Shrewsbury 1 Oxford 2 - Report

Steve Cotterill's hosts, three games unbeaten heading into the Montgomery Waters Meadow clash, gave another impressive account of themselves but Cameron Brannagan's penalty 10 minutes from time left them empty-handed.

Referee Andy Davies and his officials was loudly booed off the Meadow pitch for their involvement on a lively afternoon. Cotterill let the officials know how he felt at full-time, shortly after he had been branded a yellow card in stoppage time.

Ryan Bowman had earlier rifled in a deserved equaliser to end a 14-game scoreless run on the hour for Shrewsbury, who looked the most likely to score a winner in a one-sided second period.

U's top scorer Matty Taylor had handed Oxford an 11th-minute lead with his 21st goal of the season on an action-packed afternoon, as always seems to be the case when these two meet in Shropshire.

But the opener was against the run of play and so was Brannagan's winner from 12 yards, awarded after Elliott Bennett had caught Ryan Williams.

Town's moment to win the clash came at 1-1 when Bennett neglected to shoot and instead found Bowman, who fired well over on the spin.

Highlights for Salop were an impressive return from suspension for Josh Vela, who starred throughout, and Shaun Whalley made his 250th Shrewsbury appearance from the bench after he returned from four months injured.

Salop slip a place to 18th and are six points above the bottom four instead of Tuesday's crunch home clash against relegation-threatened Morecambe, who lost on Saturday. Like recent games against Rotherham and Cambridge, Shrewsbury looked bright and impressed, but like in those fixtures, they were unable to convert into maximum points - or anything against the fourth-placed U's.

The big debate was whether midfielder Vela would return from his three-match suspension - during which Shrewsbury were unbeaten - to take an immediate place back in the side.

And the former Bolton man was included from the off, he came back in for teenager forward Tom Bloxham, who dropped to the bench for the hosts.

But the headline team news was that of a very welcome return from more than four months injured for Town hero Whalley.

Shrews' No.7 had not played since November 10 due to a serious thigh injury, which had frustratingly seen him sidelined for a significant chunk of the season and denied him of a special milestone of 250 games for the club.

Town assistant Aaron Wilbraham and coach David Longwell, as well as analyst Ben Cirne, had all recovered from bouts of Covid to make the fixture.

The visiting U's, meanwhile, arrived in fine form but availability issues had started to bite ahead of a run-in to keep hold of their current play-off position of fourth.

In total Karl Robinson's men had four players sidelined through injury or illness, most tellingly first-choice goalkeeper Jack Stevens, who fell ill overnight and was replaced by the vastly experienced Simon Eastwood.

Experienced veteran skipper John Mousinho started his first league game since December 2020 in the heart of the back three. The visitors named just six substitutes.

Anticipation for kick-off grew as an RAF helicopter delivered the matchball five minutes ahead of kick-off to mark the return of Military Matchday to Montgomery Waters Meadow.

It felt like party season had arrived early for the home supporters in the colourful South Stand and a mixture of referee Andy Davies and stewards had to pop a number of inflatables tossed into Eastwood's penalty area shortly after the contest had started.

And when the game did finally get going Town looked in the mood.

Vela's inclusion saw Cotterill's men return to their more familiar 3-5-2, away from the 3-4-3 of recent weeks. Vela played ahead of Tyrese Fornah and Luke Leahy, pressing high in the opening exchanges.

For 10 minutes in-form Oxford were unable to clear their lines as the hosts showed a real intensity to pen back the visiting white shirts.

A U's defender had to make an excellent recover to deny Daniel Udoh a first-time strike at goal from Vela's low right-hand cross.

And it was from that same side that the Shrews should have been handed the chances at a breakthrough. Vela, working predominantly on that flank, combined well with Elliott Bennett and the wing-back's cross from the byline unquestionably struck the outstretched arm of Steve Seddon.

Referee Andy Davies may have been unsighted but his assistant on that side should not have been. The arm was clearly not in a natural position and Salop were denied what looked a sure-fire spot-kick.

Still Town were not deterred and attacked the U's penalty area. A Vela cross was too deep but it was George Nurse who recovered it, from there, though, unfortunately for Town it was the beginning of Oxford's opener.

Leahy, so reliable in possession for his side, was robbed by Herbie Kane some 35 yards from Oxford's goal and Kane broke swiftly. His through ball to pick out Gavin Whyte's excellent run on the blind-side of Ethan Ebanks-Landell was perfectly weighted.

Whyte could not beat on the onrushing Marko Marosi, who saved low, but the rebound dropped perfectly for former Shrewsbury target Taylor in the box and his composure was cool to cushion the ball into the empty net on the volley in front of a bustling away end.

