Shrewsbury 1 Fleetwood Town 1 - Report

Steve Cotterill's men shared the spoils with visitors Fleetwood Town but it was the hosts who came closest to winning it late on through Ethan Ebanks-Landell and Daniel Udoh, who were denied by goalkeeper Alex Cairns and defender Tom Clarke.

The visitors finished the game with 10 men as midfielder Callum Camps - a Shrewsbury January transfer window target - was shown a straight red card in a frenetic and unhappy finale.

Luke Leahy's penalty just two minutes after the break earned the hosts a point after Anthony Pilkington's header midway through the first half had Fleetwood ahead.

Town were well below par in a disappointing first period but Cotterill changed formations at half-time and introduced Saikou Janneh for Tyrese Fornah and the hosts were much improved after the break, with Janneh making an impressive impact.

Fleetwood responded but Town finished the game the stronger in forcing a couple of presentable openings, albeit could not find a killer touch to earn a first win in five in the league.

New Salop deadline day recruits Tom Flanagan and Matty Bondswell did not make an appearance from the bench on a day Town were applauded off at the end after boos greeted them at half-time.

Shrews have now lost just once in nine in the league but have not won in five in a run stretching back over a month. The latest point lifted the hosts a place to 16th - as Fleetwood were denied a chance to leapfrog Salop - but the gap to the bottom four is still just four points.

Salop face a busy period ahead, with a quick turnaround at high-flying Wycombe on Tuesday night and the long trip to Plymouth next weekend after the Pilgrims pushed Premier League giants Chelsea all the way in the FA Cup today.

Fleetwood's line-up proved a bit of a surprise as former Town defenders Toto Nsiala - who joined from Ipswich this month - and Zak Jules made up a back three which is a change from the team's usual 4-3-3 formation.

Stephen Crainey's men also featured January Town targets Callum Camps in midfield and Ellis Harrison up front.

Eyes were on whether Town would hand debuts to deadline day recruits Flanagan and Bondswell.

But both took their place on the bench as Town's only change was fit-again Leahy introduced for Nathanael Ogbeta, who of course exited the club for Championship side Swansea on Monday

That meant fellow January new boy Fornah continued in midfield, where he made a full home debut after a first start at AFC Wimbledon seven days earlier.

The Meadow had played host to two 1,600-strong away sell-outs in recent weeks, against Bolton and Sheffield Wednesday. Fleetwood's travelling numbers were nothing as mighty but the small pocket from the Fylde Coast made themselves heard.

The contest certainly felt more low-key than those recent home fixtures, but a glance at the league table showed it was no less important. Crainey's side trailed their hosts by just two points and two places ahead of kick-off.

Windy conditions were certainly a factor on a blustery Meadow afternoon. The wind was with the hosts in the first half and against the kicking of Fleetwood goalkeeper Alex Cairns, whose goal kicks and clearances suffered on numerous occasions.

Town were the better side early on. A couple of balls down the side of Fleetwood's defence had their back three pulled out of position. Shrews forced a succession of corners in the opening minutes.

One of those corners, worked shortly between Elliott Bennett, Leahy and Josh Vela released the latter to the byline. His low cross was almost turned in amid a scramble but referee James Bell had spotted an infringement.

Fans sounded their appreciation for the dead ball imagination.

Fleetwood's former Wigan attacker Anthony Pilkington has never needed a second invitation to shoot and flashed an early deflected strike wide of the near post.

Nsiala showed interest with a header from the resulting corner, but it was easy enough for Marko Marosi.

Shrewsbury looked to set their sights from distance as first Ryan Bowman leathered a well-struck effort comfortably over from a long way out.

Bowman came far closer with a glorious openings after just 10 minutes.

Town worked it well and Leahy's flighted ball over the top of a haphazard Fleetwood defence appeared to play the striker through on goal.

Bowman's take was excellent, he showed fine chest control and then a tough to turn inside a recovering defender. Lining up one-v-one against goalkeeper Cairns, Bowman's left-footed effort appeared to be heading towards the bottom left corner, before an outstanding outstretched right leg from Cairns somehow repelled the strike.

That was to be Town's best moment of the first half by some distance as Fleetwood recovered and quickly worked their way on top.

Midfielder Dan Batty curled in a cross tempted Harrison to climb above Bennett at the back post. The powerful striker did well to get a head on it, but couldn't trouble Marosi.

Vela flashed a left-footed half-volley from outside the box for Town as they attempted to respond.

But the visitors worked the lead on 21 minutes. It was a neat-enough goal from the Trawlermen's point of view, but a very poor goal to concede from a Shrewsbury viewpoint.

Right wing-back Callum Johnson whipped in an excellent cross from near the corner flag, and nobody in home yellow and blue colours had tracked Pilkington's run from outside the box and towards the penalty spot.

