FA Cup: Carlisle 1 Shrewsbury 2 - Report

A 10th-minute strike from 18-year-old Tom Bloxham, his second goal in two rounds in the competition this season, was the crucial opener and the difference between the sides for 70 minutes as League One Town and League Two Carlisle played out a physical contest plagued by wet and windy conditions in Cumbria.

But Carlisle-born former Blues youngster Ryan Bowman slotted in his seventh goal of the season to secure progression with a little over 10 minutes left as Shrewsbury eye yet another exciting adventure in the competition.

The killer decisive second rendered Jordan Gibson's stoppage time strike back too little too late for the home side.

An open and entertaining first period, in which both sides could've added to the scoreline, was followed up by more of an uneventful second half where Steve Cotterill's visitors were forced to do the ugly stuff and batten down the hatches before Daniel Udoh, on his 100th Town appearance, played in partner Bowman to secure the win.

The victory in Cumbria, roared on by an impressive 351 travelling Salopians who made themselves heard throughout and were thanked by players at full-time, means Town have won successive games for the first time since the beginning of February.

Shrewsbury will look forward to Monday evening's third round draw, where the big boys enter the competition, for the fifth season in a row and for the sixth occasion in seven campaigns. They continue to make a name for themselves in the competition on a national scale.

The not inconsiderable matter of prize money and broadcast fees mean the competition has already been worth more than £111,000 for Town after just two rounds this season.

Town have still not been knocked out of the competition to a side from the division below since Hereford in 2012 as the struggling third-bottom League Two hosts were unable to really look like forcing an equaliser in the second half.

The only previous meeting between the sides in 1966 required two replays to separate them. Cotterill will be delightful his threadbare Shrewsbury - who lost the returning Ethan Ebanks-Landell to injury in the first half - will not have to pack a Montgomery Waters Meadow replay into their tight festive schedule.

Losing Ebanks-Landell midway through the first half was the only real dampener on a wet afternoon where Salop were at least able to welcome Josh Daniels back to action from injury.

Cotterill welcomed back captain Ebanks-Landell from a hamstring injury after the defender had been sidelined for two games.

Ebanks-Landell came in for Rekeil Pyke, who himself missed out with a hamstring issue, as Town shuffled around with Luke Leahy switched back from defence into midfield and Elliott Bennett filling in his natural wing-back role.

There was another fitness boost in the form of Daniels, who returned from five weeks out with a repeat of an ankle injury for a place on the bench.

The visitors' bench did not hold the full nine players allocated in the competition due to unavailability issues. The bench continued to feature youngsters Callum Wilson, Ben Kaninda, Kade Craig and Charlie Caton.

Hosts Carlisle, struggling in League Two, had finally found a bit of form this season under Keith Millen. The Blues recorded home league and Trophy wins over Walsall and Lincoln over the last seven days.

There was a slightly underwhelming feel about Town's first trip to Brunton Park since a memorable finale in February 2015, when James Collins and Mickey Demetriou struck for most incredible of late victories.

Neither stand behind either goal, including the unsheltered away terrace, contained supporters, as the Shrewsbury fans instead opted to the corner of the stand, where they were covered from the driving rain. The expected attendance was down from the club's league average of 4,700.

It was, however, quickly apparent that the few hundred hardy travelling Salopians were in the mood to make themselves heard.

They greeted Cotterill's men out on to Brunton Park at 2.55pm with serious volume in what felt like the start of a real Cup tie.

And the side responded from the off. Town were rapid out of the traps at got straight into their League Two hosts.

Low crosses from the right from Carlisle-born former Blues youngster Bowman and then particularly that of Bloxham caused real problems in the hosts' penalty area.

Shrewsbury dominated the first five minutes, with the home side looking unconvincing with their clearances. But, almost from nowhere, Carlisle forced a big opening as Tristan Abrahams was played in on Marko Marosi's goal.

The angle was fairly tight, and the keeper came out to close the space further, before making a fine low stop to keep out Abrahams' effort.

Brunton Park then combined in applause for young Birmingham fan Arthur Labinjo-Hughes, who had tragically lost his life aged six.

Town held their breath as Josh Vela hobbled for a minute or two after a coming-together as a physical, yet watchable contest broke out.

The corner holding Shrewsbury fans erupted after just 10 minutes.

Town carved out a wonderful opening, this time down the left, with some incisive passing as Leahy's superb ball released Nathanael Ogbeta towards the left byline.

