Shrewsbury 2 Wycombe 0 - Report

A goal in each half was enough for Salop to secure victory against the Chairboys - and it was another win at the Meadow where they have not lost in League One since New Year's Day.

The game in Shropshire started in a measured fashion with both sides feeling their way into the encounter.

There was very little to speak in terms of chances until Town led in the 31st minute, Christian Saydee the creator doing brilliantly in his own half before whipping the ball into a dangerous area that Jordan Willis could only turn beyond Max Stryjek.

The visitors did respond after Town took the lead, but it was not until the 45th minute they forced Mark Marosi into a meaningful save, Jordan Obita the man with a firmly struck curling free-kick, but the Salop number one was more than equal to it to palm it away.

Brandon Hanlan had a great chance to equalise at the start of the second half but he scuffed an effort over the bar from just inside the 18-yard box.

Town were the better side after the break playing some nice football at times but 1-0 is a dangerous scoreline and they would have wanted that extra goal as a comfort blanket going into the closing stages.

Chem Campbell came on for the Chairboys and with his first touch he fizzed an effort Marosi - but he was equal to it.

Salop could have killed the game off in the final 10 minutes but Flanagan's through ball was cut out denying Bayliss a tap-in.

Steve Cotterill went to his bench introducing Rekeil Pyke and Rob Street.

And with Pyke's first touch of the game, he doubled Town's advantage to secure the points for the home side.

The result took Shrewsbury beyond their tally of points from last season with 13 games remaining.

ANALYSIS

Shrewsbury were looking to bounce back from a disappointing defeat in Lancashire last weekend where they lost 1-0 to Accrington Stanley.

The opponents at Montgomery Waters Meadow were Wycombe Wanderers, who had endured a week of disruption after their manager Gareth Ainsworth left the club after 11 years of service - the 49-year-old departed for QPR.

He was swiftly replaced by Matt Bloomfield - a former Chairboys favourite.

It was the second time in 2023 the Meadow had been the first game for a new manager - Darren Ferguson had his first game in charge of Forest Green Rovers back at the end of January - a game Town came out on top.

Salop boss Cotterill made two changes to his starting XI, bringing in Tom Bayliss and Taylor Moore.

Moore had recovered from a groin problem that forced him off against Exeter and meant he missed the clash in Lancashire a few days later.

It was the traditional 3-5-2 for Town - both Elliott Bennett and Carl Winchester were the unfortunate pair to make way.

In what was a quiet opening 20 minutes, Town started on the front foot.

Chey Dunkley headed wide, and Jordan Shipley got in down the left side on a couple of occasions for Town, but they did not create anything clear-cut.

At the other end, Brandon Hanlan avoided a few challenges before lashing an effort into the side netting for the Chairboys, before Garath McCleary shot straight at Marko Marosi.

There was little to speak of in terms of clear goal-scoring opportunities in what was a scrappy affair.

But just past the half-hour mark Town led thanks to a Jordan Willis own goal.

Moments before, Sam Vokes shot wide when he should have done better, and from that, Saydee did brilliantly on the halfway line to turn the defender. He then put a brilliant ball into the box that Willis could only turn into his own net when trying to clear.

The visitors did try to respond. Matthew Pennington was forced into an important clearance from a dangerous Josh Scowen cross. Then moments later, Phillips was required to make another important intervention in the penalty area when Vokes showed some quick feet to evade a few defenders, but he turned it behind for a corner.

Marosi was a bystander for a lot of the half, but right on the stroke of the interval he produced a wonderful save to deny Obita from a free-kick.

The 29-year-old whipped it in with real pace forcing the shot-stopper to move his feet quickly and palm it away with the visitors' best chance of a quiet first half.

Hanlan had a great chance to level the score after the break. David Wheeler got in down Town's right and pulled the ball back to the former Bristol Rovers man but he scuffed his effort over the bar when he should have done much better.

Town could have doubled the lead when Tom Bayliss' deflected effort fell into the path of Chey Dunkley but despite the defender swinging a big left boot at it - he could not make enough contact.

Ryan Bowman went close with an ambitious overhead kick as Town looked the more likely to get the next goal with Saydee, Bayliss and Shipley linking up really well at times on the left.

Bowman and Leahy went into the book for Shrews as the game went past the 70-minute mark.

Bloomfield rolled the dice with just over 15 minutes to go introducing Wolves loanee Campbell, and the 20-year-old forced Marosi into his first save of the second half from inside the Town penalty area.

Town had a great chance to put the game to bed when Flanagan broke away, it was three against two in Town's favour but the big defender's ball was cut out by McCleary when Bayliss would have been in on goal with just the keeper to beat.

Cotterill went to his bench bringing on Pyke and Street and the substitutes paid dividends immediately, with Pyke doubling Salop's advantage with just four minutes of normal time remaining.

He was played in by Shipley after good work from Street, and despite Stryjek saving his first effort - the rebound fell to him and he slotted home to give Town all three points.

Teams

Shrews: Marosi, Dunkley, Flanagan, Pennington, Moore, Shipley (Bennett 93), Leahy, Bayliss (Winchester 87), Phillips, Saydee (Street 84), Bowman (Pyke 84).

Subs not used: Burgoyne, Bloxham, Barlow.

Wycombe: Stryjek, Jacobson (McCarthy 60), Forino, Wheeler (Campbell 74), Vokes, Wing, McCleary, Willis (Willis 87), Hanlan, Obita, Scowen (Freeman 87).

Subs not used: Cartwright, Wakely, Freeman, Barr, Pattenden.

Attendance: 6,918 (601 away)