Shrewsbury Town 1 Portsmouth 2 - Report

Marcus Harness and John Marquis capped off well-worked moves by the visitors, who looked visibly lifted by the influence of new boss Danny Cowley.

Steve Cotterill’s men improved after the break and Nathanael Ogbeta continued his fine individual form with his first senior goal seven minutes into the second half, before striker Marquis saw red for a heavy challenge on Harry Chapman with 20 minutes left.

But the promotion-chasing visitors dug in to see out the three points as Town, with Cotterill again watching on from home, struggled to create in their search for a leveller and went down to a first defeat in five.

Salop enjoyed a bright first 10 or 15 minutes but the visitors soon took charge and were good value for their two-goal lead at the break, as the home side looked off the pace after a run of positive results.

Ogbeta’s fine strike gave Shrewsbury hope but the red card to Marquis could not change the momentum sufficiently in Salop’s favour. Portsmouth were masters of the dark arts late on, with a significant number of stoppages which forced a very bitty and stop-start finale on the way to just a fifth league defeat under Cotterill.

Shrews remain 17th in League One as Pompey climbed four places to fifth with a significant result in the promotion race. Shrewsbury’s focus turns to an Easter double-header at Northampton and against Plymouth.

Town started centre-forward pair Daniel Udoh and ex-Pompey man Curtis Main together for just the second time since Main’s January deadline day switch.

Udoh was recalled to the line-up, in place of match-winner at Burton Harry Chapman, to part Main, who netted his first goal from open play with a fine flicked header at The Pirelli Stadium.

Josh Daniels missed the contest with a knock sustained in the week, which opened the door for Ryan Sears to come in at right wing-back.

Chapman and Shaun Whalley, Town’s two six-goal top scorers, both started among the substitutes.

Like at Burton, Shrewsbury continued with Harry Burgoyne between the posts for Matija Sarkic, who is away with Montenegro, and with improving David Davis in for the suspended captain Ollie Norburn.

For the second game running there was a real flavour of youth in the Town squad.

Alongside academy graduates Dave Edwards and Sears in the starting line-up, teenagers Jaden Bevan, an 18-year-old goalkeeper, and forward pair Charlie Caton, 18, and Tom Bloxham, 17.

Five academy youngsters or graduates in a league game represents the best showcase of the club’s youth set-up in some time.

Danny Cowley took charge of just his second game with the Fratton Park outfit, having replaced long-term boss Kenny Jackett earlier this month.

The Cowley brothers enjoyed a victory over Ipswich for starters, ending a rut of six games without a win.

They did, however, make four changes for the trip to Shropshire, recalling fit-againMarquis and Callum Johnson, Ben Close and ex-Wolves man Michael Jacobs, who replaced attacking star Ronan Curtis, who is away on Republic of Ireland duty.

Former Salop shot-stopper Craig MacGillivray was in goal for the visitors, who were in Shrewsbury for the first time since a Ryan Giles wondergoal beat them on the first day of the 2019/20 season.

Charlie Daniels could only make the bench, having lost his place at left-back to Lee Brown. Daniels swapped Shrewsbury for the south coast in January but has been unable to impress at Fratton Park. He was joined on the bench by James Bolton.

Ogbeta’s impact at left wing-back meant that Shrewsbury fans had not missed Daniels, who made a good impression in Shropshire before Chrstimas.

The home side began brightly and on the front foot. Ogbeta’s pressing on the left flank proved too much for Johnson to handle before Main whipped in a devilish cross from the left which begged for a touch in the middle, but no blue and amber body could catch up.

Main was unable to turn home a dangerous deep Sean Goss free-kick as Cotterill’s men started well, before the striker found his partner Udoh for the game’s first clear chance.

Udoh did all the hard work, as he spun defender Sean Raggett excellently and with ease, but could only send a tame left-footed finish straight at MacGillivray in the clear on the edge of the box.

The visitors, coached through the contest through the vocal Cowley brothers, grew into the contest and attacking midfielder Ryan Williams glanced a header fractions wide of Burgoyne’s left post with the keeper scrambling.

Portsmouth began to up the tempo and moved the ball sharply, leaving the hosts chasing shadows at times. Town survived sloppy marking from a corner, allowing Tom Naylor to head across goal, but Cowley’s men were clearly enjoying themselves.

