Shrewsbury Town 1 AFC Telford 0 - Shropshire Senior cup

Shrewsbury Town retained the Shropshire Senior Cup as a late Kane Cork goal sunk AFC Telford United in the final no-one wanted to play.

The Shropshire FA's scheduling of the county's showpiece cup clash - just as both sides are coming to the climax of tense promotion battles - had drawn criticism from either end of the A5.

Both managers made 11 changes to the two line-ups that had drawn their respective league clashes on Easter Monday.

And it was one of Shrewsbury's young guns - striker Cork playing out of position on the wing - who fired the killer blow just six minutes from time.

The celebrations were understandably muted - a crowd of 401 speaking volumes for the importance fans of both clubs were attaching to the contest.

And there was precious little to excite either set of supporters in a first half where defences were very much on top.

Shrewsbury started the brighter of the two but could only muster a shot into the side-netting from Benjamin van den Broek and a rushed shot over the bar from Cork.

Telford's attacks were more sporadic but they created the best two openings of the first period.

Hereford loanee Aiden Thomas burst forward from left-back to set up a shooting opportunity for Courtney Pitt but the midfielder's effort was comfortably saved by Town keeper Chris Neal.

Northern Ireland international James Lawrie then had a go from the right edge of the penalty area but Shrewsbury's captain for the night Connor Goldson made a crucial goal-line block.

The host club took off van den Broek at the break along with youngster Elliot Turner - the nephew of Telford coach John Psaras - and blooded first year scholars Luke Male and Cameron Broadway.

Those youngsters took time to settle as Telford exerted sustained pressure for the first time, though the non-Leaguers could only muster a fierce drive off target from Richard Davies and muted penalty appeals when Alex Meechan went down.

And Shrewsbury gradually began to find their feet again, finally breaking the deadlock with just six minutes left on the clock as Cork applied a neat finish after eye-catching approach play from Danny Taylor.

Substitute Liam Murray could have brought the Bucks level just three minutes later but he headed wide off Phil John's inviting free-kick from the left.

And that was their last meaningful chance as Shrewsbury held for three minutes of stoppage time to lift the cup.

By Chris Hudson