Plymouth 1-0 Shrewsbury - Report

Steve Cotterill's men followed up four successive draws with a single goal reverse in terrible conditions in the driving rain in Devon courtesy of a Conor Grant winner just after the hour.

It leaves Salop - who remain with just a single victory on the road this term - winless in seven in the league and just four points clear of the bottom four, in 18th, ahead of what appears a crunch clash at the bottom of the table against Morecambe, who occupy that final relegation spot, at home next Saturday.

Grant's 62nd-minute winner was rocketed into the roof of the net from the edge of the box but Town will look at experienced duo Elliott Bennett and Josh Vela, who left the ball to one another allowing the Pilgrims man to shoot.

Town attacks on Michael Cooper's Argyle goal were few and far between. Their best moments came via set-pieces and through defender Matt Pennington.

But Shrewsbury's creativity issues reared their head again. Town have scored just twice in seven league games - one which was a penalty - and three in nine. They remain the fourth-lowest scorers in the league with 28 goals from 32 games.

Goals between forward duo Daniel Udoh and Ryan Bowman, who both returned to the side, have dried up and Town do not have enough coming from elsewhere.

Marko Marosi and the Shrews back three were by far the busier as a narrow win for the hosts lifts them into sixth.

Beyond converting chances, Cotterill's men are finding it difficult to work and create goalscoring opportunities. Not enough creativity and guile is arriving through the middle third and their wide deliveries from open play are all too easily cleared.

Eyes at Home Park were on whether defender Tom Flanagan, the January recruit from Sunderland, would have recovered from illness in time to make a debut.

He was due to play in the stalemate at Wycombe on Tuesday but fell ill late on and was replaced by Aaron Pierre.

Flanagan emerged ahead of kick-off having travelled to Devon with his squad - who made the long 250-mile trip on Friday - but both he and fellow defender Aaron Pierre, who played his part in a clean sheet on Tuesday, both only made the bench.

Pierre's replacement was a surprise start for Josh Daniels, for a first time for the best part of six weeks since his previous involvement from the off against Cheltenham on December 18.

That day he managed just 45 minutes and was sacrificed for Rekeil Pyke at half-time after Tom Bloxham's dismissal.

But Daniels started at left wing-back, something of a different for the former Glenavon man, who started at right-back at Portsmouth at the beginning of the season but is a winger by trade.

Town's other changes were less surprising, as top goalscoring centre-forward duo Bowman and Udoh returned for Tom Bloxham and Saikou Janneh. Luke Leahy missed out as he served the second of his two-match suspension.

Hosts Plymouth, under new boss Steven Schumacher after ex-Salop frontman Ryan Lowe joined Preston, included former Town stopper James Bolton in their XI. Bolton has endured fitness problems since moving to Devon but replaced the injured Dan Scarr - a key regular this season - in Argyle's back three.

FA Cup heroes Argyle pushed Chelsea all the way in last weekend's fourth round tie at Stamford Bridge, where the brave visitors eventually fell in extra-time - but they responded in some style in midweek with 15-goal top scorer Ryan Hardie's hat-trick in a 4-1 win at struggling Crewe.

Home Park always promises a good atmosphere and the hosts did not disappoint in just a first home fixture in five and third since the end of November. They were boosted by some extra 2,000 fans from a local junior football league.

Salop struggled to get their foot on the ball at Wycombe in midweek but looked after possession well in the opening six or seven minutes at Home Park, in a match-up against a ball-playing opposition.

And an excellent cross from left centre-half George Nurse created a decent opening for Vela, who scored at the same end behind closed doors last season, but despite appearing to have space in the box the midfielder's strike was well-blocked.

Argyle, encouraged by the loud support, turned on the style and caused Town some early problems.

A first test for either goalkeeper was for Marosi. The Slovak got sharply down to his right to keep hold of midfielder Panutche Camara's low drive from outside the box after the Guinea-Bissau international was afforded too much room.

Plymouth worked the ball well and forced a number of corners, one from which a second phase was defended excellently at the back post by Daniels to help put off Camara and another from which a big Ethan Ebanks-Landell block deflected the ball behind and Marosi was called into action to save James Wilson's glanced header.

The hosts were not afraid to try their luck from distance and two shots in succession were well blocked by Town, the second of which struck Matt Pennington and Plymouth screamed for a penalty, but referee James Oldham was unmoved.

The resulting corner saw Marosi called into his best work yet as he made a flying stop to tip Jordan Houghton's header. Marosi had also been sharp with a couple of important punches as Argyle's threat came from balls into the box.

