Burton Albion 0 Shrewsbury 2 - Report

Efforts in either half from Tom Bloxham and George Nurse - though Matthew Pennington sliding the ball over the line may claim the honours - ended Town's barren run without a win.

A crucial three points and just a second successful League One away day for a boisterous pack of more than 900 Shrewsbury fans brightened the picture at the wrong end of the division for Steve Cotterill's side.

Town climbed a place to 17th but, more importantly, increased the gap between themselves and the relegation places from four points to six.

The visitors were good value and well worth their three points and made light work of midfield absentees David Davis and Josh Vela in difficult conditions on a patchy, dry and bobbly Pirelli Stadium surface against physical and direct hosts.

Bloxham's neat, curled finish for a fifth goal of the season was the all-important first 10 minutes before the break and Nurse - who is yet to score for Shrewsbury - saw a long-range strike parried towards the line as Pennington slid in on the hour.

Town could have had more against Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink's poor Burton side, who did not live up to their impressive mid-table position.

For Shrewsbury supporters, returning to football matches after the pandemic has not necessarily been an easy task on the road. They have been starved of away league wins but Cotterill's men gave the 928 rowdy Salopians behind the goal something to cheer about with a timely and vital first victory in any competition since January 2.

Town kicked off a testing era when it comes to selection - without key duo Davis and Vela - by shuffling their system. Shrews were rocked by the new Davis will miss the rest of the season with a serious ankle injury, while Vela began a three-match suspension for his midweek dismissal.

Tyrese Fornah joined Luke Leahy in midfield from the off, as Town switched from five across the middle of the park to four, with Elliott Bennett and Nurse retaining their wing-back roles.

Bloxham was rewarded for a lively performance against Portsmouth by keeping his place in the side. He joined the recalled Ryan Bowman and Daniel Udoh in attack.

Burton, meanwhile, made a single change after unfortunately being denied a victory at Sunderland in midweek by a last-gasp equaliser.

AFC Bournemouth loan striker Christian Saydee, who joined last month, came in for a start. The Brewers' former Salop loan star Harry Chapman - match-winner at the Pirelli Stadium for the away side last season - was among Burton substitutes.

He was joined by two very high-profile captures for Hasselbaink's side of last. Former Everton striker Oumar Niasse, who once cost the Toffees more than £13million, recently arrived as a free agent, as did former Wolves and Nottingham Forest winger Adlene Guerdioura, who penned a short-term deal 24 hours before kick-off.

The Pirelli pitch had suffered the winter and looked worse for wear. The surface was not conducive to playing the ball on the deck. There was very little grass remaining, particularly on either flank, meaning bobbly, bouncing conditions did nothing to help either set of players' first touch.

Town supporters travelled in good numbers once more after struggles on the road this season. The short journey encouraged fans to travel in their droves and the away fans certainly made themselves heard behind the goal ahead of kick-off.

It was a slight surprise initially to see Bowman on the right of his side's attacking three, with fellow forward Udoh the opposite side as the duo flanked Bloxham.

Cotterill had warned Burton possess the ability to pose a strong, physical challenge to his side with dead balls and long throw-ins and Town defended the first launched throw and subsequent set-pieces well as they set out their stall.

There was very little in the opening quarter of the contest. Burton were very happy to launch direct balls forward to test Town's backline, but the visitors' trio of Pennington, Ethan Ebanks-Landell and Tom Flanagan, the ex Brewers defender, stood up well and won their aerial battles.

Fornah and Leahy were busy attempting to mop in midfield and get their side on the ball, a feat that remained difficult due to the pitch.

Town showed their ideas on the counter-attack as Bloxham and Udoh combined well as Ebanks-Landell cleared Shrewsbury's lines. Bloxham's reverse pass was good but Udoh's touch forced him a little wide.

Burton continually looked for the lofted pass over Town's two wing-backs, Nurse is particular, to try to apply pressure. Burton's Tom Hamer was useful in the air and the tactic regularly earned the Brewers the set-pieces they craved. Shrews stood up well to those.

Salop forced their first - and indeed the contest's first - effort at goal as Udoh saw a fierce strike curl off target and wide across Shropshire-born goalkeeper Ben Garratt's left post. Udoh had looked dangerous cutting in from the left having been well found by Nurse.

