Charlton 2 Shrewbury 0 - Report

Headed efforts from forward duo Jayden Stockley and substitute Chuks Aneke condemned Steve Cotterill's men to a third defeat in five games and leaves Town 17th in League One with one fixture remaining.

Cotterill's side, on 50 points, can now no longer match last season's points total of 54, with champions-elect Wigan to come to Montgomery Waters Meadow next Saturday.

Town were the better side in a goalless first half at The Valley but Charlton appeared to carry a threat throughout but the nature of their two goals, from dead balls, will leave Shrewsbury and boss Cotterill disappointed.

The first, a free-header from big striker Stockley, was all too easy and a second from Aneke late on carried some controversy.

Town keeper Marko Marosi, for whom an individual League One clean sheet record for the club continues to elude, was embroiled in what appeared an angry exchange with Charlton supporters behind his goal, during which there was a delay of almost 10 minutes while Marosi spoke at length with officials and stewards.

Shrewsbury, though, failed to reset and Charlton, who climb to 12th, took full advantage.

Cotterill opted for an unchanged starting line-up in south east London.

Josh Daniels continued at right wing-back, for the injured Elliott Bennett - whose season may not be over due to an ankle injury, but who took his place on radio commentary duties at The Valley.

Shaun Whalley continued in the visitors' three-man midfield behind top scorers Daniel Udoh and Ryan Bowman.

There was a new face on a youthful Salop bench. Included in the senior matchday 18 for the first time was 18-year-old central midfielder Josh Barlow.

Barlow, who joined the club last summer from Cheltenham, is a 6ft 1in composed and dominant second-year scholar midfielder given a huge opportunity by Cotterill in the capital.

The hosts, meanwhile, now under permanent boss Johnnie Jackson, also named an identical starting XI, as both sides began in a 3-5-2 system.

But Jackson was forced into a very late re-think and re-shuffled just moments ahead of kick-off as Corey Blackett-Taylor dropped out due to illness in the warm-up and was replaced by Diallang Jaiyesimi.

The Addicks started the day in 13th and saw off Cambridge 2-0 on the road in a mid-table contest in midweek.

The travelling Salop faithful arrived in Charlton in colourful fancy dress to mark the final away fixture of the season and those from Shropshire made themselves heard ahead of the sides' entrance.

Both sets of supporters made good noise in the early stages for what effectively was an end-of-season dead rubber.

The home side - and their late call-up Jaiyesimi - tried to make hay early doors and it was the former Swindon winger with the contest's first effort.

He jinked inside marker Daniels and a low near-post snapshot was well shovelled around the post for a corner by Marosi.

Town's back three Matthew Pennington, Tom Flanagan and Luke Leahy were busy in the early stages. Each of the trio made smart blocks and clearances from dangerous balls in from the left in particular.

The hosts were the better side for five or 10 minutes but could find little penetration through stubborn Salop. Conor Washington, scorer in this fixture last season, couldn't quite control a clever lofted pass from Sean Clare when he might have got a shot away.

Cotterill's men fought for a foothold soon after. A driving run from loan midfielder Tyrese Fornah was a lift before the same man drilled a stunning half-volley narrowly over ex-Town keeper Craig MacGillivray's top left corner from 25 yards.

The travelling fans did not need any encouragement and made all the noise in The Valley.

Josh Vela and Whalley buzzed around the middle of Town's final third in a bid to link with the forwards, but it was from the left flank Shrews might have worked an opener.

George Nurse and Whalley combined excellently with a one-two and the former's low cross deflected agonisingly along the six-yard box. It begged for a touch but one was not forthcoming.

Flanagan attacked the resulting corner but his effort dropped wide.

The visitors continued to look sharp as Whalley darted from the right and fed Udoh with a stabbed pass. Udoh was forced wide to the left and wrapped his left foot around a cross-shot that was too heavy for his colleagues.

Town had been the better side from the first five minutes but the hosts could've led inside the final 10 minutes of the half.

