Town: Chris Neal, Dean Holden, Graham Coughlan (c), Craig Disley, Kelvin Langmead, Dave Hibbert (Riza, 70), Jake Robinson, Nathan Elder (Bright, 63), Paul Murray (Dunfield, 105), Shane Cansdell-Sherriff, Kevin McIntyre

Subs: Terry Dunfield, Omer Riza, Kris Bright, Harry Hooman, Andre Gray, Jake Simpson, Andreas Arestidou

Goals: Robinson 16, Hibbert 25, Cansdell-Sherriff 74

Ipswich Town: Shane Supple, David Wright, Alex Bruce (c), Owen Garvan (Upsom, 46), Jack Colback, Colin Healy, Alan Quinn, Jack Ainsley (O'Connor, 46), Tommy Smith, Reggie Lambe (Walters, 78), Connor Wickham

Subs: Jon Walters, Ed Upsom, Shane O'Connor, Ian McLoughlin, Troy Brown, Ronan Murray, Luke Hyam

Goals: Wickham 11, 59, Quinn 32

Referee: M P Russell
Assistant Referee (yellow): S J Crook
Assistant Referee (plain): K Hayward
Fourth Official: M A Astley

Attendance: 4184 (695)

Martin Wild reports from the Prostar Stadium

Paul Simpson is forced into a change from the side that beat Burton Albion 3-1 on Saturday.Shane Cansdell-Sherriff comes in for Joss Labadie, as his parent club West Bromwich don't want the young midfielder cup-tied.

Shrews had the first real shot at goal and full-back Dean Holden wasn't very far away though rookie keeper Shane Supple had the 30 yarder covered.

The visitor's largely second string were playing some neat stuff and when Alan Quinn burst into the home penalty box, Paul Murray was there to conceded the corner. Quinn had a reasonable case for a penalty as Murray had his hands up as he slid in to intercept.

If that decision went in the home sides favour, the incident leading up to the opening goal was the exact opposite. Quinn again got down the left and showed Holden a clean pair of heels. Kelvin Langmead came across to cover and Ipswich's left winger slid in and caught the Shrews centre-back. It was his momentum that carried him through, and although in no way malicious, it looked like the referee would blow for the infringement. He allowed play to go on though and Connor Wickham gave his side the lead with a great turn and finish that flew low past Chris Neal's right hand.

Salop soon responded though and Jake Robinson was the man on target. Kevin McIntyre's low centre made its way through to the back post and the diminutive striker levelled from around twelve yards.

This was a great cup tie, swinging from one end to the other and keeping the 4,000 plus crowd on the edge of their seats. The three-pronged Town attack were linking up well with Robinson's clever running off the ball and Elder's superb hold-up play.

Dave Hibbert isn't mentioned in that paragraph because he deserves one of his own. On 25 minutes, and from as many yards, the rejuvenated striker launched an absolute howitzer beyond Supple and into the corner of the net to give the home side a lead for the first time. His celebration was incredibly diluted - if I'd have scored a goal like that I'd still be running round Oteley Road!

Sadly, the lead barely lasted five minutes. Graham Coughlan took a yellow for the side by felling Jack Colback right on the edge of the 'D'. It was probably the right decision as the way was open for Ipswich to level. But that wasn't the last of the punishments. Town put up a good wall to protect Neal but Quinn was able to find the corner with an exquisite free-kick to bring the scores back level.

Wickham - still seven months shy of a seventeenth birthday - was a real handful for the Town defenders, and is certainly one for the future. Remember the name.

If the second half was only half as entertaining as the first, then the crowd would be in for a treat.

Half-Time: Shrews 2 Ipswich T 2

Roy Keane rolled the dice at the break withdrawing Owen Garvan and Jack Ainsley. The men thrown into the fray were Ed Upsom and Shane O'Connor.

Wickham was soon making a nuisance of himself forcing Neal into a save low to his right with barely a minute played. Despite this being pretty much a reserve outfit put out by the former Manchester United captain, his side had played with a certain amount of style and guile. The Tractor Boys will make promotion their priority and under the strict regime employed by the no-nonsense Irishman, who would argue that this time next year they might be enjoying Premier League football once more down Portman Road way? Certainly, there doesn't look a lot wrong with the youth set up.

