The south west of England defied the big freeze but Torquay’s Plainmoor home continues to prove a chilling stop-off point for Shrewsbury Town.

After damaging League and play-off defeats on the English Riviera last season, Town suffered another setback on Saturday to alter the landscape of the battle for automatic promotion.

Not since the final day of the 1998-99 season – when a 3-0 victory ensured the stag do of former striker Steve Kerrigan went off with a bang – have Shrewsbury left Torquay with a victory.

• See pictures from Town’s defeat to Torquay

Yes, the last 10 visits to the land of the swaying palm trees have proved anything but a marriage made in heavan and Saturday’s narrow defeat leaves Graham Turner’s side with plenty of work to do before they can think of making their vows with League One.

Torquay’s exceptional run of form – this was their sixth successive victory and 12th in 15 League Two outings – was always going to make this one of the more demanding assignments of the frantic forthcoming schedule.

But Shrewsbury’s frustration in the wake of their seventh away defeat of the season was clear for all to see.

For the opening hour of this clash between two of the division’s more aesthetically pleasing sides, there was little to separate the promotion rivals.

But midway through a second half in which Shrewsbury’s threat in and around the final third faded, the scrappiest of game-defining moments arrived.

Goalkeeper Chris Neal may have been better served retreating to his line rather than attempting to close the angle on Danny Stevens when his faintest touch on a Kevin Nicholson corner dropped deep to the Torquay dangerman.

Yet he could still have expected a packed defence to deal with Taiwo Atieno’s header from the Stevens centre, which trickled towards the line and appeared to ultimately cross it thanks to a final touch from Mark Ellis.

That moment apart, Shrewsbury had looked a tough defensive nut to crack as they largely resricted their on-song hosts to long-distance efforts.

Neal was forced into two eye-catching saves from speculative Stevens shots but, other than a frantic five minute spell immediately after the goal, Town handled their hosts impressively.

But, following on from a bright opening 30 minutes, the visitors were to reflect on a disappointing attacking output during the second period.

Aided by a re-shaped formation –Shrewsbury’s midfield resembled a diamond with Matt Richards providing the fulcrum, Nicky Wroe and David McAllister occupying the centre ground and debutant Romaine Sawyers floating in the hole behind the front two – Town enjoyed an ample share of possession.

Yet they lacked the cutting edge in and around the Torquay goal with the crucial final pass or cross frequently lacking the required quality.

Encouraging early signs saw the razor sharp James Collins loop a header from a Wroe cross onto the bar in the first minute and then blast two edge-of-the-box efforts fractionally wide.

But the creative spark vanished during the second period, with only a Terry Gornell pot-shot from 20 yards forcing Torquay Bobby Olejnik into meaningful action.

Hopes of a late assault on the hosts’ goal were undermined when two injury time corners failed to find their way past the first defenders, leaving Torquay as the big winners of a weekend in which the other automatic promotion hopefuls were either inactive or – in the case of Southend and Cheltenham – failing to capitalise on winnable encounters.

Shrewsbury remain firmly in the hunt for a top three finish but – play-offs permitting – they will be glad to see the back of Plainmoor for another season.

See also:

• Shrewsbury Town need to find away blues solution after Torquay loss
• A shame about the weather for Shrewsbury Town