Pilkington timed the run excellently and powered in a bullet header into the bottom left corner from 10 yards out.

The Town fans at the Meadow fell quiet, with an eerie atmosphere the backdrop for the remainder of the first half.

On the pitch, the Shrews players were edgy. The defensive conviction they have boasted for a good few months had deserted them. Fleetwood were picking out pockets to attack all too easily.

And with the ball, Salop could not find a way out. Cotterill called for his players to use width, fans urged the ball forward, players were hesitant and and unsure which way to turn.

Salop were fortunate to not drop further behind shortly after the half hour. A corner was defended unconvincingly and, as a couple of Fleetwood players threatened to shoot from the edge of the box, captain Danny Andrew, the left wing-back, was allowed to dribble through the Town box and almost make Marosi's goal before the keeper dived on it gratefully.

Skipper Ethan Ebanks-Landell was one of several asleep and was fortunate to recover from his own sloppy area as Harrison looked to play Pilkington in on goal.

David Davis, one member of Town's struggling midfield three, almost handed the visitors a couple of chances to extend their lead with some poor clearances.

Andrew's cross from the left cannoned off Pennington and almost beyond Marosi, who recovered excellently to his left and prevent an own goal amid a chaotic Town box.

Shrewsbury left to heavy boos at the half-time whistle. It was one of their poorer 45 minutes of football for some time and the manager decided he needed to act at the interval.

Saikou Janneh, the loan attacker signed from Bristol City early in the window, was called for, with Fornah making way in midfield.

Nottingham Forest loanee Fornah impressed on his full debut at Wimbledon but he struggled to impose himself in a poor 45 minutes here.

Salop switched to 4-3-3 with Janneh on the left of a front three and Udoh on the right. They were immediately improved.

Janneh was bright and breezy almost from the off and within 90 seconds referee Ball had pointed to the penalty spot in front of the South Stand with little hesitation.

The Gambia-born Janneh was involved in working the ball forward to Udoh and Town's top scorer charged in from the right of Fleetwood's penalty area, looking to reach a more central area, before he was clearly pulled by Jules.

There could be and were little complaints from the visitors and Leahy took charge and grabbed the ball.

Leahy, who had moved back into midfield and looked far better for it after the break, made no mistake at all from the spot. He thumped his penalty high into the middle of the net, as Cairns dived out the way.

Salop were much the brighter early in the second period, with Janneh and Leahy plenty involved. They got forward with more conviction and showed more care with the ball as Fleetwood struggled to cope with the change in system.

Fleetwood responded well, Nsiala was jeered off by home fans on the hour as midfielder Dan Butterworth was introduced to try to even things up.

It worked as far as Crainey's men are concerned. Albeit Shrewsbury still looked the side most likely. Fleetwood's extra midfielder allowed them to find a foothold again.

Fleetwood tried to show they were not ready to be second best as the sharp Pilkington fired well wide from distance before Camps' free-kick arrowed straight at Marosi.

Udoh, who had worked hard but been well marshalled, all of a sudden found himself through on goal following a long clearance.

The Salop hitman composed himself a flashed a low left-footed strike into the bottom corner past Cairns, but the assistant's offside flag was long since raised.

Janneh was again the source of a promising Town moment as the contest entered its final 10 minutes.

He was cynically felled by Paddy Lane, who was rightly booked, and Bennett's free-kick delivery was tipped over by Cairns for a corner.

Bennett's resulting delivery was deep to the back post, where it was met by Ebanks-Landell whose decent volleyed effort from close range was somehow kept on by Cairns on the stretch.

Town were to work another huge chance. Bennett's wicked delivery from the right met Udoh at the back post, Udoh took a touch and his low finish across Cairns looked destined for the back of the net before Clarke's timely intervention on the line.

There was still time, in a frantic period of time added on, for Camps to be dismissed for apparent foul and abusive language after a Leahy head injury halted a Fleetwood attack.

But ultimately the points were shared drew for the ninth game in 30 in League One this season as their newfound run of taking a single point continued.

Teams

Shrewsbury Town (3-5-2): Marosi; Pennington, Ebanks-Landell (c), Nurse; Bennett, Davis, Fornah (Janneh, 45), Vela, Leahy; Bowman, Udoh.

Subs not used: Burgoyne, Daniels, Pierre, Flanagan, Bondswell, Bloxham.

Fleetwood Town (3-5-2): Cairns; Clarke, Nsaia (Butterworth, 61), Jules; Johnson, Camps, Batty (Biggins, 90+5), Lane, Andrew (c); Pilkington (Morris, 76), Harrison.

Subs: O'Hara, Johnston, Hayes, Macadam.

Attendance: 5,848 (206 Fleetwood fans)

Referee: James Bell