Shrewsbury 2 Gillingham 1 - Report

Right winger Bloxham, a product of the club’s youth academy having arrived a couple of years ago after playing park football, found the top corner with a brilliant bicycle kick to end a run of almost seven hours of league football without a goal for Steve Cotterill’s side.

A memorable first win of the season sealed by Sam Cosgrove ended on a bad-tempered, angry note with four red cards flashed at the end of a lengthy period of time added on.

Town’s David Davis and Gills’ Daniel Phillips were shown second yellow cards following a coming together before angry scenes in both dugouts.

Referee Sam Allison showed two more red cards, to Steve Evans’ assistant Paul Raynor and substitute Town goalkeeper Harry Burgoyne, who were dismissed after a scuffle. Footage showed Burgoyne separate Raynor from Cotterill, before holding the visiting No.2 down, after the Town boss had made a beeline for his opposite number Evans.

After Bloxham had cancelled out a 12th-minute header from Gillingham’s Jack Tucker, Town turned the scoreline in their favour with a first goal for the club for loan striker Cosgrove.

The Birmingham City loan striker, who was handed Town’s No.9 shirt as the main source for goals this season, shrugged off missed chances before the break to send a clinical low finish into the corner to the delight of Shrewsbury fans.

Town, who move off bottom and up to 22nd, were decent value for the scoreline after a much-improved start to the second half and survived a couple of Gillingham chances as the visitors rallied late on.

The feeling was relief around Montgomery Waters Meadow as Bloxham’s beauty ended a run of almost seven hours without a league goal this term. The team passed the unwanted milestone of 400 barren minutes before half-time.

Trailing at the break to an awfully-defended set-piece goal, they faced the threat of setting a new club-record worst start to a league season with five defeats from five.

Instead Cotterill - who celebrated both of his team’s goals by charging down the touchline to fans Jose Mourinho-style, will hope the win is a platform to build on.

Like last season under predecessor Sam Ricketts, Town secured a first league win of the season at the fifth time of asking as a Meadow crowd which had booed their side off at half-time celebrated joyfully through the six minutes of stoppage time and after the final whistle.

Tuesday’s night transfer deadline is the next concern of the boss, alongside a EFL Trophy clash with Crewe, as Salop hope a memorable second half against the Gills is the start of better things to come.

Cotterill made four changes to the side knocked out of the Carabao Cup at home by League Two Rochdale in a forgettable midweek clash.

The boss reverted to the 4-4-2 system that worked well, albeit in defeat, at Portsmouth in what had been Shrews’ best display of the season to date.

The big boost was the return to fitness and midfield of David Davis, who had missed three games with a hamstring injury.

He was joined in the side by Aaron Pierre at centre-half, who replaced Matt Pennington, who missed out through a one-game ban after being sent off the other evening.

Bloxham also returned to the right flank as the 17-year-old was selected ahead of Shaun Whalley. Daniel Udoh joined Cosgrove in the frontline, elected over Rekeil Pyke.

Gillingham had been sweating all week on the fitness of important striker Vadaine Oliver, who limped out of Tuesday’s Cup clash against Cheltenham.

Crucially, from the visitors’ point of view, Oliver made selection for Evans’ side, who also have John Akinde missing through injury and 18-year-old striker Gerald Sithole missing with Covid-19.

While Salop were out to secure a first point and even goal, Gills’ threadbare squad had started well with a win and two draws from their opening four games.

Town, challenged to attack and unlock the visitors’ five-man backline when defending, started well with Bloxham sharp down the right.

That flank created a first chance of the afternoon too, as Udoh’s smart near post run was met by Elliott Bennett’s accurate cross from the right and the striker helped wide of Jamie Cumming’s left post.

Davis had started well in the middle of the park for Town, who edged the opening 10 minutes, before disaster hit again.

Cotterill has spoken repeatedly about how his side cannot afford to give opponents a leg-up in games, in falling behind to sloppy goals.

But Shrewsbury failed to heed the manager’s warning again as, for a seventh time in seven games this season, they fell behind.

And this was up there with one of the poorer goals they have conceded so far this term. Skipper Kyle Dempsey’s corner from the right was dreadfully defended - missed by one Town defender - and met square on the charge in the middle of the box by defender Tucker, whose powerful downward header beat Marko Marosi despite a touch from the keeper.

Cotterill turned away in frustration as fans groaned before trying to remain encouraging and lift their side.

It could’ve gone from very bad to desperate for Shrewsbury just five minutes later as their defending left a lot to be desired and Oliver almost profited.

George Nurse was down after taking a knock to the back and Gills, as is their right, played on. They attacked down the right and the hosts’ defending was inadequate, captain Ethan Ebanks-Landell in particular unable to clear on a couple of occasions, before a Dempsey cross found Oliver at the back post and the big striker headed a good chance over.

