After a week in which the football world became engrossed in a £100 million transfer sensation, Shrewsbury Town fans would have given a penny for the thoughts of Marc Pugh.

The latest twist in what is fast becoming a campaign to forget for the winger came in an eighth away draw of the League Two season for Paul Simpson’s men.

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But more of that later because the defining image of this fiercely fought derby was the sight of Pugh trudging off Vale Park after being sent off just 200 seconds after his arrival as a 71th minute substitute.

Not least because the decision of referee Trevor Kettle to level up the red card count, after administering the same punishment to former AFC Telford United hero Kyle Perry in the first half, was amongst the most baffling witnessed this season. 

There is no doubt Pugh would have been fired up to impress after finally earning a chance following a four-month exile from the first team dating back to the single goal defeat at Morecambe on September 6. 

But there was no hint of over-zealousness or malice in a run-of-the-mill, centre-of-the-field challenge on Anthony Griffith. 

No wonder Pugh appeared as though he had just lost a jackpot winning lottery ticket and instead stumbled upon a 50 pence piece.

Unless the decision is over-turned, the winger – who will now doubt have been boosted by the loud ovation he received from Town’s travelling support of almost 1,500 during his brief appearance – now faces a three-match ban and a battle to force his way back into Simpson’s plans.

But if the Pugh dismissal provided the major talking point, so Town will have reflected on two points that got away on an afternoon when they held the numerical advantage for 45 minutes either side of half time. 

Shrewsbury’s performance in the first 45 minutes was impressive, zipping the ball around the spacious Vale Park pitch with real zest and purpose to control territory and possession.

They even overcame the significant blow of falling behind to a ninth minute wonder strike, Steve Thompson unleashing the type of 25-yard thunderbolt which opposition defences are helpless to prevent. 

Either side of that goal, Town controlled proceedings before the interval and the impressive Steve Leslie took full advantage of the freedom granted him by the floating role in a 4-5-1 formation to test Vale keeper Joe Anyon on three occasions. 

So it was no surprise when lone striker Richard Walker levelled the scores on 27 minutes, squeezing the ball past Anyon with a 10-yard left-foot shot after persistence from Ben Davies created the chance. 

Perry’s dismissal, for what was adjudged a deliberate elbow on Kelvin Langmead four minutes later, gave Shrewsbury further momentum, but the crisp passing which was such a feature of Town’s first half performance lost some of its zip and tempo after the break as Vale got bodies behind the ball to make life difficult. 

The result was a sporadic second half display, in which the ever dangerous Chris Humphrey proved the most dangerous attacking outlet in terrorising Vale’s Telford-born defender Lee Collins. 

That Shrewsbury didn’t work Anyon more during their spell of numerical dominance will have been a source of disappointment, before Pugh’s dismissal restored parity for the closing 14 minutes.

From the resulting Vale free-kick, John McCombe headed onto the roof of the net but it was Town who finished the stronger. 

Humphrey, who was cynically hacked down by Luke Prosser in the closing stages only for Kettle to somehow produce a yellow card rather than a third red, was to have the clearest opening, although elected to cross rather than shoot himself as the space opened up invitingly.

By James Garrison