Cheltenham 2 Shrewsbury Town 1 - Report

Town's first league fixture in three weeks saw Cotterill's men go down to substitute Kyle Joseph's second-half winner as the visitors remain 21st in League One.

Shrewsbury took the lead for the first time away from home this season as Dan Udoh fired in a low finish for a deserved early lead amid a bright start in front of a buoyant away end.

But the contest swung midway through the first half as Elliott Bennett handballed a goalbound strike from man of the match Dan Crowley, offering Conor Thomas the chance to level from the spot, which was converted.

Cheltenham finished the first period on top and took that into the second half, where with 25 minutes left Michael Duff's hosts took advantage of slack Shrewsbury defending to work their way into the box from a throw-in, where Joseph tapped home after Crowley struck the post.

Shrewsbury remain without a victory on their league travels this term and suffer a first defeat against the Robins - where Cotterill holds legendary status - in 11 meetings.

It is a first defeat in three fixtures against his former club for Cotterill including games in charge of Notts County and Bristol City. League Two champions Cheltenham climbed to 11th with the win as they extend their strong home record.

Shrewsbury's first trip to the Jonny-Rocks Stadium since they won promotion on an emotional afternoon in 2015 ended in disappointment and concern for supporters with a big week looming, including home fixtures against Sunderland and Charlton.

The week could also see Town without the influential Shaun Whalley, who was absent for the trip down the M5 for what would've been a 250th appearance.

Cotterill took in familiar surroundings prior to the teams warming up at the ground now branded the Jonny-Rocks Stadium.

His face, holding up one of four trophies collected in charge at Whaddon Road, adorned the gates entering the stadium from the on-site car park.

He exchanged waves and comments with the Robins directors' box after speaking with his former players Duff and Wade Elliott near the technical area.

Town's following, which included confirmed tickets sold of more than 500, began filtering in early to welcome the players out for their warm up.

But a surprise in the Shrewsbury line-up was the omission of Whalley - who would've made his 250th appearance for the club.

It remains to be seen the reason behind his absence or the severity.

Town, however, were boosted by the return of Josh Vela to a League One line-up for the first time in almost two months. Midfielder Vela took Whalley's place in the side having come through 90 minutes at Wigan in the EFL Trophy defeat.

Marko Marosi and Matthew Pennington, who both missed the FA Cup win at Stratford Town and Trophy clash after testing positive for Covid-19, had been training in the week and were both passed fit for the clash.

Hosts Cheltenham, who started the day five places and points above their visitors, remained unchanged both on the pitch and bench from the side that progressed in an FA Cup replay against Gillingham in midweek, a fixture that Cotterill watched.

The Town manager had promised a polite wave and thank you to the home fans if he was afforded a nice reception ahead of kick-off and he duly saluted the fans who cheered on his trio of promotions two decades ago.

There was a lively start to the contest, a theme that continued for the first period.

The returning Pennington found himself cautioned after just 45 seconds in trying to win the ball with his head on the floor after a Bennett slip, but instead catching the attacker just outside the box.

Fortunately for Town, former Salop loanee Kyle Vassell - who enjoys a goal against his former club - curled the resulting free-kick a few inches over the top left corner.

The busy Pennington then headed a Luke Leahy corner over the top in front of a boisterous away end moments later.

The contest wasn't give time to settle down as Town were swiftly rewarded for their front-footed start.

And Cotterill's side's opener owed much to Leahy. As the hosts attempted to play out from the back, Leahy pressed skipper Sean Long into an error and fed Udoh on the left side of the Robins box.

Udoh intelligently knocked a superb first touch into space over the other side of the box and sped past the defender before he rifled in a low finish through Scott Flinders.

The goalkeeper will think he should've done better with the finish, which seemed to squirm under his body, but the hundreds of Town fans behind the goal cared not as their side took the lead for the first time in 10 away games in all competitions this season.

For Udoh it was a first goal since the winner against Wimbledon in September.

Cheltenham struggled to get to grips with the contest and their visitors for 15 minutes. Poor long balls did not come off and sloppy errors crept into their game.

Shrewsbury forced corner after corner and one almost came off for a second. Cheltenham were unable to clear and Leahy's shot was blocked after a couple of touches allowed defenders to recover. The away end was bouncing.