And the wing-back composed himself to pick out a low cut-back, which just missed Daniel Udoh in the middle but dropped to the onrushing Bloxham, who took a touch before burying a low finish amid a cluster of bodies via a slight deflection.

Shrewsbury were well on top and their fans responded. It could've been two four minutes later as Bowman was just unable to sufficiently stretch at the far post to connect to Leahy's deep cross.

But, from very little, Town and Marosi were very lucky to not be pegged back on 15 minutes.

A ball over the top had Carlisle's Villa loan youngster Brad Young chasing, but Marosi was a long way out of his goal and ready to clear. Except the Slovak got it all wrong and his tame boot dropped to Young, who then skipped the keeper's cynically challenge some 35 yards out and looked set to either find an empty net or square to the unguarded Abrahams.

Except he did neither, thanks to an excellent goal-saving block from Ebanks-Landell, who really shouldn't have been given a chance. Abrahams was unimpressed.

Shortly afterwards around half-a-dozen tennis balls were chucked on to the Brunton Park pitch from the Main Stand as home supporters half-heartedly protested. Shrewsbury fans asked "are we at Wimbledon?"

The returning Brennan Dickenson's strike from distance was palmed around his post more convincingly by Marosi as the hosts looked to recover.

Town were dealt a blow shortly afterwards as Ebanks-Landell was unable to recover from an issue inside his own six-yard box as his return was cut short and Daniels, back from absence himself, was introduced at wing-back, with Bennett into midfield and Leahy to defence.

The contest became more and more physical. The Blues lost Kelvin Mellor to a problem before a recovering Vela wiped out a home player and his own team-mate Matt Pennington on the edge of the opposition's box, a foul that came to no harm.

Shrewsbury almost doubled the lead on half hour. Daniels' low cross from the right, helped on in the middle, was a good one and dropped to Ogbeta in space. His rasping drive crashed into the far side netting. The away fans on this side thought it was in, much to the home fans' amusement.

Abrahams headed over from Zach Clough's deflected strike before talented Carlisle schemer Clough continued the theme of dropping like flies as he became the third enforced change inside 35 minutes.

The final 10 minutes of the opening period became a tougher watch as conditions worsened. Town fans entertained themselves by going through their Christmas songbook. Five minutes of stoppages was encapsulated by referee Samuel Barrott wiping out a Carlisle player.

The second period began as the first had ended as conditions became slippery still and appealing for a slide challenge. Vela twice involved and eventually cautioned for a foul before Udoh was booked for kicking the ball away.

Carlisle were in the ascendency and it took a fine Leahy block to deny Abrahams from close range. Goalmouth action was few and far between but Town found it difficult to string moves together and force their way forward.

Indeed there was little to shout about going forward for either side in a frustrating second period. That didn't stop the 350 away fans, however, driving their side on from the corner.

Carlisle did try to make inroads but their substitutes were just unable to combine as Taylor Charters' low delivery from the left was too far ahead of Sam Fishburn.

But, with a little over 10 minutes left, Town struck on the counter as Udoh released Bowman through the middle of the pitch. The striker had a defender to beat, but chopped on to his right foot and finished with aplomb into the bottom left corner beyond Howard.

The second appeared to have put progression beyond doubt but the visitors still had to see out the closing stages including stoppages. Carlisle had huffed and puffed but not come particularly close until sub Gibson sent a fine low left-footed strike into Marosi's far corner from the edge of the box.

But it was too late to force an unlikely replay and Cotterill's men were safely through as their reputation as a lower league club to watch out for the in the FA Cup goes on as all eyes turn to Monday's big draw.

Teams

Carlisle United (4-4-2):

Howard; Mellor (Devine, 27), McDonald, Feeney, Armer; Clough (Gibson, 34), Guy (c), Whelan, Dickenson (Fishburn, 61); Abrahams (Mampala, 61), Young (Charters, 61).

Subs not used: Breeze, Dinzeyi, Bell, Ellis.

Shrewsbury Town (3-5-2):

Marosi; Pennington, Ebanks-Landell (c) (Daniels, 21), Nurse; Bennett, Vela, Leahy, Udoh, Ogbeta (Caton, 85); Udoh (Cosgrove, 85), Bloxham (Leshabela, 89) Bowman.

Subs not used: Burgoyne, Wilson, Kaninda, Craig.

Attendance: 2,794 (351 Shrewsbury fans)

Referee: Samuel Barrott