The visitors were outplaying their hosts as Town struggled to find a fellow blue and amber shirt and work it forward with any conviction. A hospital pass from Sears in particular almost sent Harness through on goal.

Pompey looked too sharp for Salop and in the mood. They should have made it 2-0 10 minutes before the break as a close-range scrambled effort from Williams, following a poor Ebanks-Landell clearance, was just turned around the post by Burgoyne.

But the Hampshire side did double their lead a minute later after knitting together another neat move, albeit one Shrewsbury would have felt was avoidable.

A switch from the right caught Sears out of position and Pompey left-back Lee Brown worked his way to the byline, where he delivered a fine first-touch low cross back across goal for Marquis to tap in the second, his 16th goal of the season, from close range.

Town required a change and fitness coach Andy Johnson summoned six-goal Chapman before the break, although the on-loan Blackburn star was not introduced until half-time, where he replaced Sears.

It capped a tough afternoon for the Newtown-born defender, playing out of his natural centre-half role as a right wing-back.

Cotterill’s men also changed shape to a back four, with Matthew Pennington at right-back, Chapman on the right of a front three and Udoh on the left.

Ogbeta looked the man to drive Shrewsbury forward yet again. He charged forward before a floated cross was claimed by MacGillivray.

But Shrews had started the second period well and, within a few minutes, had one back via a moment of brilliance.

The former Manchester City starlet darted beyond a couple of flailing challenges out on the left, and was allowed room to shift infield.

Pompey continued to stand off the 19-year-old, who had sprinted his way into the final third, and, on the edge of the Portsmouth D, Ogbeta measured a low strike with his weaker right foot into the bottom right corner, beyond MacGillivray.

It was a first senior goal, as well as a first Shrewsbury goal, to cap an outstanding week for the left-sided star. His free-kick, which hit the keeper for an own goal, earned a point against Hull last weekend and his two assists created for Main and Chapman at Burton in midweek.

Town had a priceless foot back in the context, but Ogbeta’s strike only appeared to stir the visitors.

Portsmouth were straight back on the front foot and drew some crucial clearances from the Town box.

Davis was at his best to deny Portsmouth a third after some careless play from Ebanks-Landell, who lost the ball after trying to turn out. Davis bailed out the defender with a brilliant goal-saving challenge.

Pompey continued to threaten down their right, with the impressive Harness causing Salop problems. Town blocked a fierce drive from midfielder Ben Close from the winger’s low cut-back.

The game took another twist at the midway point of the second half, as returning Portsmouth goalscorer Marquis was shown a straight red card.

The big frontman went in forcefully on Chapman in the middle of the pitch, leaving the Town man writhing in pain and some frustrating Shrewsbury reactions, suggesting Marquis was reckless.

Referee Benjamin Speedie took his time before dismissing the striker, as momentum shifted to the hosts again in a watchable game that did, however, suffer for a number of injury stoppages to Portsmouth players.

Chapman was influential having been introduced from the break. His wicked delivery from the right was flicked at MacGillivray by Main, before Chapman’s free-kick, which he won himself, was diverted wide at the near post by Dave Edwards.

Edwards and Whalley had been introduced by Cotterill and Aaron Wilbraham as Salop looked for ways to unlock an equaliser.

Town’s progress and momentum in hunting for a second was stunted by breaks for substitutions and injuries before the contest entered its final 10 minutes.

All the hosts could muster, despite more than seven minutes of stoppage time, was a wayward header from sub Rekeil Pyke. There was plenty of huff and puff from Cotterill’s men, but not enough guile to forge that crucial chance to break down a Pompey side, who mastered the dark arts with a huge number of stoppages on their way to three points.

Teams

Shrewsbury Town (3-5-2):

Burgoyne; Pennington (Pyke, 82), Ebanks-Landell ©, Williams; Sears (Chapman, 45), Davis, Vela, Goss (Edwards, 69), Ogbeta; Main, Udoh (Whalley, 69).

Subs not used: Bevan, Caton, Bloxham.

Portsmouth (4-2-3-1):

MacGillivray; Johnson, Whatmough, Raggett, Brown; Naylor ©, Close (Daniels, 84); Marness, Williams (Nicolaisen, 90), Jacobs (Cannon, 75); Marquis.

Subs not used: Ward, Bolton, Byers, White.

Referee: Benjamin Speedie

Attendance: Zero