Shrewsbury Town verdict: Improved performance on the road a welcome boost

Saturday’s lively, hard-fought contest was an unlikely treat for the 300 or so travelling Salopians in Lincolnshire. Indeed, on Halloween weekend, those who decided against the visit due to Town’s measly away record missed a trick not attending.

This was a step in the right direction for a team who have endured travel sickness so far this season.

It was just the second time in eight away games Steve Cotterill’s men have returned to Shropshire with something to show for their efforts.

The wait for an elusive win on the road – a first since at Blackpool before summer had arrived in April – goes on, but performance-wise it felt like the visitors had taken another step forward.

Shrewsbury’s only previous point away from home came at Sheffield Wednesday’s Hillsborough in September. They recovered from a poor start to play well that day against good opposition.

On Saturday, against a more limited Lincoln side who still possess some dangerous individuals, most of the 8,000 in attendance would say a point apiece was about the right outcome, regardless of their allegiance.

Cotterill felt his Town side were hard done by from former Premier League referee Bobby Madley and his team of officials.

It appeared Shrewsbury had responded immediately after they had fallen behind to a good stooping header from Imps skipper Conor McGrandles on 43 minutes, as Matt Pennington nodded in a corner at the back post.

But referee Madley whistled instantly as his assistant on the far side flagged furiously for an alleged foul by Daniel Udoh on goalkeeper Josh Griffiths. It looked soft live and Cotterill was adamant during his interviews that the goal was perfectly legal. Replays suggested he was spot on, and he had a case to be annoyed.

Fortunately, his side were able to make a strong start to the second half count at Sincil Bank, as goal machine Luke Leahy popped up like a salmon in the Imps’ box to power an arching George Nurse throw into Griffiths’ top corner with his head. It was postage stamp stuff, the keeper was rooted, merely a spectator.

The away end, behind that goal, was rampant. It kickstarted a thrilling, breathless final half hour or so in Lincolnshire. Both sides could have won it, somehow neither managed a winner, but Town’s opportunities felt the more inviting and clear-cut.

The statistics at full-time backed up the case that both sides deserved a share of the spoils. Seventeen shots each, yielding seven on target on either side. At times this season Shrewsbury have not created enough in front of goal, that has improved of late and Saturday was further evidence in that case file.

Still, Cotterill and his players revealed a sense of disappointment at full-time, as they believed this was a significant opportunity to register both first back-to-back wins of the season, as well as that crucial first away victory. The boss revealed that even at half-time, 1-0 down, the talk was about winning 2-1. It was not lost on them Lincoln were without a clean sheet in the league this season and looked particularly creaky from balls into the box. The wait for both of those goes on.

Consecutive victories, in particular, has been heavily underlined by Cotterill and his staff. Only backing up positive results with another is going to help steer clear of the drop zone positions.

Even with a much-improved performance and welcome rare point on the road, Town slipped back inside the bottom four as rivals Charlton heavily beat hapless Doncaster.

For Town, though, solace must be taken from Saturday’s improved away display. On too many occasions away from Montgomery Waters Meadow this term the team have either started poorly or finished a game weakly, either conceded first – a major issue this season – or been unable to respond to setbacks late on. Recent games at Bolton, Ipswich and Oxford are all examples. But at Sincil Bank, where Salop are now unbeaten in nine dating back to 2005, Town performed well almost throughout. It was only a creaky six or seven minutes towards the end of the first 45, after which there had been a 10-minute delay for Adam Jackson’s head injury, where the visitors fell away.

Town’s back three were probably their stand-out performers. Skipper Ethan Ebanks-Landell continues to improve and Matt Pennington has shown consistency across the season. Nurse has made a difference to the side and introduced his vicious long throw to Town fans, from which Leahy’s equaliser arrived. An unexpected but welcome weapon.

Nurse’s long throw-ins were a particularly interesting feature of the game and something that understandably appeared to catch Town fans entirely by surprise.

The former Bristol City stopper has now made 19 appearances in his debut Town campaign but his missile-like launches have never been more prominent.

Lincoln were unable to handle any deliveries into their penalty area and Nurse’s throw-ins caused havoc. It was interesting to hear Cotterill speak of not really utilising the tactic before, and judge how he will balance it moving forward.

Shrewsbury’s midfield three continues to tick as an unlikely trio maintained their encouraging form.

Few could have seen a midfield consisting of David Davis, Shaun Whalley and Leahy when the season started back in mid-August, but barely 10 weeks later and circumstances have meant Town are where they are.

Josh Vela’s knee injury, which has now seen him out for more than five weeks, is a huge issue but one Cotterill’s men have recovered from well. The loan of Leicester youngster Khanya Leshabela has not worked and the youngster is clearly out of the first-team picture despite limited numbers.

Both Leahy and Whalley would admit they are not natural central midfielders, but their presence either side of hardened midfield anchor Davis is proving to work well.

As left and right-sided players, they are offering a welcome balance to the middle of Shrewsbury’s pitch. They are both accomplished technically and players who run their heart out each and every game.

The Leahy midfield experiment got off to a slow start but Cotterill’s first summer signing has been excellent for a couple of months now. Like new midfield partner Whalley, he is a match-winner. Building on the impressive 4-1 home victory over Cambridge seven days earlier was a must for Town.

Another three points was the target but a point on the road and another encouraging performance will be satisfying enough for Cotterill, his staff and Town fans.

It could, and on another day would, have been more. Substitute Rekeil Pyke was somehow unable to turn home from close range amid a scramble in the dying moments, before Ebanks-Landell and Pennington both sent decent headed chances off target.

Marko Marosi, meanwhile, down the other end, had to be alive to Hakeeb Adelakun’s curler with five minutes to go. Indeed Marosi’s heroics kept Lincoln at bay barely three minutes in after a poor Salop breakdown.

On the balance of the action and efforts at goal, a draw was the right result, though Cotterill’s ire with the officials is understandable.

Town park league action now for cup commitments and do so after an improved display on the road, which is a step in the right direction.

Non-league Stratford Town’s Knights Lane home is the next venue, on Sunday afternoon, screened live to the nation. A non-league step three outfit is not the place you want to be heading in a bid for a first away win of the season.

The Southern League Premier Bards will give it everything in their cup final. For Cotterill’s men, a professional display should be enough, but in the FA Cup you never know. The Taming of the Shrew headlines are ready to be written, Town must show they are in no mood for a lesson in Shakespeare.