Shrewsbury 0-1 Bolton - Report
A stunning 89th-minute Bolton winner from Dion Charles finally ended Shrewsbury's resolve and inflicted a first defeat in six League One games on Town.
Steve Cotterill's resilient Salop looked to have done more than enough to hold out the Whites in an enthralling contest where neither side could breakthrough – though Shrewsbury had enjoyed the better of things until Bolton came on strong late on.
And Bolton's most dangerous player, new forward Charles who joined from Accrington Stanley this month, thumped a stunning late finish into Marko Marosi's top corner from outside the right of the Shrews box to steal all three points in front of a rampant away end and another boosted Montgomery Waters Meadow crowd.
Cotterill's Salop had after the hour marked 500 league minutes without conceding but a run of four league clean sheets was cruelly ended by an expert finish as it looked like consecutive 0-0 Saturdays for Salop.
The outcome was incredibly harsh on Shrewsbury in a game they did not deserve to lose in front of a white-hot atmosphere of another 8,000-plus Meadow crowd. The defeat was a first at home in the league since against Wycombe at the end of September.
Forward pair Daniel Udoh and Ryan Bowman had stretched keeper James Trafford in either half but Shrewsbury enjoyed countless of other promising moments in front of goal in a contest where the majority of openings went their way against a Bolton side littered with talent.
But the Whites, who started the day one place and point below Salop, climb up above Shrews into 15th while Cotterill's men fall to 18th.
Shrewsbury's starting XI remained the same for the sixth game on the spin in all competitions.
That was hardly a surprise, with Cotterill's men having discovered some fine and consistent form of late, including four-and-a-half league games without conceding.
It did mean no immediate start for Town's newest signing, loan midfielder Tyrese Fornah, who checked in this week from Nottingham Forest.
Shrewsbury midfielder Josh Vela lined up for the first time against his former club, for whom he gave 17 years service and played almost 200 first-team games, including in the Premier League.
One omission from the Salop matchday 18 was loan striker Sam Cosgrove, whose disappointing loan spell from Birmingham City is set to end imminently.
Ian Evatt's Whites also kept an unchanged line-up in a similar formation to Cotterill's side, with wing-backs tasked with pushing forward.
Marlon Fossey was the visitors' right wing-back, the US youngster spent the first half of last season on loan at Shrewsbury from Fulham under Sam Ricketts. The Trotters' new forward recruit Jon Dadi Bodvarsson, the former Wolves and Icelandic international, took his place on the bench.
Once more Shrewsbury were treated to a white-hot atmosphere and excellent gate. For the second Meadow league fixture in a row, big numbers filled the stands except while Sheffield Wednesday were largely silent last time out, the Whites followers made real noise ahead of kick-off.
The following was more impressive when you consider Evatt's men had lost seven away league games in a row heading to Shropshire. They were boosted, however, by January additions including highly-rated striker and midfield pair Charles and Aaron Morley - a Town target - and ended a poor run of form with a fine home win over Ipswich last weekend.
The hosts impressed early on in front of a rampant atmosphere. Cotterill's men had much the better of the first 10 minutes, they were calm and composed in possession across defence and midfield and the front two of Udoh and Bowman proved a thorn in Bolton defenders' backsides.
The visitors were rash in conceding a couple of early corners and were fortunate to just about see those out with n ew keeper Trafford - a teenager on loan from Manchester City - busy.
Bowman looped a flicked header just over the far top corner after a short corner involving Luke Leahy and Vela, for whom there were muted boos by supporters of his former side.
Vela was sharp in reaching the byline from a neat Town move as Bolton just about cleared their lines for a corner again.
Shrewsbury first strike at goal came from right wing-back Elliott Bennett after Bowman had fed Vela outside the box and the former Trotters man kicked fresh air. Bennett's rocket whizzed narrowly over.
Bolton threatened against the run of play as left wing-back Declan John's cross dropped tantalisingly across the six-yard box. It begged for a touch but none was forthcoming.
Salop could have made more of a potential opening after winning possession high up the field but, with attackers in space centrally, a ball across the box did not possess sufficient accuracy.
Bowman was picked out in space on the edge of the Bolton box before the half hour. He sold Whites skipper Ricardo Santos with a neat dummy but a low curled left-footed strike was too close to Trafford, who held on well. Shrewsbury had quietened the away end with their promising start.
Vela fired well over from distance and into the Bolton fans - who enjoyed the wild strike - after a rapid Shrewsbury break involving Bennett, Leahy and Nathanael Ogbeta.
