Chesterfield: Trevor Carson, Jamie Lowry, Robert Page (c), Kevin Austin (Currie, 59), Jamie Ward, Alan Goodall, Jack Lester, Aaron Downes, Jamie Winter, Lloyd Kerry, Dan Gray

Subs: Gregor Robertson, Derek Niven, Darren Currie, Paul Harsley, Val Teixeira

Goal: Currie 66, Ward (pen) 71

Town: Glyn Garner, Neil Ashton (Leslie, 85), Mike Jackson (c), Kelvin Langmead, Ben Herd, Paul Murray (Moss, 69), Grant Holt, Chris Humphrey, Marc Tierney, Richard Walker (White, 67), Kevin McIntyre

Subs: Darren Moss, David Hunt, Dave Hibbert, Steve Leslie, Jamie White

Goals: Holt (pen) 45, 54

Referee: K Evans

Assistants: A Smith & S Smith
Fourth Official: I Dudley

Attendance: 4,099 (439 away)

Martin Wild reports from Saltergate

Paul Simpson is forced to change his back line as Graham Coughlan has picked up a thigh strain. Kelvin Langmead earns a recall at centre-back and Neil Ashton comes in to add strength to the midfield, which means Steve Leslie has to be content with a place on the bench.

Shrews had a perfect opportunity to banish any lingering Blyth blues after just five minutes, when some neat interchange between Richard Walker and Kevin McIntyre - employed in a more central role this evening - released Grant Holt on the far right hand side of the penalty area, but Holt drove wide of the near post.

Chris Humphrey had an almost identical chance minutes later but it was déjà vu for Town with the outcome uncannily similar.

It was a bright and inventive start from the visitors who were chasing a victory that would give them a one point lead at the top of League Two, for a few hours at least.

As they continued to do most of the pressing, Holt and Walker failed to communicate with each other when left in space at close range, but as neither were prepared to put a name on it, both swung out a leg at the same time, and found fresh air rather than pig's bladder in almost comedy fashion!

Chesterfield's goal was leading a charmed life in the opening quarter hour, with Shrews looking in the mood to repair the wounds left from the shock cup exit in Northumberland.

There was an injury scare for Town - who continue to operate without a substitute goalkeeper - as Jack Lester appeared to leave a foot in as Garner dived at his feet. Garner recovered soon enough, but the Spireites hotshot received a yellow card for his sins, much to the chagrin of the home supporters.

There was plenty of goalmouth action, and just after Ashton had sent a fierce free-kick into the midriff of Trevor Carson in the home goal, Jamie Ward skewed a left footer wide of target in the host's first worthwhile attempt.

Humphrey was seeing plenty of the ball in the early stages, and there were several scary moments for Lee Richardson's men with the winger's pace and trickery a problem for the left full back. Walker was also prominent for Salop as they continued to set the pace of this game.

The only thing missing from the performance in the first thirty minutes, was a goal their enterprise richly deserved. This was arguably as good a performance away from home in the league, as any during Paul Simpson's reign.

Holt held off Robert Page on the edge of the box, and swivelled to get away his shot, but he was leaning back slightly and couldn't keep the ball down.

Shrewsbury looked far more compact and solid as a unit - which was good to see - after a run of games where the side have been conceding early goals - and cheaply!

There was plenty of aggression on show too, with both teams going at each other hammer and tongs.

Garner had to adjust his feet to see over Page's looped attempt from outside the area, and the corner was wasted by the home side.

Town weren't playing like a side with only one away win in the last eleven months, but you sensed a growing importance for the opening goal to go to the Men In Black.

The opportunity duly arrived in the last of three minutes of first-half stoppage time when Holt won a penalty kick. Page was all over him like a rash and the referee had no option but to point to the spot. Holt sent Carson the wrong way from 12 yards to make it goal number fifteen in all competitions.

Half-Time: 0-1

The tempo remained high as the game resumed with Chesterfield understandably trying to lay down an early marker after conceding in the 48th minute.

Shrews were almost caught cold when Lester took a free-kick quickly but Garner was alert to the danger and spread himself well to deny Ward.

Town almost extended their lead through Holt when he stretched Carson with a rasping volley, but the number sixteen was soon celebrating again with a brilliant finish on 54 minutes.

Walker was a whisker away from applying a killer touch inside the six yard box. The ball looked to be heading out but was retrieved by Humphrey who crossed for Walker to cushion a header into Holt's path. The striker's finish was emphatic into the top corner right in front of the Town fans, to put the side well on course towards the league summit.

With two thirds of the game gone, Shrewsbury appeared in complete control with a ballsy display having been demonstrated from the first whistle.

But disaster struck after 66 minutes when Darren Currie's strike from outside the box looked to have been saved by Garner. Inexplicably, the ball spun from his grasp and squirmed over the line.

Much worse was to follow after Simpson had introduced Jamie White and Darren Moss. Mike Jackson wrestled Lester to the ground and a penalty was the only possible outcome. The home crowd bayed for Jackson's dismissal and he escaped with a yellow. There was no escape for Town though, as Ward fairly planted the pen - high to Garner's right.

How goals can change games. Unfortunately for Shrews - and their goalkeeper in particular - a cataclysmic error had given Chesterfield a reprieve, and some hope on the back of it. This game had looked dead and buried and yet Town were now rocking and on the verge of tossing away the game.

Quite what Paul Simpson would have been thinking down in the technical area would have been anyone's guess. Mine is that it would have been unprintable.

Lester was frightening the Town defenders to death, twisting this way and that, and generally making a right darn nuisance of himself. Every time he got within sight of goal the alarm bells ought to have been heard back in Shropshire, and all his movements were central to goal - no drifting into the wide channels for this striker!

Garner denied Lester a late winner with a flying save to partly redeem himself, and so a point was all Town had to show from a performance, that was at times exceptional, and others excruciating.

Learning how to hang onto two goal leads will go some way to turning this side of great potential, into a side of great achievers.

Full-Time: 2-2