It has been almost seven months since Shrewsbury Town produced a late, late show at Exeter to secure their sole Football League victory on the road this season.

And the Devon club last night gained their revenge for that Paul Murray 89th minute winner with a vital late strike of their own to grab a priceless draw at the Prostar Stadium.

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What began as a tale of two penalties ended with two points slipping through the grasp of Paul Simpson’s side.

And it left the club’s followers wondering just what the outcome will be when the final two months of the season are completed.

Simpson and his players will still share the belief that a charge on the automatic promotion places is possible.

Yet Town’s form will have to take a serious upturn if that is to become a reality.

Having dropped out of the play-off positions last night, Shrewsbury’s immediate priority at the moment will be to ensure they leave Dagenham after the final game on May 3 with their season still alive. Anything else would be a huge bonus.

Undoubtedly, last night’s performance was a clear improvement on Saturday’s Macclesfield misery.

Collectively and individually, superior displays were delivered as Town appeared to be heading for a much-needed victory after an hour of this contest.

And, while Exeter’s late rally yielded the point it deserved, that at least gives Simpson and his side a platform to build on as they prepare for the visit of Notts County this weekend.

There will, however, be concerns that Shrewsbury’s victories have dried up at the wrong time of the season, and that they are still struggling to reproduce the same swashbuckling form which swept all before them at the start of the season and raised expectation levels.

To expect victories by those four, five and seven goal margins week in week out is pure folly.

But what Town would now give for one of their free-flowing early-season performances to deliver a timely confidence boost.

The hosts were to have a fortunate escape in the opening period with Exeter spurning their 21st minute spot kick.

So close was Shane Cansdell-Sherriff to Marcus Stewart that it seemed harsh to penalise the Australian for blocking the former Premiership forward’s shot.

But penalty was the call and there was relief all round when Matt Gill smashed the resulting spot-kick against the bar.

That was the Grecians’ only real chance of the opening hour as Shrewsbury produced a reasonable first half display to create opportunities of their own.

The pick of those fell to Moses Ashikodi who had done the hard work in bringing down a Cansdell-Sherriff cross and opening up the space, only to fire wide from 12 yards.

Grant Holt was also denied with an early header by Paul Jones, but he finally bagged his 23rd goal of the campaign from the penalty spot on 51 minutes when Ashikodi went to ground under a challenge from Troy Archibald-Henville.

There was still a debate over the merit of that award when Holt struck his spot kick with the same conviction and ferocity as Gill but, crucially, a few inches lower as the net bulged.

Shrewsbury took an initial lift from the goal but the introduction of Exeter substitutes Manny Panther and Adam Stansfield gave them the impetus to take control of the game.

Their share of possession increased dramatically and warning signs had already gone up with Steve Basham rifling a low drive just wide of the post and Matt Taylor forcing Luke Daniels into a smart stop with a header.

And Exeter’s pressure was to pay dividends with seven minutes remaining when Town were caught out by an Alex Russell corner.

A trio of clean headers were won by the visitors in and around the six yard box and the last one was netted by Stewart as three points became one for a frustrated Shrewsbury.

By James Garrison