Peterborough 2 Shrewsbury 1 - Report

It was a cagey game, which neither side dominated at the Weston Homes Stadium, and it ended 2-1 which on reflection was harsh on Shrewsbury.

It was a quiet opening 45 minutes in terms of goal-mouth action, and both sides cancelled each other out scoring from a set play each.

First, Jonson Clarke-Harris nodded home Joe Ward's deep free-kick at the back post to register his 19th strike of the season.

But Shrews responded instantly as Tom Flanagan got his first Town goal of the season getting on the end of Chey Dunkley's knockdown - and unleashing a powerful strike which went in off the bar.

The rest of the first half was quiet, with very little action to report in a period where the hosts had 69 per cent possession but did nothing with it.

The game was quiet after the break too, with neither side being able to cut the other open in what was an even but cagey affair.

Tom Bayliss had a glorious chance when Tom Bloxham's shot was well blocked just after the hour mark but the rebound fell to Bayliss' feet only 12 yards out, but it was bobbling around and he skied it over the bar.

Despite the hosts rarely threatening in the second half, they snatched the points late on when Frankie Kent headed home their second goal from a free-kick of the night.

ANALYSIS

Shrewsbury arrived at the Weston Homes Stadium full of confidence after picking up four points against play-off rivals Wycombe and Derby in their last two outings.

It was the first time the sides had met in the league after the initial meeting, scheduled before Christmas, was called off due to a frozen pitch.

In the second half at Derby a few days ago, Shrewsbury showed great character to fight back for a point in front of more than 27,000 people.

The only negative to come out of that second period was the injury to Killian Phillips. The Crystal Palace loanee took a nasty blow to the head in a collision with Eiran Cashin.

Steve Cotterill revealed before the game Phillips had spent the night in hospital on Saturday after the incident, and he did not make the starting XI for the clash against Posh as they continue to monitor him.

Tom Bloxham made his first league start of the season as the Town made three changes to the team - Rekeil Pyke and Carl Winchester also coming in.

The boss went away from his tried and trusted 3-5-2 formation, operating with a 4-3-3 - Bloxham playing on the left and Pyke on the right.

The hosts started the game the brighter and they could have taken the lead inside the first 10 minutes when Jack Taylor got on the end of Joe Ward's cross at the back post, but he headered over.

In the 17th minute, the Peterborough led when their skipper, Clarke-Harris got his head to another Ward cross, this time from a set piece, and he nodded it past Marko Marosi.

But their lead lasted only four minutes when Flanagan popped to level the scores from a Salop free-kick this time. Dunkley was a nuisance in the box and he knocked the ball down for his defensive partner to lash into the back of the net - it went in off the underside of the crossbar.

Posh threatened to regain the lead, but Marosi was there to make an important stop to deny Ward from close range.

Apart from that, there was little else to shout about in the first period, the home side did see a lot of the ball, but they did precious little with it, and Cotterill's side rarely looked troubled.

The first 10 minutes in the second half were quiet too - and Steve Cotterill went to his bench to introduce Jordan Shipley for Pyke.

He started on the right, and he saw a powerful effort blocked by a Posh defender with his first action since coming on.

Hector Kyprianou headed wide for the hosts from a corner moments before Tom Bayliss missed a glorious chance to give Town the lead when a deflected Bloxham shot fell to him on the penalty spot, but he blazed over the bar.

But in the 87th minute, the home side snatched all three points when Kent headed home their second set piece of the evening to give them a vital win.#

Teams

Shrews (4-3-3): Marosi, Pennington, Dunkley, Flanagan, Moore, Winchester, Leahy, Bayliss (Bennett 85), Pyke (Shipley 57), Saydee (Bowman 85), Bloxham (Street 85).

Unused subs: Burgoyne, Barlow, Craig.

Peterborough: Norris, Edwards, Kent, Taylor, Clarke-Harris, Mason-Clark, Thompson (Butler 69), Ogbeta (Tshimanga 81), Burrows, Kyprianou (Norburn 88), Ward

Unused subs:

Blackmore, Jones, Thompson, Randall.