Northampton Town Football Club

Shrewsbury: Marko Marosi, Mal Benning, Morgan Feeney, Carl Winchester, Dan Udoh (sub Ryan Bowman 83), Taylor Perry, Aaron Pierre, Tom Bloxham (sub Tunmise Sobowale 81), Tom Bayliss (sub Nohan Kenneh 83), Chey Dunkley, Jordan Shipley
Subs not used: Jason Sraha, Roland Idowu, Harry Burgoyne, Max Mata

Referee: Sebastian Stockbridge

Booked:
Cobblers: none
Shrewsbury: Tom Bayliss (73), Morgan Feeney (90)

Sent off:
Cobblers: none
Shrewsbury: none

Will Hondermarck replaced Shaun McWilliams in the Cobblers midfield for the visit of Shrewsbury Town. McWilliams, one of eight players unavailable for selection due to injury, missed out after coming off in the midweek win at Charlton but Jordan Willis was passed fit to start. The game was Paul Hurst’s first back in charge at Shrewsbury while former Cobblers defender Aaron Pierre was a familiar face in the visitors line-up.

In a fairly quiet opening to the contest, Shrewsbury appealed in vain for a penalty when Jordan Shipley went down in the area under the attention of Kieron Bowie.

Shipley volleyed just over from 20-yards and Bowie also couldn’t find the target from similar range as the sides traded half chances while Sam Hoskins had a shot deflected behind.

Pierre headed over from a corner and Tom Bloxham struck the post as Shrewsbury went close to opening the scoring before half-time but the sides went in at the break with the score still goalless.

The second half began in a similar fashion, Shipley curled a shot just wide and Taylor Perry drew a comfortable save from Lee Burge before Jon Brady made a change, the Cobblers boss bringing on Norwich loanee Tony Springett for his debut.

Dan Udoh, who scored a late winner when the two sides met earlier in the season, saw a drilled shot well saved by Burge as the Shrews pressed for the opening goal and it was Udoh who did make the breakthrough on 57 minutes with a shot from 20-yards that found the bottom corner, all be it via a deflection. To make matters worse Brady was then forced into another change with Harvey Lintott coming on for Aaron McGowan.

An instinctive strike from Springett after some good work by Bowie was well saved by Marko Marosi as the Cobblers looked for an equaliser but at the other end it needed a good save from Burge to keep out a close range bullet header from Chey Dunkley as Shrewsbury went close to a second goal.

Having earlier been denied by Burge, Chey Dunkley did get himself on the scoresheet with fifteen minutes to play, the Shrews captain heading in a corner at the back post to double the visitors lead.

There was no way back for the Cobblers after that and but for a superb save from Burge to deny Perry, Shrewsbury would have added a third goal late on.

COBBLERS MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (0) 2
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (2) 3
CORNERS: (4) 7
FOULS: (5) 8
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (0) 0

SHREWSBURY MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (1) 11
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (4) 5
CORNERS: (2) 4
FOULS: (9) 14
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (1) 4