Town had clicked into gear and 10 minutes before the break it was the away end making yet more noise as their side opened the scoring.

The opener came courtesy of a Shrewsbury set-piece. Bennett's clever low delivery from the right was matched by Bloxham's intelligent run in peeling out to the right side of the penalty area, where he swept a first-time, curled strike over Garratt and a crowd of bodies into the far corner.

Bloxham wheeled away to celebrate with assistant Aaron Wilbraham. The strike marked his second league goal of the campaign and first since the stunning acrobatic effort against Gillingham in August.

Shrewsbury were well in the ascendency after taking the lead. Ebanks-Landell headed across goal dangerously from Bennett's deep corner but a recovering yellow shirt was just able to clear.

Five minutes before the break Bowman smashed hard and low across Garratt into the bottom corner for what would have been a first goal since Boxing Day, but the offside flag from Bloxham's header had already been raised.

Salop were well on top but the Brewers sounded a note of warning on the stroke of half-time with their first effort at Marko Marosi's goal as defender Conor Shaughnessy's clever looped header while backpeddling almost lobbed the Town goalkeeper - but landed on the roof of the net.

Neither side opted for changes at the interval, before which the opening period of the second half was delayed for an injury to Burton's Michael Mancienne.

Burton boss Hasselbaink's frustration was typified as Jonny Smith's corner and follow-up delivery were both cleared far too easily by Town bodies.

The Brewers did force a big chance 10 minutes after the break as striker Saydee turned away from Pennington and fed Charlie Lakin, who could not sort his feet and stabbed wide of the near post.

Town punished their hosts ruthlessly barely a few minutes later.

With the clock set to hit an hour, Shrewsbury doubled their advantage in front of a boisterous away end to let off an explosion of noise.

A half-cleared corner was met by Nurse some 30 yards out, he stepped forward and unleashed a fierce low strike through a sea of bodies and parried unconvincingly by Garratt.

The ball did not direct away from goal, instead through the keeper's limp grasp and towards goal, where defender Pennington steamed in to make sure by turning over the line.

Nobody could quite distinguish whether or not Pennington's touch was necessary, though it was the centre-half who celebrated most vociferously in front of the away end. The announcer on the PA system credited Pennington and video replays, for now, proved inconclusive.

Burton had done precious little to threaten Town's one-goal lead, so the second on the hour felt like a vital clincher.

And Town were good value for it and well on top. They attacked and pushed for more, akin to the sole previously away league win at Fleetwood on Boxing Day.

Hasselbaink responded immediately by sending for the cavalry in the form of Niasse and Guerdioura. A home supporter behind the press box screamed "too late".

And the visitors were inches from a third as the excellent Leahy's driven low cross from the left was almost turned into his own net by a Brewers defender.

The Brewers sent for former Town loan star Chapman to try to unlock a stubborn Salop back door but it was home defender Sam Hughes who tested Marosi with a tame header.

It remained Shrewsbury who were more likely to further trouble the scoresheet as the tireless Udoh whistled a dangerous left-footed strike no more than an inch or two over Garratt's crossbar with the keeper seemingly beaten.

A lengthy period of stoppage time due to a couple of injuries and Town fans chucking rogue footballs on to the pitch were a mere precession for the visitors, who comfortably held the Brewers at arm's length and were good value for a pivotal three points in their hunt to climb away from the relegation places.

Teams

Burton Albion (4-5-1):

Garratt; Brayford (c), Hughes, Shaughnessy, Hamer; Smith (Niasse, 64), Mancienne (Chapman, 72), Lakin (Guerdioura, 64), Powell, Borthwick-Jackson; Saydee.

Subs not used: Kovar, Oshilaja, Ahadme, Kokolo.

Shrewsbury Town (3-4-3):

Marosi; Pennington, Ebanks-Landell (c), Flanagan; Bennett (Daniels, 90+4), Fornah, Leahy, Nurse; Bloxham (Pierre, 84), Bowman, Udoh (Janneh, 89).

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

Attendance: 3,258 (928 Shrewsbury fans)

Referee: Benjamin Speedie