Shrewsbury 0-0 Accrington - Report

Steve Cotterill's lot started brightly at Montgomery Waters Meadow and created a few openings in the first half.

Luke Leahy and Daniel Udoh had two chances each but failed to convert, with Stanley going on to shade a keenly-contested second period as the spoils were shared.

The first goalless draw of the campaign for Town, who are now making steady progress in League One.

Hot on the heels of a marvellous 3-0 triumph at Fleetwood, this encounter did not provide the same levels of excitement.

But there is lots to be enthused about going into the new year, with Shrewsbury's upturn in form carrying on.

Town worked their socks off throughout and given they were very hard to come by earlier on in the campaign, another clean sheet will please Cotterill.

And the fact they will probably feel disappointed not to have taken all three points says a lot. They are playing with far greater conviction and aiming higher.

They finish the year 16th in the table.

Report

Coming into this fresh from their first away win of the season, Shrewsbury were able to name an unchanged starting line-up.

The only switch to the squad saw 17-year-old defender Callum Wilson replace Khanya Leshabela.

Visitors Accrington, meanwhile, made two changes from their 1-0 win over Rotherham on Boxing Day.

Town made a very encouraging start to the clash, with Elliott Bennett's deft deliveries from the right flank causing problems.

His first was met by Leahy, whose powerful header forced Stanley keeper Toby Savin into a sharp reaction save.

The second reached in-form Udoh, who nodded over while under pressure at the far post.

Shrewsbury were being pretty fluid – often switching to a traditional back four and letting Nathanael Ogbeta fly forward down the left – and had a spring in their step.

Leahy had another big opportunity to put them ahead, but, on the stretch, he could only poke the ball wide from point-blank range.

Udoh then broke free but one-on-one with Savin, the shot-stopper stood tall and won the battle.

Town were the better team and for the most part, they were keeping Accrington penned in.

Still, Bennett had to be on his toes to block a goal-bound effort from Matt Butcher. Marko Marosi might have struggled to reach that shot if Bennett had not intervened.

Stanley were offering a bit more as the first half drew to a close.

Ethan Hamilton stung the palms of Marosi with a fierce long-range drive but, on the whole, Shrewsbury were the sharper side.

Udoh was busy up front while Bennett was contributing at both ends of the pitch.

They had performed pretty well overall, passing it around at a nice tempo and pressing effectively. It was the just the finishing touch that was lacking from Cotterill's charges.

Town began the second period in a combative manner, but they were not offering anywhere near as much in an attacking sense.

Accrington's confidence continued to grow, and they had Tommy Leigh flash an ambitious attempt past the far post.

Colby Bishop also saw a header land right into the grateful arms of Marosi while Hamilton sent another shot wide of the mark.

Shrewsbury strikers Udoh and Ryan Bowman were struggling to get on the ball and alarm bells very much started to ring.

Skipper Ethan Ebanks-Landell and Marosi combined to, somehow, keep out a header from Ross Sykes while it had become one-way traffic.

Cotterill might have been tempted to make a substitution but upon the 70-minute mark, Town got back into it.

Udoh managed to create a few yards of space with a clever turn and while his attempt sailed over the bar, it was more like it.

Leahy's attempted reverse pass to Ogbeta was also cut out as Shrewsbury, having looked leggy for a while, found a second wind.

Ultimately, though, they were unable to find a goal.

Both teams pushed and were full of commitment – a scuffle breaking out after Sykes hacked down Udoh for a yellow card – but neither could make a breakthrough.

Town threatened but saw Ogbeta take too long to pull the trigger after finding space in the box. Bowman had a strike blocked, too, before the final whistle.

All things considered, while perhaps disappointed not to have taken one of their first-half chances, a solid point for Town against a well-drilled outfit.

They continue to move in the right direction.

Teams

Shrewsbury (3-5-2): Marosi; Pennington, Ebanks-Landell (c), Nurse; Bennett, Vela, Davis, Leahy, Ogbeta; Udoh, Bowman

Subs not used: Burgoyne (gk), Cosgrove, Pyke, Caton, Daniels, Wilson, Craig

Accrington (4-5-1): Savin; Clark, Sykes, Nottingham (Rodgers, 90), Hamilton; O'Sullivan, Butcher; Coyle, Leigh (Pell, 82), McConville (c); Bishop

Subs not used: Isherwood (gk), Carson, Mansell, Patrick, Nolan

Attendance: 5,817 (188 Accrington fans)

Referee: Neil Hair