Edwards getting in down the left and crossing for Udoh to tap home from close range.
All of a sudden there was hope of the most unlikeliest of points, but Ogbeta sliced his cross behind the goal and Pennington couldn’t quite latch on to a loose ball in the box, still winning a Town corner.
Keeper Sarkic actually came forward for the resulting flag kick, which came after his opposite number Joe Day had needed several minutes of treatment before being replaced following the clash which led to the corner.
Jordi Van Stappershoff came off the bench and incredibly was forced into a last gap save to block an Edwards header which went to close to snatching a point.
The final whistle immediately followed after a late Town rally which was no way in keeping with the rest of the performance as their recent run came to that disappointing end.
Teams
Bristol Rovers (3-4-3) Day (Van Stappershoff 90+8), G. Williams, Kilgour, Harries, Rodman (Baldwin 87), Grant, McCormick, Leahy, Westbrooke (Upson 87), Hanlan (Ayunga 78), Nicholson (Koiki 87).
Subs not used: Daly, Hargreaves.
Shrewsbury (4-3-3): Sarkic, Pennington, Ebanks-Landell, Williams, Ogbeta, Norburn, Goss (Edwards 74), Vela (Davis 87), Whalley, Main (Pyke 87), Chapman (Udoh 67).
Subs not used: Burgoyne, Golbourne, Sears.
