Shrewsbury Town 0 Rochdale 0 - Report and pictures

Shrewsbury Town drew another blank as they and visitors Rochdale missed golden chances to win an even game that was on a knife-edge throughout.

It is just one goal in the opening four matches in all competitions for Sam Ricketts’ side, who have a win, defeat and now a draw from their opening three league games.

On another day both sides could’ve scored a handful but chances were wasted at both ends as Shrews’ lack of firepower was again highlighted.

It looked like Rochdale had won it through Callum Camps at the death to inflict more late drama on to Shrewsbury the assistant referee’s offside flag saved Ricketts’ men a second home defeat in five days.

The Dale maintain their impressive unbeaten start to the season.

Ricketts is still in the market for another centre-forward and his side were unable to take a couple of decent chances that fell their way. He will hope his side are more clinical in three days at Accrington Stanley.

Strikers Steve Morison and his replacement Fejiri Okenabirhie had Town’s best moments but spurned them.

New boys Sean Goss - from the start - and Louis Thompson - as a sub - enjoyed debuts at Montgomery Waters Meadow, but were denied winning starts thanks to another blank scoresheet.

It had been a busy few days for the recruitment department at Town since the disappointing Carabao Cup reverse.

Luke Waterfall and Abo Eisa had checked out, as Ricketts brought two midfielders to the club in Goss and Thompson.

Goss, a former highly regarded Manchester United youngster, was handed an immediate debut, while Norwich loanee Thompson settled for a place on the bench.

The only other change from the previous league game, a late defeat at MK Dons seven days earlier, was Omar Beckles in for the injured Ro-Shaun Williams.

Town fans expected an improvement from the 4-0 drubbing handed to their side by Rotherham in midweek.

But in Brian Barry-Murphy’s visitors they had a tough job in prospect. The Dale were unbeaten in their first three games of the season and with an impressive core of players used to the league and their manager’s demands, they posed a threat.

Goss partnered Dave Edwards in Shrewsbury’s three man midfield, with Chelsea loan man Luke McCormick more advanced.

Of Town’s extensive injury list, Scott Golbourne (ankle) was well enough for the bench but Daniel Udoh (groin), who warmed up before kick-off, was not in the squad. Other longer-term absentees, including Williams, Ollie Norburn and Lenell John-Lewis, watched on from the Roland Wycherley stand.

Town’s safe standing section in the Salop Leisure Stand, sporting their new flags - which were purchased through a crowdfunder - helped a decent atmosphere greet the players.

It was a purposeful start for the hosts as they forced a corner and a couple of set-pieces with Shaun Whalley looking particularly bright.

Ricketts’ men did, at times, look unorganised and disjointed and an early sign of that was Oliver Rathbone being allowed far too much room to whistle a strike over from distance.

It was a sign of things to come as Rathbone and Camps in particular showed nice touches in midfield and picked clever passes wide and forward, as well as some direct charges forward.

Town were lacking in that department. Many of their promising early positions came from a lack of Rochdale concentration, with wind at times a factor, particularly for young loan keeper Robert Sanchez.

The hosts were a threat from one of the deliveries into the box as Aaron Pierre headed across for counterpart Ethan Ebanks-Landell, who spent time at Rochdale last season, to head goalwards. Sanchez backpeddled and tipped over well.

But Shrewsbury were sleepy in the first quarter of the game as fans wanted to see more. Too many in blue and amber were passive, happy to go side to side rather than play quickly with ambition, directness and tempo.

Rochdale were having better moments. The tricky Stephen Dooley was just seen off in the box after clever Camps work before Oswestry-born Matt Done fired wide at the near post.

Rathbone again shot over while Eoghan O’Connell headed wide from a corner with the visitors in the ascendency.

Town’s lack of cohesion was best displayed as the home side broke three on three with Whalley and Ryan Giles leading the charge. They both ignored the totally unmarked Steve Morison at the back post as the chance fizzled out, leaving Morison a frustrated figure.

Ricketts wanted more as passes went astray in midfield. The boss was ordering his players forward. New boy Goss had patches on the ball but not enough to orchestrate.

But Shrews did improve 10 minutes before the break. It was evident that Whalley and Giles were the home side’s spark and the way through to Rochdale’s goal.

The duo were showing great pace and skill, tormenting the right side of Rochdale’s defence. Low crosses were just off their targets at times while others led to blocked strikes from the edge of the box - Luke McCormick happy to let fly.

Morison’s volley from a Giles cross tested Sanchez who palmed the ball unconvincingly away.

Telford boy Giles was, again, really impressing the home crowd with his directness and raw pace.

But, despite the hosts improving before half-time, they had nothing to show for it, despite Pierre’s brilliantly creative bicycle kick that dropped inches wide before the break.

For all of the decent positions they got into Town needed more potency in the box as a half-time stalemate had them with just one goal in three-and-a-half matches.

Neither managed changed things at the break, as the wind increased and rain arrived, making passes easily overhit and long balls and crosses difficult to gauge.

Town grew into the second period how they ended the first half - much the better side.

Goss twice showed his ability in dead ball situations. One delivery was inches from Edwards’ head before another free-kick was flashed across goal by the head of Morison and just inches from Ebanks-Landell at the back post.

It was by some way Shrews’ clearest chance.

Barry-Murphy made a Rochdale change in an attempt to turn the game back in his favour only for Ricketts to counter and hand a Town debut to Thompson, who entered for McCormick.

The Norwich loan man made an instant impact with some powerful and commanding play to win the ball back.

Pierre had once again stood out for Town as their star man and showed his class by winning the ball on halfway and - true to Ricketts’ demands - charging towards the byline from centre-half before almost finding a cross.

Whalley won less acclaim after going down under what appeared no contact and was booked. But the wind was in Town’s sails.

Ricketts sent on last season’s top scorer Fejiri Okenabirhie for Morison in desperate search of a telling impact.

But a loose touch from Beckles under a difficult lofted ball allowed Rochdale to break and all of a sudden the visitors reminded everyone they were still after a winner of their own.

Camps smashed a free-kick goalwards where O’Leary could only palm away before Rathbone shot over.

Henderson went down in the box under pressure from Giles but nothing was doing. Ebanks-Landell blocked well from Camps before the same Rochdale man shot wide from the edge of the box after an unconvincing O’Leary punch. It was a decent chance.

The keeper was then called into more work as he parried a low Dooley drive around the post.

The visitors had raised things with 15 minutes remaining in a tight game that could have gone either way.

It felt like a moment would come Shrewsbury’s way and it fell to the man most fans would want - Okenabirhie.

Edwards broke forward and fed Whalley on the right side of the box. Town’s No.7 fired one low that Sanchez could only parry. Edwards was an inch from converting the resulting scramble but instead it dropped to Okenabirhie eight yards out.

The striker, with bodies crowded around him, slid one goalwards left-footed but it flew inches wide of the top left corner. It felt like the moment.

Rochdale had moments of their own. Camps and Henderson combined well for Rathbone but Donald Love blocked well.

The ball found the Shrewsbury net with three minutes to go as it appeared Ricketts’ side had been done by a late sucker punch yet again.

Camps, again, had the shooting opportunity. This time converting left-footed into the corner beyond a helpless O’Leary.

As Rochdale celebrated in front of their fans Town cried for an offside flag for an impeding Rochdale player, who was stood in an offside position as he dummied the shot into the corner.

Relief and cheers boomed around the Meadow as a flag went up and the goal was chalked off as the sides went toe-to-toe for a late winner, but there was no way through as Shrewsbury drew another blank.