Cheltenham 3-1 Shrewsbury - report: Salop comfortably beaten on Boxing Day
Shrewsbury Town fell to back-to-back defeats in League Two after losing 3-1 against Cheltenham Town at the EV Charger Points Stadium.
Hakeeb Adelakun opened the scoring in the 14th-minute when he ghosted in at the back post to convert Jordan Thomas' low cross from the left.
Jake Bickerstaff doubled their advantage just past the half-hour mark when he raced on to a sumptuous ball from Adelakun to confidently finish past Will Brook.
Will Boyle fouled Arkell Jude-Boyd inside the box early in the second half and Isaac Hutchinson stepped up to stretch the Robins' lead to three.
John Marquis did grab a consolation for Salop in the 63rd-minute but Boyle had a goal ruled out for offside in stoppage time.
That latest setback leaves Salop sitting 21st in League Two and two points above the relegation zone.
Michael Appleton made just one change to the XI from Salop's 1-0 defeat against Chesterfield on Saturday, as Anthony Scully replaced Tommy McDermott after recovering from a knee issue.
Cheltenham were unchanged from their 2-1 win at Barrow before Christmas and former Robins quartet Boyle, Taylor Perry, George Lloyd and Marquis started for Shrewsbury.
Shrewsbury were unable to lay a glove on Cheltenham in the opening exchanges, which they spent largely dealing with a succession of long throws.
The hosts decided to switch up by going short and nearly caught Shrewsbury cold when Isaac Hutchinson was unable to connect with his header from Luke Young's inviting cross.
Adelakun did deliver the breakthrough just before the quarter-hour mark when he added the finishes touches to a bright attack down the left.
Thomas sprinted beyond Luca Hoole and flashed a dangerous low ball across the face of goal and towards the back post, where Adelakun escaped his marker to finish from close-range.
Shrewsbury lacked any quality whenever they did venture forward and Adelakun was a constant thorn as he stretched the defence with ease.
After opening the scoring, Adelakun turned provider with an exquisite ball over the top of the Shrews back-line. Bickerstaff put on the after burners and raced away from Tom Anderson and Boyle before applying a composed finish past the onrushing Brook.
Shrewsbury were unable to cope with the Robins' attacking trident of Adelakun, Thomas and Bickerstaff, who exposed the lack of pace from Boyle and Anderson time and time again.
Brook was called upon again when Hutchinson checked on to his left foot, but his tame effort from 20 yards out only required a routine save from the Shrewsbury goalkeeper.
Adelakun almost picked up where he left off in the second half when he beat Anderson to a speculative ball. He left the Shrewsbury centre-back forlornly in his wake but Taylor Perry shifted across to make a key challenge to prevent him from doing further damage.
Things went from bad to worse for Shrewsbury just seven minutes into the second half when Boyle clumsily tripped Arkell Jude-Boyd inside the box.
The referee immediately pointed to the spot and Hutchinson's powerful spot-kick squirmed under Brook who got a glove to the ball.
Shrewsbury pulled a goal back against the run of play just after the hour-mark when Marquis fired in a volley from close-range.
Scully's free-kick took a wicked deflection but Joe Day produced a superb reactive save to claw the ball away. Shrewsbury kept the attack alive and Day parried Clucas' shot into the path of Marquis, who made no mistake from a few yards out.
It would not serve as a catalyst for a miraculous comeback though and Cheltenham had the better chances to extend their advantage.
Brook was forced into a textbook save by Hutchinson when he plunged to his left to gather with low shot from the edge of the box with relative ease.
Tommy McDermott, who replaced Scully with 20 minutes to go, lost out in his duel just outside the box, but Arkell Jude-Boyd arrowed a shot directly at Brook.
Former Shrews boss Steve Cotterill used his bench wisely and added another midfielder with the introduction of Tommy Taylor in the dying embers.
One of his other substitutes Ethon Archer took aim from the edge of the box, but his effort deflected wide of Brook's left-hand post.
Boyle had the ball in the net deep into five minutes of second half stoppage time but his celebrations were cut short by the offside flag.
Next, Shrewsbury travel to Grimsby Town on Monday, before welcoming Bristol Rovers to Croud Meadow on New Year's Day.
Teams
Shrewsbury (3-4-1-2): Brook; Hoole, Anderson, Boyle; Kabia, Perry, Ruffels, Clucas; Scully (McDermott 69); Lloyd (Sang 77), Marquis.
Not used: Harrison, England, Benning, Aneke, Gray.
Cheltenham (4-3-3): Day; Jude-Boyd, Cundy, Wilson, Tomkinson; Young, Stevenson, Hutchinson (Archer 75); Thomas (Martin 89), Bickerstaff (Taylor 86), Adelakun.
Not used: Diallo, Harmon, Power, Kinsella.
Other details
Referee: Richard Eley
Attendance: 5,553 (621)