Poor defending allowed Washington to slip through on goal after work from partner Jayden Stockley. Washington let fly with a fierce drive but Marosi made himself big for a strong stop.

And Charlton forced another opening before the break as Alex Gilbey sent a powerful header goalwards from a corner, but Marosi was comfortably equal.

The sides were unchanged after the interval and, building on the control they had for much of the first period, Town were on top early on and forced their best chance.

Makeshift defender Leahy threaded a wonderful through ball, splitting the Charlton defence, for Bowman to run on to.

Bowman was into the box and in on goal but opted to let fly early. His effort did not catch out MacGillivray - who was offered a warm reception from Shrews fans after half-time and responded to the strike with a parried save to his left.

The big chance was still to come, though, as Daniels raced on to the rebound, six yards out, with the keeper recovering. Daniels though could only scuff his follow-up effort at MacGillivray, who was up to complete the double stop but should not have been afforded the chance.

The saves seemed to act as a wake-up call and jolt the home side into life.

The impetus was with Jackson's men again, who began to feed their home crowd some belief that there was something in the contest for them.

Skipper Jason Pearce had a header easily plucked out the air by Marosi after a series of set-pieces in which the hosts grabbed the impetus.

The clock had ticked past an hour when a simple lofted pass released Washington on goal. The forward took his time and tried to measure a finish but Marosi stood up equal and made another good save.

Unfortunately for Town, moments later from the resulting corner Marosi was powerless to deny Stockley.

Some soft defending saw the big frontman run of Vela and crash a header beyond Marosi, who couldn't react, from inside the six-yard box. The pressure had been building.

Town tried to respond and hit back with a free-kick after the midway point of the half. It was delivered deep and dropped the way of Flanagan, whose stabbed effort was well smothered by MacGillivray, who rushed out.

Whalley looked to have set himself up for a low strike from distance but a deflection made it easy for MacGillivray as Town improved with 20 minutes left.

Shrewsbury were close to levelling through a moment of individual brilliance with 17 minutes left on the clock.

Udoh, the top scorer, picked up the ball in his own half and burst forward powerfully. He got beyond a couple of challenges and showed quick feet and real muscle to hold off lazy challenges.

He turned on to his left just outside the box and a fierce low strike tested MacGillivray low at his near post.

Town looked capable of grabbing an equaliser as Pennington headed a corner over.

But, with a little over 10 minutes to play, a strange incident eventually led to what would be the hosts' clinching second.

Marosi had just saved from sub Aneke before he made a point of alerting referee Sam Purkiss to what appeared to be an incident behind his goal.

A lengthy stoppage of seven or eight minutes ensued, in which the referee liaised with the dugouts and Marosi appeared in conversation with what looked to be a head steward, trying to point out an individual behind the goal.

Taunts rained down from the stand behind Marosi's goal as team-mate Leahy tried to pull the Slovak away from the controversy.

Play restarted eventually as stewards ventured into the crowd, but Town were unable to reset.

A free0kick from the right flank was delivered to the back post and there was sub Aneke to power a header into the top left corner via Marosi's fingertips.

Whalley tried to strike back for Town and had an effort saved by MacGillivray but the damage was done from set-pieces as Town fell to a third defeat in five.

Teams:

Charlton Athletic (3-5-2): MacGillivray; Clare, Famewo, Pearce; Matthew, Dobson, Gilbey (Aneke, 75), Morgan, Jaiyesimi; Washington (Kanu, 90+7), Stockley.

Subs not used: Harness, Forster-Caskey, Leko, Inniss.

Shrewsbury Town (3-5-2): Marosi; Pennington, Flanagan, Leahy; Daniels, Vela, Fornah, Whalley, Nurse; Bowman, Udoh (Bloxham, 90+4).

Subs not used: Burgoyne, Pierre, Craig, Barlow, Caton, Janneh.

Attendance: 11,287 (667 Shrewsbury supporters)

Referee: Sam Purkiss