It may not have been the prettiest victory of the season, nor the most convincing. 

But if the champagne corks are popping to celebrate promotion in May, Shrewsbury Town will pin-point the final game of 2008 as one of the most important. 

In grinding out a 1-0 success over a dangerous Bury team who were reduced to 10 men seven minutes before the interval, Town ended a run of three successive League defeats – and four in total if a Johnstone’s Paint Trophy penalty exit is included. 

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Quite how pivotal these three points prove only time will tell.

Paul Simpson and his team will certainly be hoping it proves to be the turning point in the recent wobble and puts the season firmly back on track. 

But what wasn’t in doubt is that this was a day when the result was far more important than the performance which earned it. 

On reflection, Bury may consider themselves a little unfortunate to leave the Prostar Stadium empty-handed. 

When the sides had parity in numbers, Luke Daniels – now rekindling his pre-injury form – was forced into three impressive saves. 

And even after Efetobore Sodje received his marching orders from referee Mark Haywood for an alleged elbow on Michael Symes, the visitors occasionally broke from their rigid two defensive banks of four with real pace, threat and purpose. 

Promising

Shrewsbury – for whom Steve Leslie and Symes were given rare starts in place of Kevin McIntyre and Richard Walker – were to have chances too, despite still lacking that decisive spark which illuminated many of their promising early-season performances. 

Confidence will, no doubt, have dipped after the recent blip and there appeared a little edginess and nervousness about some of Shrewsbury’s play. 

No surprise then that relief was the overwhelming emotion when Grant Holt secured his 20th goal of the season by meeting an excellent Ben Davies cross to break the deadlock on 76 minutes. 

It came at a time when Shrewsbury may just have been beginning to think they would have to settle for a point as they struggled to make a telling impact on the well-organised visitors. 

That said the lively Walker was denied on three occasions – twice by saves from Wayne Brown and once by a defensive block – after his introduction for the final quarter of the game, and Town got their reward for remaining patient and resolute in search of a vital victory. 

Not surprisingly, Bury’s principle threat came when they had a full quota of players on the pitch, although the pace of Telford-based on-loan Wolves winger Elliott Bennett was a constant thorn throughout the entire afternoon. 

In the early stages, Daniels had to be alert to keep out efforts from former Town midfielder Michael  Jones, Andy Morrell and Stephen Dawson, while the pick of the saves from Shrewsbury’s goalkeeper came shortly after Sodje’s dismissal from Bennett. 

Holt and Davies both fired over from promising positions in those early stages, while Symes and Kelvin Langmead had headed opportunities. 

Then came Sodje’s red card for an alleged elbow on Symes as the two battled for the ball, a decision those Town players close to the incident insisted was correct. 

From that moment on, Shrewsbury enjoyed possession aplenty and Holt was to have the final say. 

It could just prove a major goal in Town’s campaign.