Omer Riza of Shrewsbury Town and Shane Killock of AFC Telford United

Shrewsbury Town regained the Shropshire Senior Cup at the first time of asking — but AFC Telford United put up an almighty effort to retain it.

The Bucks had been eager to hang on to the trophy they won for the first time in 16 years via a penalty shoot-out at the Prostar Stadium back in July.

But it was Shrewsbury who edged it – in part thanks to an unlikely hero in the shape of young goalkeeper Andreas Arestidou.

The teenager was only playing following the shock news that first choice No 1 Chris Neal has been ruled out for up to six weeks with a broken finger.

But he went on to make a series of important saves to deny the best efforts of a spirited Telford team.

Neither side were able to seize the initiative in the opening third of the game, both goalkeepers being almost entirely untroubled as defences dominated.

All that changed in the quarter of an hour before the interval however, as the game exploded into life.

Shrewsbury came close to taking the lead seven minutes before the break when Steve Leslie’s effort from the left side of the area took a wicked deflection off Telford’s recalled captain Stuart Whitehead.

The ball looped high over Ryan Young, but the Bucks keeper reacted well to get back and make a good save.

Still, the deadlock was broken five minutes later when Leslie nodded down a long ball for Shrewsbury loanee Waide Fairhurst, who turned smartly and thundered a sweet strike past the helpless Young.

Telford’s response was swift, the equaliser coming within a minute when the Bucks punted the ball forward from the halfway line and Trainer cutely laid it off for Jon Adams, who drilled a crisp half-volley past Arestidou.

The Bucks were visibly lifted by that and had a good go at their Football League opponents at the start of the second half.

Danny Carey-Bertram was played in by a good header from Liam Blakeman and forced Arestidou into the first of three impressive saves in quick succession.

The second came from a corner moments later when Whitehead’s near post flick was only half cleared and Gavin Cowan pounced with a sweet left foot rocket that forced an even better stop out of the young custodian.

Then it was Adams’ turn to try his luck, but the former Blackburn apprentice once again proved up to the challenge.

Shrewsbury looked on the ropes at that stage, yet they suddenly found themselves in front again, totally against the run of play, on the hour mark.

It was the much-maligned New Zealander Kris Bright who got the final touch with a glancing header off Kevin McIntyre’s effort – recording his first Town goal at first team level in the process.

From there, the League Two men started to come to life and quickly could have added to their advantage.

First Omer Riza showed good pace to cut through the home defence, but Young proved a strong last line with the save, Cowan completing the clearance from the loose ball.

Fairhurst also found the side-netting from Shrewsbury’s next attack as Paul Simpson’s men looked to kill off the contest.

But Telford were not about to give up without a fight, and it was Arestidou to the rescue again on 72 minutes as the Bucks cut Town open with an incisive attack.

Edwards whipped in a great cross from the left and Brown knocked it on for substitute Steve Thomson, whose close-range shot was blocked the youngster – who did it exactly right by making himself big.

Telford had further chances to equalise, with penalty appeals for an alleged handball by Kelvin Langmead rejected before Shane Killock was crowded out in the six yard box by three defenders.

The hosts even threw keeper Young up front for two corners deep in injury-time, but Shrewsbury stood firm to claim the victory and take the trophy back down the A5.

By CHRIS HUDSON