Ollie Westbury analysis: A mixed bag of emotions as Shrewsbury earn a reward
Shrewsbury Town showed a different side to their game at Bolton Wanderers on Saturday.
After taking in a 2-0 lead in at the break – one they completely deserved after their first-half performance – they were soon pegged back by their promotion-chasing hosts.
That is frustrating in itself. But there was a shared feeling from the moment Bolton got that second goal, to draw the game level, with just under half-an-hour to find a winner, they would go on to win the game.
The Toughsheet Community Stadium is a challenging place to play and the home fans were roaring their side on to find a winner – a goal that would have seen them win four consecutive matches.
But Paul Hurst’s side showed determination and fight to weather the Bolton storm and see the game out for a valuable point.
There were tremendous blocks put in by Funso Ojo, Aaron Pierre and some wonderful saves made by goalkeeper Toby Savin, and that was what allowed Shrews to get over the line.
It was the first time this season that Salop have gone away from the Croud Meadow and returned with something and after their first-half performance, it is hard to reason that it was not deserved.
The start to this campaign has been less than ideal, with Salop taking five points from their opening 10 games, which is one of the worst starts in their league history.
But they showed a different side to their game on this occasion against a team that has undoubted quality.