Shrewsbury 0 Charlton 1 - Report

Jesurun Rak-Sakyi's second-half shot was enough to give the Addicks all three points in an entertaining encounter at Shrewsbury.

It was an eventful opening 45 mins that saw both sides miss good opportunities to take the lead.

Chey Dunkley should have converted a header inside the opening five minutes, and Rak-Sakyi missed a golden chance for the visitors from six yards out.

After the break, Town thought they had scored when Jordan Shipley smashed across the goal, but Tom Bayliss could not get enough on it from two yards out.

And moments later, the visitors took the lead when Jack Payne got the better of Shipley to get to the byline, and his low cross was swept home by the Rak-Sakyi, who was in the thick of the action all afternoon.

Town threw on reinforcements as they searched for a late leveler, but from the moment the visitors went ahead, they did not look like scoring.

Steve Cotterill named an unchanged side from the one that beat Fleetwood 1-0 last weekend.

Matthew Pennington was fit again, and the big decision for the Town boss was whether the defender would come straight back into the starting eleven, but he had to make do with a place on the bench.

Taylor Moore kept his place alongside Chey Dunkley and Tom Flanagan after the boss praised his recent performances in midweek.

Jordan Shipley and Elliott Bennett occupied the wingback positions, with Luke Leahy and Carl Winchester in the middle of the park.

Tom Bayliss, whose brilliant finish last weekend awarded Town the points, played behind Christian Saydee and Rekeil Pyke.

It was a great day for everyone at the Meadow as the fixture was dedicated to Town's rainbow laces campaign.

Bennett led it for Shrewsbury saying he was 'proud to be the ambassador' adding 'it is great to see that - when it comes to inclusion - things are becoming the way they should be in this country.'

It was a lively start to the game, with both teams having opportunities to take the lead with headers.

Salop's came when Bayliss' corner went deep to the back post, it was headered across by goal by Leahy and Dunkley, inside the six-yard box, could not get it past Wollacott.

At the other end, Jesurun Rak-Sakyi put in a lovely cross to the Addick's number nine Jayden Stockley, and his header went inches wide.

It was an even start, with both creating chances, Saydee created an opportunity for Shipley to shoot, after shrugging off five Charlton challenges - he has been terrific for Town since he came in from Bournemouth on loan.

Dunkley made a vital intervention when Rak-Sayki ran through on goal, and Marosi was forced into a smart stop from Campbell's curling effort.

The game continued to go from end to end, Saydee headed over for Salop from a Bennett cross when maybe he could have left it to Leahy, who was free and running in behind him.

And just after the half-hour mark, Charlton had a glorious chance to take the lead.

Sessegnon got in behind Bennett, he got to the byline, and his cut-back fell to Rak-Sakyi, who just had to turn it goalwards to put the visitors in front.

But the Crystal Palace loanee scuffed his effort, and Marosi was able to collect with ease, a huge let-off for Town.

The visitors were a real physical threat from set-pieces, and when Inniss won the first header from one corner, Stockley should have done better with the second ball, but instead, it went wide.

And just before the interval Bayliss' deflected effort crept just wide of Wollacott's post.

The second half started in a much calmer fashion.

Town were happy to sit off the visitors and let them have the ball in their half.

And that almost led to a goal when Pyke dispossessed Inniss high up the pitch, but Bayliss could not get a shot away from the ball forward, and it came to nothing.

But moments later, Bayliss missed a fantastic chance to give Shrewsbury the lead. Leahy lofted the ball to Shipley, who smashed it across goal and the man in form completely missed the ball from just two yards out.

Aiden O'Brien came on the hour mark for Salop to give them reinforcements up front.

But in the 69th minute Charlton did take the lead, second-half substitute Jack Payne got to the byline and pulled the ball back to Rak-Sakyi, who this time did not miss.

In reply the Town boss made a triple change, bringing on Bloxham, Street and Pennington to try and find an equaliser for his side.

But Town did not really threaten, and they fell to their first defeat at home in four.

Teams

Shrewsbury: (3-4-1-2) Marosi, Dunkley, Flanagan, Moore (Pennington 78 mins), Winchester, Leahy, Bennett (Street 78mins), Shipley, Bayliss (Bloxham 78mins), Pyke. (O'Brien 59mins), Sayde.

Subs not used: Burgoyne, Bloxham, O'Brien, Street, Bowman, Caton, Pennington.

Charlton: Wollacott, Egbo (Aneke 80mins), Inniss, O'Connell, Sessegnon, Rak-Sakyi (Morgan 86mins), Dobson, Fraser, Campbell (Payne 60mins), Stockley (Aneke 80mins), Kirk (Thomas 86mins) .

Subs not used: Thomas, Morgan, McGrandles, MacGillivray, Payne, Aneke, Clare.

Attendance: 6,519.