Bolton 1 Shrewsbury 0 - Report
Shrewsbury Town fell to defeat in Lancashire as Josh Sheehan's second-half strike earned promotion hopefuls Bolton Wanderers the points.
There was very little action in the first 45 minutes at the University of Bolton Stadium as Salop defended in numbers and crowded out the Trotters.
Kyle Dempsey did see a few efforts go narrowly wide when he shot from a distance, but they were the only efforts to report in a quiet opening half.
But Bolton came out on the front foot after the break.
Josh Sheehan, Conor Bradley and Dion Charles all went close to giving the home side the lead, but they either hit the woodwork or were denied by the excellent Marko Marosi.
And it was Sheehan that did get the first goal, firing in from outside the box just past the hour mark.
It could have been more just after when Marosi denied Victor Adeboyejo with an excellent reflex stop, and Charles cracked another effort off the bar.
It looked as if the effort the Town players put in on Tuesday night was catching up on their depleted squad.
Matthew Pennington went close for Town in the closing stages when a scramble fell at his feet just inside the area, but there were plenty of Bolton bodies back to make the block, and the game finished 1-0.
ANALYSIS
Shrewsbury arrived at Bolton Wanderers looking to get back to winning ways after a tricky recent run in League One.
All eyes turned to the game at the University of Bolton Stadium where the players had another uphill task with their depleted squad who had worked so hard in midweek but fell 96th-minute winner to league leaders Plymouth Argyle.
There was positive news for Steve Cotterill before kick-off when Matthew Pennington was passed fit to play - he came back into the side in place of Kade Craig and played right back.
Elliott Bennett also dropped out of the team in place of the returning Ryan Bowman - he had served his two-match suspension for the two yellow cards he picked up at Barnsley.
Christian Saydee has been missing since the game against Portsmouth but he was fit enough to make the bench - another positive for Town.
Dempsey had the first chance of the afternoon when his left-footed effort trickled wide of the post.
It was a quiet opening half an hour and in fact, the only other site at goal for either side was when Dempsey had another left-footed shot from distance - in almost identical fashion - it went narrowly wide of Marko Marosi's left post.
For the majority of the half, Town sat in their shape and asked the hosts to break them down, and Bolton were ponderous on the ball and Salop defended it with ease.
The hosts came out fast after the break though.
Sheehan went close when he found space in the box and he shot across Maorsi, it looked to be heading into the corner but it went wide of the keeper's post.
Marosi then made a wonderful save after Luke Leahy's deflected ball forward fell into Charles' path. He sat down Shipley but the keeper made himself big to deny the forward what looked to be a certain goal.
The hosts had the ball in the net moments later, but Charles was adjudged to have fouled Pennington by referee Tom Reeves.
Conor Bradley saw a deflected shot cannon off the bar and Marosi was forced into another good stop from a corner.
And in the 63rd minute, the visitors' pressure took its toll and they took the lead.
Sheehan unleashed a shot from 25 yards that went into the top corner with nothing Marosi could do.
The boss went to his bench and introduced Elliott Bennett and Christian Saydee but it did little to disrupt the flow.
Marosi was in inspired form, and he stopped the hosts from doubling their lead when he denied Adeboyejo when the striker was one on one with him.
Town did go close to a late equaliser, but after good play from Saydee, Pennington saw an effort blocked in the six-yard box.
Teams
Salop: Marosi, Leahy, Pennington, Moore, Winchester, Phillips, Bowman, Street (Bennett 66), Bloxham (Saydee), Dunkley, Shipley.
Subs: Burgoyne, Bennett, Saydee, Craig, Barlow.
Bolton: Trafford, Jones, MJ Williams, Johnston, Sheehan (Lee 74), Charles, Morley, Bradley, Dempsey, R. Williams, Adeboyejo (Nlundulu 74).
Subs: John, Nlundulu, Shoretire, Lee, Kachunga, Thomason, Jerome