Houghton and Vela took their turn to receive a caution after half hour as the rain drove into Home Park and was blown around the stadium. Flags atop the stands waved viciously in the direction of Plymouth attacks.

Salop and Udoh might have made more of referee Oldham's decision not to award a foul from David Davis on Camara. The midfielder slipped a neat through ball into Udoh, who was forced wide on the left and tried to cut in on his right foot, but Wilson got an excellent foot in.

Plymouth had been on top for much of the first period but the visitors ended in the stronger - via a couple of set-pieces of their own.

First, Elliott Bennett's delivery from the left was inadvertently helped on by a green shirt at the near post and just too strong for Ebanks-Landell who was charging in at the back stick.

From the resulting corner, delivered by Nurse from the other side, Pennington rose highest to power a header at goal but academy graduate goalkeeper Michael Cooper stood firm with a parried save from which Ebanks-Landell could not turn home the rebound.

Town lacked a creative threat centrally, albeit driving runs from ex-Argyle man Tyrese Fornah and Vela had been good at times, but most of Salop's encouragement came from delivery from wide areas.

Some creative brilliance from Pilgrims star Danny Mayor almost broke the deadlock 90 seconds into the second half. The former Bury attacker twisted this way and that before he curled a fine strike narrowly wide of Marosi's left post with the keeper at full stretch.

The home side started the second half full tilt and went closest to breaking the deadlock having sprung a break after Town were unable to find a yellow and blue shirt with a low cross of their own.

Plymouth broke with Luke Jephcott sent scampering clear of goal. Albeit from a widening angle on the right, he looked set to test Marosi but decided to square into a crowded box, where Marosi was beaten and only a dramatic slide from Pennington sent the ball inches wide of the left post.

Some handbags ensued, not what Town could do with following their latest FA misconduct charge during the Wycombe contest on Tuesday, but Camara was cautioned for his part in the event.

Cotterill introduced Flanagan for his debut for Fornah, shifting Nurse out to left wing-back, before the hour.

And, within five minutes, the hosts were ahead.

There were 62 minutes on the clock when Home Park erupted as the hosts made their fast start to the second half count with a fine finish.

Jephcott was played down the left of Town's defence, where he was faced up by a retreating Flanagan, but the youngsters early low cross was pulled back to the edge of the box, where a charging Grant rifled a first-time finish high into the roof of Marosi's net beyond an outstretched right arm.

But key to the goal was miscommunication between two of Town's senior heads, as the deeper Bennett left it for midfielder Vela, who was tasked to track his man, and vice versa - but in the end nobody picked up Grant.

And the former Everton youngster hammered the unstoppable strike high into the net leaving Marosi no chance.

The hosts might have had an immediate second but the referee was unmoved after Hardie went through on goal and the top scorer dropped under apparent Ebanks-Landell pressure just prior to meeting Marosi.

Town and Cotterill needed a change and Janneh and Bloxham were introduced for Bowman and Daniels as Salop shifted to a 4-3-3.

Plymouth appeared content with their lot. Town struggled to work openings or carve through the Pilgrims' shape.

Only some quick feet and decent delivery from Bloxham, from the right, threatened the six yard box.

Salop's big chance just inside the final 10 minutes came via a free-kick delivered from the right, which appeared simple for keeper Cooper, but the youngsters spilled the ball in the sodden conditions, but no Town body could take advantage in a scramble at the back post.

Pennington had been about his side's biggest goal threat of the afternoon but he got a late header wrong from a corner with a little under five minutes left.

Town could not respond. A familiar tale of no opportunities arrived in the five minutes of stoppage time as the hosts saw out with relative comfort and Salop face a long trip home with things to ponder.

Shrewsbury Town (3-5-2): Marosi; Pennington, Ebanks-Landell (c), Nurse; Bennett, Davis, Fornah (Flanagan, 57), Vela, Daniels (Bloxham, 67); Udoh, Bowman (Janneh, 67).

Subs not used: Burgoyne, Pierre, Bondswell, Caton.

Plymouth Argyle (3-5-2): Cooper; Wilson, Bolton, Gillesphey; Edwards (c), Houghton (Randell, 90), Camara, Mayor, Grant; Hardie (Garrick, 83), Jephcott (Ennis, 74).

Subs not used: Burton, Broom, Law, Crichlow.

Attendance: 14,714 (288 Shrewsbury fans)

Referee: James Oldham