Shropshire Star

Shrewsbury Town 0 Lincoln City 1 - Report

A slow start did the damage as Shrewsbury suffered a 1-0 home reverse to promotion-chasing Lincoln.

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Jorge Grant’s 11th-minute header sealed the points but it was the tale of two formations for the hosts, whose poor home record this season now reads just five wins from 21.

Steve Cotterill’s men, who secured League One safety at Blackpool last time out, were clearly second best before the absent manager switched to a back three and moved the excellent David Davis into midfield.

Salop then wasted gilt-edged first-half chances against the high-flying Imps, who climbed to third with the win, having all-but mathematically sealed a play-off place.

Town played well after the break but could not force a telling chance to grab a point as the end of the league campaign grows ever closer.

In keeping with form, Cotterill made changes to the side that earned the safety-securing 1-0 victory in Blackpool on Saturday.

Into the side came Donald Love, Brad Walker and Shaun Whalley as Salop stayed in a 4-3-3, rather than the 3-5-2 used for the most part under the manager.

Midfielder Walker took his place in midfield alongside Ollie Norburn, with Josh Vela just in advance.

Davis kept his place at right-back, despite the inclusion of Love, who surprisingly started on the right of the front three.

Whalley, hero of the 1-0 victory at Sincil Bank in December - one of a hat-trick of 1-0 victories that went a long way to lifting Shrews clear of danger - returned in support of frontman Curtis Main.

Dave Edwards, Harry Chapman and youngster Charlie Caton made way for the trio. Daniel Udoh remained sidelined through concussion.

Michael Appleton’s Imps, who won 4-1 at a much-changed Salop side in the EFL Trophy in December, had returned to form with four straight wins to really boost their play-off charge.

The visitors, fourth ahead of kick-off, knew a victory - if results elsewhere went their way - and victory at Montgomery Waters Meadow would seal their position in the play-offs.

They welcomed back club captain and experienced midfielder Liam Bridcutt from injury. The Imps had earned a reputation as one of the finest sides to watch in League One, with talents like Brennan Johnson, Callum Morton and Morgan Rogers, on loan from Nottingham Forest, West Brom and Manchester City respectively.

Having rubber-stamped safety last time out, Town had been told that it wasn’t time to reflect on ‘job done’ with four games left.

But, after captain Norburn picked up a cheap deserved yellow card for a poor tackle inside two minutes, it was the visitors who started sharply.

Johnson sent an early note of warning in the form of a stinging 25-yard drive with his left foot, which came via minimal backlift and was top corner-bound until Harry Burgoyne’s intervention.

The Imps were extremely bright and Town were let off as Morton mis-hit when free in the box from left-back Tayo Edun’s cross.

It had been a concerning start and early pressure told after just 11 minutes.

A short Lincoln free-kick from the right was only half cleared and Imps skipper Bridcutt lofted a superb left-footed cross perfectly weighted to the back post, where Grant had timed his run to the back post excellently to plant a header high beyond Burgoyne.

It was one-way traffic as the hosts struggled to make any influence in the final third.

Lincoln were bright and sharp with and without the ball. After Whalley joined Norburn in the book, a series of set-pieces had Town under severe pressure and it should have been two as defender TJ Eyoma stabbed a bouncing ball over. Burgoyne yelled at his team-mates to wake up.

Town needed to react and did so midway through the first period. They shifted back to a 3-5-2, with Love brought back into a more natural wing-back role and Davis moved into midfield, while Walker joined Matthew Pennington and Ethan Ebanks-Landell in defence.

The change helped Shrewsbury and, within moments, the hosts worked a neat move from which they almost levelled.

Norburn released Main down the left with a neat pass and the striker’s low cross was met well by Vela at the near post and, just like on Saturday at Blackpool, the midfielder’s strike was deflected on to the crossbar.

The change of shape helped Shrewsbury no end. Davis became influential in midfield as Lincoln’s influence waned. The Imps were not helped by losing the influential Johnson to injury after half hour.

Vela was busy and won the ball high before a purposeful run ended in a strike deflected wide.

Advanced midfielder Vela, making his 50th Town appearance, wasted the key chance just before half-time.

He powered on to a loose ball into the box, sold Lewis Montsma with a fine swerve before crashing wide of the left post 12 yards out when one-on-one with keeper Alex Palmer. It was a golden chance for Vela, who had done the hard work.

Lincoln replaced Bridcutt, a midfielder, with centre-forward Tom Hopper, who also returned from injury, at the break.

Shrewsbury continued where they left off before the break. Cotterill’s men worked the ball very well and forced some dangerous moves.

Ogbeta sent a fine 25-yard free-kick inches wide of the top left corner. Whalley was a threat over the top and almost combined superbly with Vela but the midfield couldn’t get a shot away.

A rare Lincoln attack saw the dangerous former West Brom youth star Rogers deflect a cross just wide.

Shrews were the better side but only had another Ogbeta free-kick shot to show for it, easily fielded by Palmer.

The Imps broke in search of a killer second with 20 minutes left and outstanding goalkeeping by Burgoyne, who stood up strong, denied Hopper who worked through on the right side of the box. Rogers helped the rebound well over.

Cotterill phoned his assistant and decided on a triple change with just over 10 minutes left as 17-year-old first-year scholar Tom Bloxham, a 6ft 5ins striker formerly of Oswestry School, was introduced for a league debut alongside Edwards and Chapman.

Chapman immediately shot low at Palmer from distance but the hosts were unable to forge anything telling for a last-gasp leveller.

Teams

Shrewsbury Town (4-3-3):

Burgoyne; Davis, Pennington, Ebanks-Landell, Ogbeta; Norburn © (Edwards, 77), Davis, Vela, Ogbeta; Whalley (Chapman, 77), Main (Bloxham, 78).

Subs not used: Bevan, Williams, Sears, Caton.

Lincoln City (4-3-3):

Palmer; Poole, Montsma, Eyoma, Edun; McGrandles, Bridcutt © (Hopper, 45), Grant; Rogers, Johnson (Scully, 33), Morton (Anderson, 82).

Subs not used: Long, Sanders, Jones, Bramall.

Referee: Ollie Yates

Attendance: Zero