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Match Reports

Match Report | Shrewsbury 1-2 Plymouth

18 April 2023

Match Reports

Match Report | Shrewsbury 1-2 Plymouth

18 April 2023

Shrewsbury Town suffered late heartbreak after a brilliant performance against table-topping Plymouth Argyle.

Salop were the better side in the first half but the deadlock wasn't broken until Killian Phillips' sent a brilliant shot curling into the top left-hand corner in the 53rd minute.

Plymouth pulled one back 15 minutes later through captain Joe Edwards, who headed home Niall Ennis' cross at the back post.

The gutwrenching winner came courtesy of Callum Wright, who converted a 96th-minute winner to break Salop hearts.

Manager Steve Cotterill continued to deal with a raft of injury problems ahead of the visit of Steven Schumacher's side with Dan Udoh, George Nurse, Tom Bayliss, Rekeil Pyke, Matt Pennington and Christian Saydee all in the treatment room.

On top of that, both Tom Flanagan and Ryan Bowman were suspended for the visit of the League One leaders.

And that meant Steve opted for a 4-5-1 system that saw youngster Kade Craig make his league debut at left-back.

In midfield, Tom Bloxham operated on the right with Jordan Shipley on the left and Luke Leahy, Carl Winchester and Killian Phillips central. Rob Street was the striker.

With so few players available, Town named a bench consisting of just four subs - with youngsters Nana Owusu, Declan Hutchings and Travis Hernes joining goalkeeper Harry Burgoyne.

Steven Schumacher's Plymouth side went with a 3-5-2 formation, with former Town players Sam Cosgrove and Niall Ennis as the front two.
 
It was Shrewsbury who created the first chance of the match when Bloxham used some neat footwork to hit the byline before standing up a dangerous cross.
 
That delivery, though, was excellently claimed by goalkeeper Callum Burton.
 
Plymouth threatened shortly after when Brendan Galloway whipped in a wonderful ball from the left flank.
 
That was met by an excellent glancing header from Matt Butcher. Marko Marosi, though, proved more than equal to the effort with the goalkeeper making an excellent one-handed stop to palm the ball away.
 
Town had another chance to go ahead in the 20th minute with the move originating from a Leahy free-kick.
 
The ball bounced around the danger zone before it fell at the feet of Shipley, who then slipped in Bloxham.

The academy graduate fired hard and low at the keepers near post, but Burton got down well to make a smart block with his legs.

After a battling performance for both sides, it was Shrewsbury who took the lead in the 53rd minute.
 
Bloxham was the architect driving down the right before laying it off to Leahy, attempting to slip it through to Phillips.
 
After a mix in the Argyle defence, the Crystal Palace loanee managed to latch onto the loose ball and drive to just inside the box and convert a magnificent shot into the top corner.
 
The away side pulled level in the 68th minute when Ennis used some brilliant footwork to escape his marker by the corner flag.
 
The Wolves loanee sent a cross to the back post, where Edwards darted and headed it in.
 
Two minutes later, Shrewsbury went down the other end looking for their second goal of the night, and it nearly came through Leahy.  
 
The skipper sent a low curling effort goalward, but Burton managed to get down and claim.
 
Argyle came close to taking the lead in the 75th minute from a dangerous cross sent in by Danny Mayor.
 
The move reached Edwards again at the back post, but he could only send his header wide.
 
Shrewsbury went close again in the 82nd minute when Street managed to bring down Leahy's dinked ball.
 
The forward hit a first-time strike to the near post, but Burton managed to claim to keep the score level. 
 
The away side won a corner in the 96th minute, which Town managed to deal with first time.
 
But the ball fell to Gillesphey out wide, who whipped in another cross into the danger zone and Wright with a diving header for Argyle to seal the win. 
 
Teams      
Salop XI:       
Marosi (GK), Leahy (C), Moore, Winchester, Phillips, Street, Bennett, Bloxham, Dunkley, Shipley, Craig
 
Unused subs:      
Burgoyne (GK), Owusu, Hutchings, Hernes
 
Plymouth:  
Burton (GK), Gillesphey, Houghton, Wilson, Scarr (Earley, 54), Butcher (Matete, 73), Edwards (C), Ennis, Cosgrove (Hardie, 45), Azaz (Wright, 61), Galloway (Mayor, 45)
 
Unused subs:    
Randell, Parkes 
 
Bookings: Cosgrove, Shipley, Ennis, Matete
Attendance: 5,801
Away: 1,124
 
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