FA Cup: Shrewsbury 3 Colchester 2 - Report

Their good home form continued in a game that finished 3-2 to the hosts which saw them score more than once for the first time since August.

It was a positive afternoon's work for Matt Taylor's men, who avoided an FA Cup banana skin against League Two Colchester, but it also saw the return of Jordan Shipley and a debut for Elliot Thorpe.

The game was played in torrential rain in Shropshire as Salop fell behind via Cameron McGeehan's opener.

But Town equalised pretty much instantly through Dan Udoh, before going on to add a second through Shipley and a third via a Connor Hall own goal.

The visitors pulled one back through Zach Mitchell to make it a nervy final few moments, but they held on for an important win.

ANALYSIS

Boosted by the return of Shipley to the starting XI after being out injured since the end of August Salop needed a good start.

But they got the opposite of that when League Two Colchester United took the lead in the 10th minute with their first attack.

It did not look like there was too much danger, but Town gave far too much space to Cameron McGeehan on the edge of the box and he fired in from distance.

It was a completely avoidable goal for Salop, and it meant they would have to score twice in a game for the first time since August 15.

But they were not behind for long, Dan Udoh getting his third goal of the season as Salop finally made good use of a set piece.

It was cleverly worked, with Mal Benning pulling it back to Shipley, and it was his scuffed shot that hit Udoh before going beyond Owen Goodman.

There were bright moments, but for the most part, it was the same old story with a similar result for Town - they were unable to dominate proceedings in the first half.

Shrews started the second half brightly, and they were soon rewarded with a second.

A superb team goal, involving Tom Flanagan and Shipley. The defender's diagonal ball was wonderfully taken on the chest by Shipley and then he proceeded to knock it around the goalkeeper with ease.

Colchester offered a threat on the counter-attack, and they should have been level when their dangerman Joe Taylor fired over from inside the box.

Ryan Bowman had a chance to make it three after wonderful work from substitute Max Mata but he waited too long when he only had the keeper to beat, and his effort was blocked.

But the third goal, from a much-improved second-half performance, had been coming, and it did come courtesy of a Connor Hall own-goal.

Wonderful play by Tom Bayliss saw him evade two challenges before playing in Taylor Perry, his cross was then deflected in.

It looked like it would be a comfortable end to the match for Shrews, but they conceded via a Zach Mitchell header with three minutes of normal time remaining.

Shrews: Marosi, Flanagan, Anderson, Sraha, Benning (Sobowale 87), Winchester, Bennett, Perry (Kenneh 87), Shipley (Bowman 66), Bayliss (Thorpe 87), Udoh (Mata 74).

Subs: Burgoyne, Mata, Bowman, Sobowale, Thorpe, Pierre Kenneh.

Colchester: Goodman, Greenidge (Mitchell 59), Hall, Dallison (Homer 71), Tovide (Hopper 71), Chilvers, McGeehan, Read, Egbo, Taylor (Ihionvien 71), Fevrier.

Subs: Hornby, Jay, Hopper, Mitchell, Mingi, Kennedy, Cooper, Terry, Ihionvien.