But the game swung in the home side's direction at the midway point of the first half.

With impressive attacking mdifielder Dan Crowley pulling the strings, the hosts worked it to the right and a low cross was not sufficiently cleared by George Nurse and the ball dropped to Crowley's feet around the penalty spot.

The former Arsenal youngster sharply turned his Town man before a fierce left-footed strike was goalbound until an intervention flicked it wide.

Robins appealed for a spot-kick and the referee Ollie Yates needed little persuasion to point to the spot.

Former Coventry midfielder Thomas stepped up and converted his penalty into the bottom left corner with aplomb.

Cotterill and his staff re-organised following the dismissal and switched to a back four, as Pennington shuffled to right-back and Nathanael Ogbeta dropped to left-back.

Robins' tails were up and they almost followed the leveller up with a quickfire second as Matty Blair powered into the box from right wing-back to draw a save from Marosi.

Cheltenham remained on top for the rest of the first period, as the buzz from Town's opening 15 minutes dropped away. A couple of long Nurse throw-ins threatened to trouble the hosts, but they defended well.

Crowley played a glorious diagonal ball to pick out Blair near the right byline and his first-time volley from a tight angle drew a near-post save from Marosi before the break.

Nurse recovered well from his own attacking long-throw to clear over his own crossbar before a header from defender Mattie Pollock stretched the Shrews keeper on the stroke of half-time.

Cotterill's men reverted to back three for the start of the second half, as Vela shifted out to right wing-back.

But it was the home side that continued in the ascendency after the restart. Pennington recovered to clear from Blair before Crowley's twinkle toes worked a yard before his shot had the sting taken out of it.

Cotterill changed things further 10 minutes into the second period as Aaron Pierre replaced Ogbeta to come in at centre-half, with Nurse at wing-back.

Vassell had glanced a tame header wide from Long's cross but was more wasteful with a decent opening on the hour.

A long Nurse throw was almost punished again as the Robins broke three-on-toe and a clever pass slipped the striker in but, under pressure from Ebanks-Landell, he lashed well wide into the away end.

Town responded just after the hour as an Udoh shot was deflected behind for a corner, from which Pennington - for not the first time - almost connected with the delivery.

But the hosts turned things on its head and took the lead for the first time on 66 minutes - and Shrewsbury made it all too easy to score.

A throw-in from the right was worked far too easily into the Town box as Crowley broke through the defensive line. The attacker's low finish across goal looked in but bounced back off the far post, but substitute Joseph was on hand to turn into an unguarded net from close range.

It was an almost delayed response from the home crowd as Joseph scrambled home, but Shrewsbury will look at a chance far too easily conceded.

Cheltenham were on top and pushed for what would've been a killer third. First Vassell shot low at Marosi from distance after a shortly-worked corner before sub Alfie May cut in from the right but dragged his left-footed strike into the side netting.

The hosts really should have put the contest to bed 15 minutes from time after Vassell kept in a ball that looked like creeping over the byline, before it found its way back to goalscorer Joseph on the edge of the box, where the loanee could only fire wide of an almost-entirely empty net.

Cotterill introduced Tom Bloxham and Sam Cosgrove up front for the final 12 minutes in a bid to salvage a point.

But there was to be no late salvage act from Cotterill's men as balls into the box would not produce a telling chance. Cheltenham missed the chance to work a couple of openings to seal their victory but in the end a one-goal advantage was enough for the hosts.

Teams

Cheltenham Town (3-5-2):

Flinders; Long (c), Pollock, Freestone (May, 58); Blair, Thomas, Sercombe, Crowley (Barkers, 89), Hussey; Norton (Joseph, 58), Vassell.

Subs not used: Evans, Williams, Horton, Armitage.

Shrewsbury Town (3-5-2):

Marosi; Pennington, Ebanks-Landell (c), Nurse; Bennett, Davis, Vela, Leahy, Ogbeta (Pierre, 55); Bowman (Bloxham, 78), Udoh (Cosgrove, 78).

Subs not used: Burgoyne, Leshabela, Caton, Pyke.

Attendance: 3,914 (603 Shrewsbury fans)

Referee: Ollie Yates