Ebanks-Landell complained to the officials about a possible offside but the opener was a blow for the hosts who, until that 11th-minute moment, has bossed proceedings.

The hosts tried to respond. First Leahy - looking to make amends - climbed well and sent a crashing downward header goalwards but Eastwood was equal to it. Shortly after skipper Ebanks-Landell launched into the air from Bennet's corner but his powerful header was somehow kept out by keeper at full stretch.

Oxford ventures forward were rarer. They had a soft penalty appeal correctly turned down before Kane's thrashed half-volley crashed six feet wide of the upright.

The battle between Udoh and the impressive Luke McNally was a key one. On a couple of occasions the impressive Ireland stopper recovered well to deny Udoh a run at goal beyond Oxford's high defensive line.

Salop could have fallen two goals down 10 minutes before the break. A set-piece was only half cleared and midfielder Cameron Brannagan fizzed a bouncing ball goalwards. The effort flicked off Taylor's head through a sea of bodies and in off Marosi's far post.

There was little time for the visitors to celebrate before Davies' assistant had raised his flag, a decision which left boss Robinson unhappy.

The closing stages of the first period were a quieter, more serene affair, with Bennett's low strike dragged wide from distance the only moment close to challenging the scoreline.

Like the beginning of the first period, the hosts enjoyed positive opening exchanges to the second half, where they forced long throw-in positions in promising situations, but Oxford stood firm.

Some clever gamesmanship from the U's Mark Sykes while slowly trudging off from a long dose of injury treatment helped take the sting out of the contest, but Shrewsbury were quickly back on the front foot as Vela and Bennett combined to combine well down the right.

The Shrews equaliser looked like it was coming and finally did on the hour - not before a wicked Bennett corner was flicked on by Bowman at the front post and somehow missed by the sea of bodies in the six yards box. Cotterill was hands on knees as the chance went.

But his side were not to be denied for much longer. A very well-worked move down the right - typical of the entire afternoon - saw wing-back Bennett send in another superb delivery to pick out Bowman with a low fizzed cross 10 yards from goal. There was plenty to do, but the striker did it with aplomb.

His first-time finish on the swivel was not that of a striker without a goal since Boxing Day, having gone through a 14-game drought.

Bowman's celebration for his 10th goal of the season was understated but not by his team-mates, who clamoured to rejoice with the frontman so popular for his tireless work rate.

Town were excellent value for their equaliser and clearly in the ascendency as the second half wore on after the leveller. Bowman's strike had also further perked up the supporters, as the Meadow rocked and roared as home fans sensed a second,

As the second period wore on Shrewsbury's influence grew strong and strong and by the time the midway point of the half came and went Cotterill's men were in total control.

And with 12 minutes Salop really should have made it 2-1 but spurned a gilt-edged opportunity.

Vela's delightful dink released the busy Bennett to the right byline. The experienced wing-back smartly checked in on to his left foot to bamboozle the defend and should have let fly in space with his left foot.

Bennett delayed a split second and instead opted to use a colleague. He squared the ball to goalscorer Bowman, but the ball was slightly behind him. Bowman had to spin and he rifled the chance over crossbar with a thundering strike.

It was a huge opportunity. Cotterill turned around wondering how it had not been converted before he enquired with Bennett why a shot was not taken.

It felt at the time like that could have been the moment and it proved that way.

It had been one-way traffic in Shrewsbury's favour this half but, three minutes after that chance, Oxford broke forward out of nowhere and won themselves a penalty.

Left wing-back Ryan Williams looked to take on Bennett and got around the Town man, who stuck a leg out and the Oxford man dropped amid the tangle.

Complaints fell on deaf ears and up stepped Oxford penalty king Brannagan to make no mistake to fire his spot-kick into the bottom left corner. It was another goal against the run of play.

A second blow dealt to Town was too much to recover from, with not quite enough time to mount another fightback, as the high-flying U's rode their luck to claim the points.

Teams

Shrewsbury Town (3-5-2): Marosi; Pennington, Ebanks-Landell (c), Flanagan; Bennett (Bloxham, 85), Fornah, Leahy, Vela (Whalley, 85), Nurse; Bowman, Udoh (Janneh, 87).

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

Oxford United (3-4-1-2): Eastwood; McNally, Mousinho (c), Seddon; Sykes, Kane, Brannagan, Holland (Bodin, 68), Williams; Whyte, Taylor (Winnall, 87).

Subs not used: Forde, McGuane, Smyth, Golding.

Attendance: 7,302 (1,231 Oxford fans)

Referee: Andy Davies