Town 0 Brentford 1
: Chris Weale, Ryan Woods, Dave Winfield, Tamika Mkandawire (c), Joe Jacobson, Paul Parry (Reach 69), Nicky Wroe, Aaron Wildig, Jon Taylor, Liam McAlinden (Summerfield 80) Tom Bradshaw (Lopez 69)SHREWSBURY
: Joe Anyon, Darren Jones, David McAllister, Connor Goldson,SUBS NOT USED
: David Button, Adam Forshaw (Grigg 82) Tony Craig, Harlee, Dean, Jonathan Douglas, Clayton Donaldson, Alan McCormack, George Saville, Jake Bidwell, Kadeem Harris (Saunders 62), Marcello Trotta (Diagouraga 77)BRENTFORD
: Richard Lee, Farid El Alagui, Shaleum Logan, Martin TaylorSUBS NOT USED
: Keith Stroud.REFEREE
: 9,783 - Shrewsbury away support: 367ATT
BRENTFORD 1 SHREWSBURY 0 - FT
A 16th minute goal from on loan Brentford striker Marcello Trotta proved to be the matchwinner against Shrewsbury in a tight game at Grffin Park.
Kadeem Harris created the chance with tricky play down the left, his cross found Fulham loanee Trotta who sidefooted a volley into the corner from 10 yards.
Town were second best in the opening 45 minutes but improved after the break, restricting the hosts to few chances and they looked more threatening themselves going forward.
Graham Turner made three changes to the side that drew with Colchester at the Greenhous Meadow in midweek. Nicky Wroe came in to make his second debut for the club, after signing on loan from Preston on Friday, replacing Luke Summerfield who dropped to the bench. Five goal top-scorer Tom Bradshaw was also re-called up front alongside Liam McAlinden with Spainard Cristian Lopez named as a substitute. Adam Reach was also left out of the starting XI with Parry Parry coming back in out wide.
Their best spell - and chance - came at the start of the second half. Jon Taylor nearly finished off a Wroe flick, but his looping header from close range was tipped over by former Shrewsbury loan 'keeper David Button.
Defender Dave Winfield then powered a header wide which nicked off a Bees defender for a corner. Wroe also dragged a long range effort just past the post, with the Brentford backline looking edgy for the first time in the match. Paul Parry then tried his luck from outside the area, he hit his shot well, but it deflected just wide.
Up until then though, Uwe Rosler's side had more of the posession and more efforts on goal, especially in a one sided opening 35 minutes, where Trotta could have had a hat-trick. Town 'keeper Chris Weale pulled off a fine fingertip save to deny the striker a second, getting the merest touch to a well struck shot in a move that calved Shrewsbury's defence open.
Two minutes before the goal, a surging run from midfield by Adam Forshaw picked out striker Clayton Donaldson on the right, his cross from the by-line found livewire Trotta who, under pressure, screwed his shot wide from 12 yards. Forshaw then smashed a shot high and wide, as Town soaked up strong spells of pressure.
Jon Taylor looked the most likely source of a Shrewsbury equaliser with two efforts late in the half. First after 36 minutes when he fired a stinging drive straight at David Button. Then close to stoppage time, his goal-bound effort was bravely blocked by a resolute Bees defence.
After Town's strong start to the second half, the game began to get scrappy. Turner made a double switch with loanees Reach and Lopez coming onto the replace Bradshaw and Parry.
Reach nearly grabbed a late equaliser for Town with a rasping 25 yard drive that whistled three yards over the bar.
And with Shrewsbury pushing forward in the closing stages and leaving gaps at the back, Brentford could and maybe should have put the seal on the win in stoppage time with Donaldson and sub Sam Saunders blazing wastefully wide.