Shrewsbury 1 Oxford 1 - Report

Billy Boden opened the scoring for the U's just after half-time when he converted from close range as Shrewsbury failed to deal with a long ball forward.

But after Hurst introduced the former Colorado Rapids midfielder with just under 20 minutes to go - the Shrewsbury-born man scored a wonder volley to rescue Salop a late point.

In scoring, he became the first Town substitute to come off the bench and score for Salop this season.

Town's wait for back-to-back wins goes on - but they will consider this result against a good Oxford side a well-deserved one after competing well for 90 minutes on a blustery Shropshire day.

REPORT

It had been a challenging week for Shrewsbury Town.

The 2022/23 accounts were revealed on Thursday, with the club making £3 million pound losses, with cash reserves falling from £1.5 million to 81k.

There was further bad news when head coach Paul Hurst spoke to the press ahead of this clash against Oxford.

He revealed Shrewsbury had a challenging week on the training ground with injury and illness spreading throughout the squad and that five or six of his first team players had been impacted by it.

But finally, on the eve of the game, there was some good news. The damage to the starting XI was not as bad as first thought as Town only named one change to the team that beat Carlisle 1-0 last time out.

Tom Bayliss was the man to miss out - he was ill - and Brighton loanee Jack Hinchy came in to take his place.

Town need two wins to reach the magic 50 points mark, and they had this game against Oxford, plus six more opportunities to get them.

It was an entertaining first half in Shropshire with no shortage of goalmouth action.

Marko Maorsi was forced into making the game's first save when Oxford's Mark Harris was sent through on goal. The keeper denied the striker with his legs in the opening 15 minutes.

It was Des Buckingham's side who started the clash the brighter as Owen Dale saw his left-footed strike easily claimed by the Town number one.

Games at the Meadow have not always been easy on the eye this season, but the opening 45 minutes was a good watch for the Town supporters.

Carl Winchester had Salop's first opportunity when his left-footed strike from distance was tipped wide by Jamie Cumming - the former Sunderland man is still waiting for his first Salop goal.

Aiden O'Brien then should have given Shrewsbury the lead. Tom Flanagan played in Dan Udoh. He pulled it back to O'Brien, who from around eight yards out, could not get the contact he desired on his effort, and it trickled wide.

It was end to end, with Oxford having an almost identical chance seconds later, but Ruben Rodrigues scuffed it, and Chey Dunkley got his body in the way to turn it wide.

Town had suffered a little in the opening 22 minutes, but they came on strong at the end of the first half, with Udoh seeing a deflected strike go over the bar and the skipper heading, not once, but twice, straight at Cumming.

But within 10 minutes of the re-start Salop fell behind.

A long ball over the top saw Josh Murphy race through. Marosi had to come out to narrow down his angle, but via Murphy and Harris, the ball made its way to Bodin, who fired in off the bar.

Winchester hit the post after stabbing goalwards from close as Town searched for a way back into the game, and from the resulting corner, Dunkley, a persistent threat all afternoon, headed his third effort wide.

But the boss turned to his bench introducing Price, and it was his wonderful individual strike that brought the scores level with eight minutes to play.

That goal looked like it had earned Shrewsbury a draw, but only thanks to Marosi's wonder save moments later to deny Bodin a second.

He was helped by Feeney, who was in the right place at the right time to clear the resulting effort off the line.

Six minutes were added, but Town held on for a point.

Shrewsbury: Marosi, Benning, Dunkley, Flanagan, Feeney, Winchester, Hinchy (Price 71), Perry (Bennett 88), Bloxham (Idowu 71), O'Brien (Sobowale 71), Udoh.

Subs: Burgoyne, Bennett, Sraha, Price, Sobowale, Idowu, Bowman.

Oxford: Cumming, Long, Brown, Moore, Brannagan, Harris (Browne 67), Bodin (Henry 88), Bennett, Rodrigues (McEachran 67) , Murphy, Dale (Goodrham).

Subs: Eastwood, Thorniley, McEachran, Browne, Henry, Goodrham, Leigh.