FA Cup: Shrewsbury 0 Wrexham 1 - Report

It was a fiercely contested encounter at the Croud Meadow as the game's decisive goal came in the 72nd minute courtesy of Thomas O'Connor's deflected strike.

For 70 minutes Shrewsbury were the better of the two sides but they missed chances and ultimately they were made to pay for that in the second half.

Tunmise Sobowale and Chey Dunkley both missed big chances to give Town the lead before the break.

More opportunities followed in the second half as Shrewsbury pushed for the opener but they were made to pay when O'Connor gave the visitors the lead.

Town struggled after the goal but had two great chances to force a replay in stoppage time when Taylor Perry missed a sitter and then a more difficult chance from the edge of the box.

ANALYSIS

The clash at the Croud Meadow was the first time Shrewsbury and Wrexham had met since 2008 - a clash that Town won 3-0 that day.

It was the first time the ground had been at capacity too. The last time was against Liverpool in the same competition back in 2020.

The teams had not played each other since Hollywood movie star Ryan Reynolds and comedy actor Rob McElhenney bought the club for £ 2 million in November 2020.

Matt Taylor named an unchanged side from the one that beat Fleetwood on New Year's Day - they did welcome Roland Idowu into the matchday squad for the first time and there was a return for Carl Winchester.

The visitors were also able to name an unchanged side after beating Barrow 4-1 on the first day of the year.

Both sets of fans exchanged digs at each other before kick-off as the Shrewsbury flags were out in full force in the South Stand.

Shrewsbury made a bright start with Taylor Perry getting a shot off from distance for Arthur Okonkwo in the Wrexham goal to gather.

And they should have capitalised on their good start through Dunkley. The visitors lost the ball on the edge of their own box and it was collected by Mal Benning who pulled it back for the Town skipper who was 12 yards out.

He shot with his right foot when maybe he should have tried to sweep it home with his left, and it was deflected inches wide.

The long throw of Wrexham skipper Ben Tozer threatened for the hosts as a bouncing ball fell to Andrew Cannon, but his shot was blocked in the area.

Paul Mullin is Wrexham's talisman, he has scored nine times so far this season in the league. He saw a shot from distance fly over comfortably over Marko Marosi's bar.

It was Taylor's Shrewsbury who looked the more likely to take the lead and they should have done so through the lively Sobowale.

Town had hit Wrexham on the counter and the ball came to Jordan Shipley, his early cross fell to Sobowale at the back post, and from just a few yards out his effort went over - it was a golden opportunity.

Wrexham were direct, they were physical and even though they grew into the game, they did not threaten too much in the first period.

Town came out with intensity after the break. Perry got a shot away from the edge of the box that went just over the bar.

Mullin was in the thick of the action. First, he missed a chance from a narrow angle and then he could have been sent off for a late challenge on Marko Marosi.

Wrexham offered more of a threat after the break and Elliot Lee could have opened the scoring, but he skied his left-footed effort over the bar.

Another big chance for Salop saw Benning hit the bar with the outside of his left foot and they were made to pay for not being good enough in front of goal when Wrexham scored.

The visitors were growing into it, and they took the lead in the 72 minute when O'Connor's shot took a huge deflection off Dunkley, wrong-footing Marosi and going in.

Town had not looked like scoring after they went behind, but deep into injury time they had two massive chances to draw level.

Both through Perry, first, he missed a sitter from five yards out, then he shot inches wide from distance - it just was not to be.

Teams

Shrewsbury: Marosi, Feeney, Dunkley, Anderson (Sraha 76), Benning (Idowu 66), Bennett, Kenneh, Perry, Sobowale (Bayliss 66), Shipley, Bowman (Mata 76).

Subs: Burgoyne, Sraha, Bayliss, Idowu, Pierre, Winchester, Mata, Loughran, Whitney.

Wrexham: Okonkwo, Tozer, Mullin, Evans, Forde (Barnett 66), Cannon (Jones 76), O'Connor, McClean, Fletcher (Dalbly 66), Cleworth, Lee.

Subs: McNicholas, McFadzean, Davies, Young, Dalby, Boyle, Bickerstaff, Barnett, Jones.