Shrewsbury 0 Peterborough 3 - Report
Shrewsbury Town fell to their first home defeat since New Year's Day at the hands of promotion-hopefuls Peterborough United.
It was a tough afternoon in Shropshire as Steve Cotterill's men fell lost 3-0 thanks to a first-half penalty and two second-half strikes from Darren Ferguson's men.
Jack Taylor hit the post for Posh with a powerful effort from distance, as the visitors settled quicker.
Salop's injury crisis got worse 20 minutes in when Christian Saydee was forced off with a knee injury.
The visitors dominated possession in the first half an hour, but they fortuitously took the lead after a harsh penalty was awarded by Carl Boyson.
Ephron Mason-Clark the man to go down after contact from Matthew Pennington and Jonson Clarke-Harris netted the spot kick for his 23rd of the season.
It could have got worse for Town when Kwame Poku missed a sitter moments later after capitalising on a Luke Leahy slip but there was work to do after the break.
Town were brighter after the interval but their hopes of a comeback took a blow moments after the resumption when Posh doubled their lead.
Mason-Clark firing in from outside the penalty area.
Town had spells of pressure during the second half but were unable to turn it into a meaningful scoring chance and then the visitors added a third through Jack Taylor.
ANALYSIS
Shrewsbury arrived at Montgomery Waters Meadow for the first time in just under a month.
Steve Cotterill said before the match it had been an 'uncomfortable' week for his Salop players after the defeat at The Valley last weekend.
He was looking for a reaction from his team and he named two changes to the XI who featured in south London seven days ago.
Tom Bloxham, who started the last time Shrews played Peterborough, got his second start of the season, Ryan Bowman also came into the team as Shrews operated in a 3-4-1-2.
Bloxham played behind the front two, and captain Luke Leahy moved to play on the left side of the back three.
The sides met a few weeks back at the West Homes Stadium, and Darren Ferguson's men were 2-1 winners on that occasion with Frankie Kent getting a late goal for the hosts in the 87th minute.
It was the visitors who started the brighter of the two sides, and Taylor looked like he had given the visitors the lead when he had an effort from distance, it beat Marko Marosi but cannoned off the woodwork.
Ephron Mason-Clark came close with the rebound but Marosi was on hand to make the save.
Christian Saydee picked up a knee injury in the first 15 minutes and had to be replaced by Elliott Bennett - yet another injury blow for Salop.
Posh continued to be bright, and Kwame Poku tested out Marosi from close range after getting away down the Town's right side - but the keeper was equal to it.
And just before the half-hour mark, the visitors took the lead from the penalty spot, after Mason-Clark was adjudged to have been fouled by Pennington.
It looked, at first glance, to be a very harsh decision with the forward going down very easily, but Carl Boyson pointed to the spot, and Clarke-Harris did the rest.
It could have been two moments later when Poku missed a golden chance to make it two after capitalising on Luke Leahy's slip at the back.
He smashed his effort wide when he had all the time in the world.
It was a tough half for Cotterill's men, they were lucky to only trail by one goal at the break.
Town were brighter after the interval but their hopes of a comeback took a blow moments after the resumption when Posh doubled their lead.
Mason-Clark cutting in off the Town right, evading a few challenges and firing beyond Marosi.
Town could have had an instant reply, with Bowman looking to get on the end of a Chey Dunkley knockdown from a corner, but he could not make telling contact.
Clarke-Harris could have added a third when his free-kick from just outside the area went narrowly over the bar.
And somehow Mason-Clark fluffed a free header at the back post after a wonderful cross from Joe Ward.
Salop had spells as the second half wore on, but they were unable to turn this into any clear-cut chances of note.
And the third goal did come for Posh when Taylor was on hand to fire home from close range after Marosi parried out a cross.
Teams
Shrewsbury Town: Marosi, Leahy, Pennington, Moore, Winchester, Phillips, Bowman, Bloxham (Street 66), Dunkley, Saydee (Bennett 18), Shipley.
Subs (Not Used): Burgoyne, Craig, Barlow, Hutchings.
Peterborough United: Norris, Edwards, Kent, Taylor (Burrows 88), Clarke-Harris, Mason-Clark (Jones 85), Poku (Kyprianou 79), N.Thompson, Ogbeta, Norburn (Knight 85), Ward
Subs (Not Used): Blackmore, Butler, Tshimanga.
Attendance: 6,930 (801).
