Frank Sinatra’s classic ‘That’s Life’ was blasting out of the Shrewsbury Town dressing room after last night’s Johnstone’s Paint Trophy victory at Oldham.

It might not exactly meet with the stereotypical musical tastes of the modern day footballer.

But the selection of song couldn’t have been more appropriate – vintage music to mark a vintage start to the season.

That barnstorming opening hit a fresh peak at Boundary Park last night as previously unbeaten League One outfit Oldham were put to the sword by a Shrewsbury side shorn of two of their principle attacking threats in Lionel Ainsworth and Mark Wright.

To coin another famous Sinatra line, ‘start spreading the news.’

For all the evidence so far suggests that this could well prove the most memorable season in Shrewsbury’s recent history.

Encouraging statistics come every which way you turn at the start of Graham Turner’s second coming.

Before August is even out, Shrewsbury have won three times away from home and defeated two League One sides, the scalp of Oldham now sitting proudly alongside Charlton Athletic.

Unbeaten in the League, it has taken the established Premier League force of Stoke to put a mark in the loss column.

For all these positives, caution will be the buzz word in the Town dressing room with a long haul to the May finishing line still lying ahead.

But the eye-catching early progress made by this side makes it difficult not to be excited by the possibilities.

The feelgood factor was certainly maintained by the completion of a quickfire Greater Manchester double.

Worthy

Predictably, Shrewsbury were made to work a lot harder for victory last night than they had three days earlier at Stockport.

But they still left their first visit to Boundary Park in 21 years safe in the knowledge they were worthy winners.

If Turner’s respect for the JPT was displayed in a line-up which saw just two enforced changes, the decision of Oldham boss Paul Dickov to make only three switches proved his desire to make progress along the road to Wembley.

What Dickov didn’t bank on was coming up against a Shrewsbury side looking very much at home against higher graded opposition

The match winning moment was to arrive with the prospect of penalties – the authorities have sensibly done away with extra time in the lower League competition – just eight minutes away.

Coming on the back off one of their best spells in the game, Steve Leslie settled a tie in which the visitors always looked the more potent.

David Raven, substitute Benjamin van den Broek and Craig Disley all played their part in a neat build-up before Leslie swivelled 20 yards out and drilled a low shot into the bottom corner.

It was no more than Town deserved having twice previously struck the woodwork.

Illness may have limited Sean McAllister to a 45 minute outing but he still found time to head an early Leslie corner off the bar, while Shane Cansdell-Sherriff struck the post with a header from a Craig Disley free-kick in the second period.

In contrast, Oldham struggled to penetrate a Shrewsbury back four which is looking increasingly assured ahead of this weekend’s visit of Rotherham hot-shot Adam Le Fondre.

Indeed, the only true heart-in-the-mouth moment came in injury time when a 25-yard free-kick from Dale Stephens was only inches off target.

That near miss sealed Shrewsbury’s second cup upset of a campaign which is fast flourishing.

Town will now hope to follow up Awesome August with a Super September.