The home side weathered a little storm and looked to step forward again.

Most of their threat came from the right, and another Bennett delivery created another opportunity, as Cosgrove flicked on for Leahy to help over on the stretch.

Shrews made good progress down the right, where Bloxham and Bennett both had joy and they were brighter as an attacking force than in other games this season, but still without a real tester for keeper Cumming.

Just as Cotteirll’s men went beyond 400 league minutes without a goal this term, two huge moments for Shrewsbury and Cosgrove were to arrive less than five minutes before the break, which rather surmised their season to date.

First, a horror backpass from Gills’ Daniel Adshead inside his own half played Cosgrove through on goal, all alone with the onrushing visiting keeper Cumming.

Cosgrove reached the ball first for a golden opportunity to beat the keeper some 25 yards out, where it appeared any touch would take it around the custodian, but instead his tame touch hit Cumming and, somehow, the glaring opportunity had gone.

Although it hadn’t, as barely 30 seconds later Cosgrove was found again for another huge opportunity.

Leahy found the No.9 with an accurate low cross from the left and, all alone some 10 yards out, the striker appeared well-placed. But he opted to instead tee up partner Udoh and got the short pass wrong.

Both chances encapsulated a clear lack of confidence with frustration from the stands audible

Town needed a mammoth second 45 minutes at this early point of the season and they started reasonably well after the interval. Udoh shot tamely wide from 25 yards after a purposeful run.

The home side were bright in the opening moments of the second period, Vela, Nurse and Leahy combined to decent effect on the left but the delivery from the flank was again ineffective.

Town were closing in on seven hours of league football without a goal this season before the moment finally arrived - and what a moment for young Bloxham.

Nurse fed his left-wing colleague Leahy near the byline and the cross was poorly dealt with by a Gills defender, whose looped header could not clear the visitors’ lines, but there still appeared minimal danger when the ball dropped behind Bloxham near the edge of the box.

The youngster was undeterred, however, and swivelled to unleash a stunning acrobatic effort with his gifted right foot which looped high over the diving grasp of Cumming and into the keeper’s top right corner.

It was a moment and goal to savour for the Leicester teenager and former Oswestry School student. The Meadow stands erupted, but none more so than manager Cotterill, who flew down the touchline to celebrate joyously with the home fans.

It was some relief for all involved after the most tortuous barren spell. Town fans cried chants of ‘we’re going to win the league’.

Town went again after leading just ahead of the hour and, with wind in their sails, Cotterill introduced Nathanael Ogbeta and the returning Ryan Bowman.

Cosgrove passed up another decent chance shortly after after being well fed by Udoh, but a poor touch forced him wide.

But, within 10 minutes of drawing level, it was a case of London buses for Shrewsbury as they led for the first time in League One this season.

Udoh fed Ogbeta and his low ball from the left into the penalty area met Cosgrove and the loanee dispatched an excellent and instinctive first-time finish with his left foot into the far corner.

The half-chance was finished with the confidence of a striker on form and not one hunting his first goal.

An absolutely vital 20 minutes lay ahead of Cotterill's men as they sought to seal a first win.

Gillingham, however, showed they were not out of the contest as, against the run of play, substitute Danny Lloyd missed a decent opening in front of goal from fellow sub David Tutonda’s cross.

Evans’ men were not giving up without a fight and Town keeper Marosi was close to his best to make a fine low stop from Dempsey down to his left corner inside the final 10 minutes.

Town otherwise saw out the final stages, including a lengthy period of stoppages, without too much drama. If anything it was the home side who came closest to threaten the scoreline again, with Ogbeta, sub Rekeil Pyke and Pierre's header all testing keeper Cumming as the contest became stretched.

The drama instead came in a scuffle between Davis and Phillips, in which both were dismissed, before real trouble in the dugouts between the two sets of management, players and substitutes, which led to two more red cards for Raynor and the unused Burgoyne.

Things ended with a huge flashpoint, but the afternoon belonged to Cotterill, Bloxham and Cosgrove.

Teams

Shrewsbury Town (4-4-2):

Marosi; Bennett, Ebanks-Landell ©, Pierre, Nurse (Ogbeta, 65); Bloxham (Bowman, 65), Vela, Davis, Leahy; Udoh, Cosgrove (Pyke, 83).

Subs not used: Burgoyne, Daniels, Leshabela, Whalley.

Gillingham (5-3-2):

Cumming; Bennett (Lloyd, 71), Jackson (Tutonda, 45), Ehmer, Tucker, McKenzie; Adshead (Reeves, 54), Phillips; Dempsey ©; Carayol, Oliver.

Subs not used: Chapman, O’Keefe, Lee, Akehurst.

Referee: Sam Allison

Attendance: 4,625 (232 Gillingham fans)