Morecambe 0 Shrewsbury 0 - Report
Shrewsbury Town began their League One campaign with a goalless draw away at Morecambe.
In a game where Salop had the better of the play, they failed to convert their chances after getting in promising positions.
Town looked comfortable in possession and they got into good positions on several occasions but lacked the cutting edge which would have seen them leave the Lancashire coast with all three points.
Chances for Bayliss, Flanagan, Nurse and Leahy all went begging as they tried to register their first goal of the league season.
The Shrimpers did have chances of their own, with Marosi making a vital save midway through the first half when winger, Connolly, went clean through.
And even though both sides pushed hard to get the winner, the game ended in a draw.
Steve Cotterill handed five summer signings their league debuts on the opening day of the League One campaign, on what was a mizzly day on the Lancashire coast.
And 780 Salop fans travelled to Morecambe to watch their team's first game of the EFL season.
Town's star man Daniel Udoh was not fit to start due to a long-standing Ankle injury, and new recruit Aiden O'Brien was only fit enough to make the bench.
Salop were led by newly appointed captain Luke Leahy and they lined up with a back three of Matthew Pennington, Tom Flanagan and new centre-back, Chey Dunkley, who arrived on a free transfer this summer.
George Nurse and Julien Dacosta occupied the wingback positions.
Leahy and Taylor Moore played as the two holding midfielders, with Jordan Shipley playing to the left and Tom Bayliss playing to the right of number 9, Ryan Bowman.
Salop started the game brightly, with the opening exchanges being played almost exclusively inside their opponent's half.
Luke Leahy saw the game's first chance, a shot from just outside of the 18-yard box, go narrowly wide.
And shortly after Nurse broke away down the lefthand side, but his dangerous cross could not find a Salop shirt in the box.
After an initial fast start, the game settled down, and even though Salop looked the more comfortable in possession both sides struggled to create a clear-cut opportunity.
The game's first big chance went the way of Morecambe. Good interplay between Stockton and Connolly saw the winger clean through.
But Town's keeper Marosi made a great save, to beat away his effort when he really should have put the home side in front.
At the other end, Shrewsbury got into some promising positions, and their best chance fell to Tom Bayliss.
Pennington made great progress down the right-hand side before pulling the ball back to Bayliss. It created chaos in the Morecambe penalty area, and Bayliss' shot from eight yards out was blocked.
Salop started the second period the brighter, again looking comfortable in possession.
Tom Flanagan had the first opportunity of the half when a recycled set piece fell to him just inside the penalty area. But the centre-back sliced his shot, and it went just wide of Morecambe's goal.
Town continued to push, and again they went close when Nurse broke down the left, he put in a good cross, but it was turned narrowly wide by Ryan Delaney.
Morecambe were living dangerously with the game being played solely in their half of the pitch. Pennington had a shot from outside the area which went over the bar, and Flanagan had another effort blocked by Rawson inside the six-yard box.
The pressure kept on coming, first Bayliss came charging down the right, he made it to the byline and pulled it back, but no one in a blue and yellow shirt could turn it home, and Morecambe smuggled it behind.
From the resulting corner, Nurse hit a thunderous strike which was deflected and it cannoned into the crossbar.
In the 66th minute, Steve Cotterill made his first substitute, with Rekeil Pyke coming on for Bayliss.
Shortly after Cotterill handed out his sixth debut of the afternoon when Aiden O'Brien came on as a substitute for Shipley.
Even though both sides pushed to find a winner, a little bit of quality was missing in the final third, and the game ended goalless.
Teams
Morecambe FC 4-2-3-1
Ripley, Love, Melbourne, Gibson (Taylor 66), Rawson, Delaney, Fane, Stockton, Hunter, Connolly, Gnahoua
Shrewsbury Town 3-4-3
Marosi, Dacosta, Pennington, Flanagan, Dunkley, Nurse, Leahy, Moore, Shipley (O'Brien), Bayliss (Pyke 66), Bowman.