O'Connor was next to try his luck from distance, and with Neil desperately trying to make up the ground across his goal line, the Town stopper would have been mightily relieved to see the ball smack into the advertisement hoardings and not the corner of his goal.

Much like the opening ten minutes of the first half, the away side were having the better of things in the early stages of the second. There was no change in tempo from the side tonight wearing an all red change kit.

Neal was definitely the busier of the two goalkeepers and was called into action to make a double save after 55 minutes, first denying Quinn and then punching clear before any Ipswich player could profit.

Town broke and Elder drove beyond the far post from a wide angle to give the over-worked defenders some brief respite.

In pre-season of course, Shrews had been taken to the cleaners by two Championship sides here, but it was one player who was hanging them out to dry here.

That boy Wickham fired Ipswich back in front with another goal out of nothing. For one so young to be so deadly playing with his back to goal, suggests good things may happen for England in 2014. Trust me, by then he'll be an international regular. His second goal of the night was equally as pleasing on the eye as his first. Another bullet drive that fair flew past the hapless figure of Neal. Keane stood to applaud his young protégé and the congratulations from his team mates was richly deserved.

Back in January, another youngster - Jordon Rhodes - scored a hat-trick for Brentford here whilst on loan from Ipswich. He's out on loan again to Huddersfield, and it must be of some comfort to Keane knowing that he has two fabulous young strikers at the football club, whose best is still some distance away in the future.

Salop weren't out of it and Kris Bright came on for a first appearance since signing just over a week ago, with Elder the man going to the bench. A change in personnel perhaps, but still the 4-3-3 system was employed with Shrews still shorn of numbers in wide areas. Shortly after, Omer Riza went on for Hibbert seconds before Neal kept out Reggie Lambe's far post header.

Town had barely had a sight of goal since the turnaround but Bright tried an audacious 35 yarder which powered into the midriff of Supple central to goal.

After 74 minutes came an unlikely equaliser and it was another goal of high quality. Town enjoyed a sustained spell with the ball and when Murray picked out Bright, he superbly cushioned a header into the path of Shane Cansdell-Sherriff. The returning midfielder had an awful lot still to do but he arrowed his shot into the corner, with a goal not dissimilar to the one McIntyre fired at Bury to bring about a Wembley appearance.

Wembley will not see Shrewsbury or Ipswich contest this competition's final, but there will be fewer better games in this season's Carling Cup.

The pace continued unabated and Riza had a marvellous opportunity when he sprang the flat-footed Ipswich rearguard, but Supple did just enough to force the striker to go wide with his effort.

Keane threw on Jon Walters in an attempt to stave off extra-time with twelve minutes to go, and you weren't sure just how many twists and turns this cracking game had left. It was wonderful fayre and all the pre-season doubt has been well and truly exorcised, with the team showing early signs of being stronger than the one which went oh-so-close last time around.

Alex Bruce flashed a near post header wide from a well-drilled corner routine with a couple of minutes left, but the visiting fans were going to be home later than expected as the game ran over by half an hour.

Full-Time: Shrews 3 Ipswich T 3

Extra-time was seven minutes old by the first time Wickham advanced into danger territory, but the long legs of Langmead wrapped themselves around the ball to deny the youngster any chance of a first senior treble.

As the half drew to a close, Wickham showed he is human after all when one of his turns failed to produce a goal, and there were ironic - yet hugely relieved - cheers from the Salopians in the South Stand, as the ball sailed away from goal.

HT (E.T.) Shrews 3 Ipswich T 3

Terry Dunfield joins the action with fifteen minutes left with Paul Murray having put in another tireless shift.

The game still swung like a pendulum without actually over extending the goalkeepers, but both defences had to be at their best to quell the steady stream of advances into opposition 18 yard areas. Only seven minutes stood between settlement or the dreaded penalty shoot-out.

Neither side was content to go to a penalty decider, but Mr. Russell brought matters to a conclusion with three blasts of his whistle and Town had the moral victory.

FT (E.T.) Shrews 3 Ipswich T 3

Penalties (at North Stand End - Ipswich to take first):-

Walters 1-0

Robinson 1-0 (saved)

Wickham 2-0

Riza 2-1

Quinn 3-1

McIntyre 3-2

Upsom 4-2

Coughlan (missed) 4-2

(Ipswich Town go through 4-2 on penalties after 3-3 draw)

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