Shifnal Town hold on to go nine without defeat - non-league round-up
Shifnal Town are now unbeaten in nine Northern One West matches after battling to a hard-fought 3-2 victory over Witton Albion.
They made a dream start, going ahead after only three minutes when Kev Monteiro made a surging run through the middle, leaving a couple of defenders in his wake.
As Cameron Terry came out to narrow the angle, Monteiro unselfishly slipped the ball inside for Matthew Barnes-Homer to tap into the empty net.
Town continued to press and Lewis Jarman was close with a 20-yard drive in the seventh minute, which passed the wrong side of the upright.
Albion were given a lifeline on 10 minutes when a throw-in was accidentally handled by a defender, the referee awarding a penalty which Joe Duckworth dispatched into the bottom corner of the net.
The visitors took the lead after 20 minutes when a seemingly innocuous ball in from the right from Aaron Fleming deceived Andy Wycherley and nestled in the far corner of the net.
Play was end-to-end, and the home side equalised in the 34th minute, Kane Lewis’s low cross from the left being converted by Barnes-Homer from 10 yards.
Four minutes later, Town were ahead again when Josh Green’s cross from the right saw Jack Loughran rise like a salmon to head past Terry.
The second half was largely one-way traffic as Albion launched attack after attack, only to be thwarted by some superb defending and goalkeeping.
Harry Brazel met a cross from the left with a header, which Wycherley did well to turn against the crossbar.
Alfie Bairstow’s lob from 20 yards just cleared the bar, Tom Hoyle drove into the side netting and Ben Dufton-Kelly’s first-time shot cannoned back off the underside of the crossbar.
Substitute Freddy Garbutt swivelled and fired straight at Wycherley, but the Shifnal defence held firm.
Whitchurch Alport will not be repeating last season's run to the quarter-finals of the FA Vase after going 6-3 at home to Radford.
Alport were 4-0 down after 38 minutes, but Billy West, Tom Messham and Ollie Holden gave them hope - while Alport also had two penalties saved.
AFC Bridgnorth failed to capitalise on a 3-1 half-time lead at Chelmsley Town - but Luke Keen's hat-trick turned it around for the hosts.
Mitch Bradford, Ethan Jarrett and Isaiah Beaumont had scored for the Meadow Men in the first half.
Market Drayton Town stayed out of the North West Counties League Division One South relegation zone at the expense of Shropshire rivals Shawbury United.
Drayton drew 0-0 with Cheadle Heath Nomads, while Shawbury lost 3-2 at home to Alsager Town, despite goals from Joshua Brown and Charlie Evans.
Haughmond are also entrenched in the bottom three after going down 3-0 at rock-bottom Wolverhampton Casuals, who climbed out of the bottom three themselves thanks to a double from Zak Poskitt and one from Lee Chilton.
Third-placed Telford Town lost ground on the top two after a surprise 2-2 draw at home to Wolves Sporting.
It could have been even worse for Town, who twice came from behind - first thanks to William Osborne and then through Joe Care four minutes into stoppage time.
Ludlow Town are without a win in five Hellenic League Division One matches and down to 13th in the table after slipping to a 2-1 defeat at home to Clanfield 85, who climbed out of the relegation zone.
