Home fortress, Scully magic and Will Brook quality - Key takeaways from Shrewsbury Town’s crucial win over Newport

Here, we take a look at the key talking points from Town’s slender 1-0 win over the league’s basement side.

Home form proving key

Home form is proving crucial for Michael Appleton’s side. The win over Newport was their third consecutive victory at the Meadow.

They have collected 11 points from their last six league games, with nine of those coming from home wins.

Appleton said the club had been craving this kind of form and was delighted to be delivering it in front of the home crowd.

When the Meadow was rocking on Saturday, it helped spur the side on, and the ground has become an intimidating place for visiting teams in recent weeks.

Three of Shrewsbury’s four league wins this season have come at home, and this form on home soil could be vital in pushing them towards mid-table and away from danger.

Solid at the back

The triumph also brought Town’s third clean sheet in a row at the Meadow.

Grinding out narrow victories has become a theme, and much of that is down to their resilience at the back.

Shrewsbury faced an aerial bombardment throughout the game as Newport repeatedly looked to go long, but almost everything was headed or cleared by Salop’s defensive unit.

They also had to withstand heavy pressure in the second half - particularly late on as Newport pushed for an equaliser - yet Salop held firm.

This defensive solidity has been pivotal in their recent upturn.

Will Brook the wall

What a signing Will Brook has turned out to be - surely one of the best by any side in the league this season.

The 22-year-old, who joined from Leamington Spa in July, has been outstanding and fully deserved his October Player of the Month award.

He did not have the busiest of afternoons on Saturday, but was excellent when called upon once again.

The Salop goalkeeper produced smart saves to deny Habeeb Ogunneye in the sixth minute and Ben Lloyd late on.

His form has been so strong that he has kept England youth international Elyh Harrison on the bench.

Scully the hero

It always felt like one moment of brilliance might decide a tense, gritty contest - and Anthony Scully provided exactly that.

The 26-year-old was the match-winner, firing a stunning strike into the top-right corner just six minutes after the restart.

With Salop enjoying an upturn in form, the Irishman is in red-hot goalscoring touch, netting four goals in Shrewsbury’s last five games in all competitions.

Appleton said he expects moments of quality like that from the forward, having seen similar flashes during their time together at Lincoln City and in training.

Saturday also highlighted Scully’s adaptability, with the 26-year-old operating more centrally. His goals have been crucial - and could continue to be.

Injury concerns

The win came after a testing week for Salop. Taylor Perry was ruled out after spending several hours in hospital on Friday night due to illness that also affected multiple staff members.

John Marquis was the only senior striker available, with Chuks Aneke and George Lloyd both sidelined. The bench lacked attacking options, and Appleton will hope for quick recoveries for the pair.