Analysis: Shrewsbury Town’s revival derailed by Railwaymen as they’re dragged back into drop zone
Momentum in football is fragile - and Shrewsbury Town discovered that truth at Gresty Road, where their steady revival stuttered just as it seemed to be taking shape.
After several weeks of progress and optimism, defeat at Crewe Alexandra - Salop’s eighth League Two loss already this season - dragged Michael Appleton’s side back into the relegation zone and brought an abrupt halt to their encouraging run.
Having built confidence with a four-match unbeaten league spell, underpinned by three clean sheets and followed by a composed FA Cup win at South Shields, Appleton’s men appeared to be turning a corner.
But Crewe exposed the old vulnerabilities that had previously haunted Shrewsbury, just as optimism was beginning to feel tangible again.
For all of Shrewsbury’s early industry, it was the Railwaymen who controlled the line after the break. Crewe set the pace after the restart, their movement and precision leaving the visitors chasing a train they were never quite quick enough to catch.
Former Salop loanee Tommi O’Reilly restored Crewe’s lead with a crisp finish, and from that point, there was an air of inevitability about the outcome.
It was a cruel twist for the 1,600 Shrewsbury supporters who had travelled in such strong voice, buoyed by their side’s recent revival.
There had been genuine belief among them before kick-off - a feeling that another positive result could extend the climb away from danger.
Before the match, both sides paused to mark Remembrance weekend, gathering in the centre circle to pay tribute to the fallen servicemen and women. A period of silence was impeccably observed.
Shrewsbury began with intent as Anthony Scully showed good footwork and enterprise, and threatened to make inroads.
Yet his early wayward strike that soared over the stand and into the road beyond, only proved to foreshadow the disappointment to come.
Shrewsbury’s most reliable performer in the first half wore gloves. Will Brook made two outstanding saves to keep the visitors in the contest.
On the 15-minute mark, he denied Emre Tezgel’s close-range header before he produced /another superb stop to frustrate Calum Agius, who looked certain to score after bursting into the box.
But Brook could do nothing to prevent the opener when Crewe carved Shrewsbury open with a slick passing move on the 21st minute mark. The defence was dismantled, and Owen Lunt swept home into the right-hand corner to give the hosts the lead.
Credit to Salop, they responded almost immediately. And what a goal it was.
Josh Ruffels delivered a moment of real quality - collecting Ismael Kabia’s lay-off and smashing a precise, left-footed strike into the bottom-right corner.
It was his first goal for the club since joining in mid-October, and sent the travelling supporters into bedlam.
Yet while Ruffels found his moment, others struggled to impose themselves. Striker George Lloyd endured another afternoon of isolation, failing to register a shot on target.
In contrast, Crewe’s young forward Tezgel, on loan from Stoke City, was a constant menace, and missed several chances that could have made the scoreline far more punishing.
Shrewsbury’s Tommy McDermott dropped to the bench, and might have been the creative spark Appleton’s side lacked. At times they looked short of imagination when it mattered.
After the interval, Crewe came out with purpose and almost regained the lead when James Connolly’s header crashed off the post. The warning went unheeded.
Moments later, O’Reilly - one of two former Salop players in Crewe’s ranks, alongside Mickey Demetriou - punished his old club with a sharp finish across goal and into the bottom corner. Again, the danger came down the left, where Luca Hoole endured a torrid afternoon and was left exposed too often.
From there, Shrewsbury were chasing shadows and second-best. Demetriou, who had been part of Salop’s promotion-winning side in 2014/15, enjoyed a quieter half as the visitors rarely threatened to get forward.
Their one genuine chance of the second period fell to Sam Clucas. After good work from Scully, the midfielder could only put an effort wide.
A tough chance, yes, and it came at pace, but one a player of his pedigree would have backed himself to bury.
Crewe put the game beyond reach late on. As Shrewsbury threw men forward in search of a leveller, substitute Omar Bogle was left unmarked near halfway. Tom Anderson recovered well but couldn’t dispossess him, and Bogle’s composed finish past Brook sealed a comfortable victory for the hosts.
It was, in the end, a sobering afternoon for Appleton and his players. For all the signs of improvement in recent weeks, some fragility remains.
The manager said elements of the second-half performance were hard to forgive, lamenting the loss of duels, second balls, and intensity - the unglamorous elements that he said had defined their unbeaten run.
He knows the response must now be swift. First a chance to do this in the EFL Trophy against Northampton Town on Tuesday. But next weekend’s fixture against Newport County carries extra weight.
Newport, bottom of the table, visit the Croud Meadow in what looks like an early-season six-pointer - 23rd against 24th, and the chance for Shrewsbury to steady themselves again.
