Shrewsbury won't get carried away despite thumping leaders insists Steve Cotterill

Salop cruised to a standout victory this season and one of their best in recent times with a stunning 3-0 rout at the New York Stadium to stun the League One table-toppers, whose lead was sliced to a single point.

Striker and leading goalscorer duo Daniel Udoh and Ryan Bowman were on target once more - either side of Elliott Bennett's first league goal for the club - at a Rotherham side who had defender Angus MacDonald dismissed for an aerial challenge in the first half.

But Town - who climbed to 16th and closed the gap to mid-table to just five points with seven games to go - were already 1-0 to the good and delighted their following with the two late goals in front of a buzzing away end on a coupon-busting afternoon where the best chances belonged to the visitors, who could've won by an even bigger scoreline.

"I did enjoy it, I think it's always about being level-headed when you win, don't shout about it, stay humble," Cotterill said.

"I probably don't get as high as everybody else gets when we win because there's always another game around the corner.

"I think in this game you've got to keep your feet on the ground, do your best, I think we've been doing our best for a long time now and have not had the rub of the green, the luck or the chances going in.

"This result could easily have been the result at our place.

"Then you have to come to the lion's den and be even better than you were last time against them. They are a good team and will go up, they've had a lot on their plate. They deserve to go up."

The boss added on his side's convincing winning margin: "We were very good at the start of the game, it's always a tough place to come, the crowd get right behind them, they appeal everything and get after you, which a good home crowd does.

"We've said before about whether you can score goals or you can't score goals, it's easy to comment when you've had a few blanks but at the end of the day it's about creating the opportunities.

"We feel as though we've been doing that for a long time, maybe we're getting the rub of the green now and they're going in the back of the net as opposed to being saved, blocked or going wide."

Udoh had drilled in a low finish inside the final 10 minutes of the first half before MacDonald was dismissed for what appeared to be leading with his elbow on Luke Leahy.

The Millers were rocked and Town were comfortably on top throughout a one-sided second half. Bennett converted into an empty net after Josh Vickers had saved from Bowman with 12 minutes to go to spark wild celebrations.

And Bowman added icing to the cake in the Yorkshire sunshine with a stylish third, his third goal in three games, to add some deserved gloss to the scoreline.

Cotterill felt Town's rub of the green extended to the sending off decision made by 'brave' referee Anthony Backhouse, but while home boss Paul Warne was in disagreement, the Shrews chief felt the decision was justified.

He said: "Obviously it gives you a numerical advantage, we know how difficult it is with 10 men, it's a sending off, we've had players sent off for less this season.

"I thought the referee was brave to give it against the team top of the table with a partisan crowd.

"Maybe that's the rub of the green that evens out over the period of the season that we haven't had up until now.

"I've just looked back at it and it's a sending off, maybe back in my day it might not have been but unfortunately it is now.

"It was important we kept the tempo of the game high and kept the ball in play.

"We knew if we kept the ball it would eventually tire out their team. Sometimes it looks a bit negative, you think you might have to go forward all the time against 10 men, but you can picked off on the counter.

"We've had a good following of late, they made plenty of noise up there and I'm sure they will have a good journey home."