Davis was everywhere in the Shrewsbury midfield, while George Nurse enjoyed an efficient game once again on the left of Town's defence.
Town's defence and notably skipper Ethan Ebanks-Landell were at their best to thwart dangerman Charles five minutes before half-time. The striker had been picked out and jinked beyond Matt Pennington, only for the captain to bravely block Charles' low strike.
But Shrewsbury ended the first half how they had been throughout the first period, on top.
Bowman was just unable to turn a header from a Bennett cross on target following a lovely, flowing move, before the very lively Bennett fizzed a fierce half-volley narrowly over the top left angle.
It was little surprise Evatt opted for a half-time change and talented winger Dapo Afolayan, who scored in Bolton's 2-1 win over Town earlier in the season, came on for midfielder Kieran Lee in an attacking switch.
The familiar theme of Shrewsbury in charge continued into the second period as first a sharp break from Ogbeta, Leahy and Vela saw the latter pick out Bowman, whose shot was blocked.
A short time after, Udoh was picked out in space some 25 yards out and, on his favoured left foot, a familiar low rocket fizzed towards the bottom corner before Trafford's good low intervention.
The intensity of the contest grew as it reached the hour mark - and the volume levels from both fans rose again, particularly from the Salop fans behind the goal their side attacked.
Decent openings arrived at both ends. First defender Gethin Jones got a back-post header all wrong from Morley's corner for Bolton.
Town, in response, flew up the other end and space opened up for Bennett whose low strike was flicked towards goal by Bowman but Trafford stood firm.
The decibel levels cranked up further as Bowman rose well to head narrowly over from a good Bennett cross from the right before Ogbeta's right-footed strike after cutting inside was tame.
Marko Marosi had been largely untroubled all afternoon but was called into his best to keep out a fierce low strike from the livewire Charles. The effort was just about tipped around Marosi's left post.
Evatt turned to his new signing Bodvarsson 20 minutes into the second half in a bid to swing things in his side's favour. Town, meanwhile, passed the 500-minute mark in League One without conceding a goal.
The atmosphere got better still as Pennington appeared set to head in Leahy's corner at the near post but was just put off by a defender with the clash on a knife-edge.
Visitors Bolton cranked it up with 20 minutes to go as - not for the first time - John's fine cross from the left caused trouble. Charles was just unable to connect on the stretch at the back post.
But the ding-dong clash threatened to tip in the other direction as, following a lovely, patient move, Nurse's excellent cross was just a touch too heavy for Bowman's big leap at Bolton's far post.
Evatt's men threatened to take the upper hand as a mixture of Marosi and Ebanks-Landell kept out Charles again following a Fossey cross in front of a baying away end.
Cotterill and Aaron Wilbraham, the former Bolton hero, summoned Saikou Janneh for his home Salop debut with 12 minutes left. The Gambia forward, on loan from Bristol City, showed an immediate flash of his searing pace with a burst forward.
It was Town defender Nurse to trouble the blank scoresheet next in this breathless encounter. He broke forward from defence and unleashed a low strike from 30 yards which was spilled by Trafford but gobbled up at the second attempt.
It appeared Shrewsbury were headed for a second 0-0 draw in a row on consecutive Saturdays before a very late sting in the tail.
Bolton's top-drawer quality shone through and Charles, their most dangerous player, proved the hero with an outstanding dipping and swerving strike from outside the Town box and to the right, following a deft touch to control a low cross, beyond a crowd of bodies and into Marosi's opposite far corner.
It was an unstoppable rocket and the 1,651-strong away end erupted. It was too late for Town to mount a response but the home fans ensured to stay around and hand their players a deserved ovation after a brave unbeaten run came to an end.
TEAMS
Shrewsbury Town (3-5-2): Marosi; Pennington, Ebanks-Landell (c), Nurse; Bennett, Davis, Leahy, Vela, Ogbeta (Bloxham, 90); Bowman, Udoh (Janneh, 78).
Subs not used: Burgoyne, Daniels, Pierre, Fornah, Pyke.
Bolton Wanderers (5-3-2): Trafford; Jones, Santos, Johnston; Fossey, Lee (Afolayan, 45), Williams, Morley, John; Charles, Bakayoko (Bodvarsson, 64)
Subs not used: Dixon, Aimson, Baptiste, Gordon, Thomason.
Attendance: 8,027 (1,651 Bolton fans)
Referee: Charles Breakspear
