Town 2 Coventry 1 - Report and pictures

A breathless, end-to-end 2-1 win was Town's third in a row and extended their unbeaten run to six games in league as Sullay Kaikai after nine minutes cancelled out Aaron Martin's fourth-minute opener then Shaun Whalley headed the winner six minutes before the break.

The one downside was another injury, this time Junior Brown going down with a nerve problem after just 27 minutes.

But there was barely time to pause with chances for both sides, although Coventry had the better of the possession.

There were four changes for Town - two enforced as keeper Mark Halstead replaced Jayson Leutwiler, who was out with a slight thigh injury, and Dom Smith, in for Zak Whitbread, who was forced off with a hamstring injury on Saturday.

Larnell Cole and Sullay Kaikai for Jordan Clark and Andy Mangan were the other changes.

In a lively start, Town conceded after just four minutes when Aaron Martin stabbed home after Halstead failed to hold John Fleck's shot from Joe Cole's free kick.

Shaun Whalley was booked for a foul on Jacob Murphy in the build-up, but it looked like the keeper should have done better.

But Town were soon level and it was a lovely crafted goal too that showed Larnell Cole and Kaikai haven't lost any of their telepathy.

Grimmer won the ball back, fed Cole, who spotted the run of Kaikai and split the defence for the on-loan Crystal Palace to round keeper Reece Charles-Cook and tap in.

That was Kaikai's sixth goal for Salop, making him the club's top League scorer despite it only being his 16th appearance.

But Town were quickly pushed back as the Sky Blues dominated for a while, playing some really slick football that made it difficult for the hosts to win it back.

And it required a superb save from Halstead's legs to deny Chris Stokes via after John Fleck's free kick hit the wall.

The Sky Blues remained on the attack and Fleck was looking to shoot on sight but changed the emphasis with a delicate chip which beat Halstead - and the bar - from 20 yards.

Joe Cole was next to try his luck after getting away on the right as Coventry broke quickly but his angled shot was wide of the near post.

Town finally returned fire in the 18th minute when Ian Black drilled several yards wide from 25 yards with Jack Grimmer screaming for the ball on the overlap.

But the hosts were forced into a reshuffle on 24 when left back Junior Brown limped off with what looked like a problem to his right hip or hamstring. Mat Sadler, making his first appearance since Fleetwood on February 7 and his first at home since Boxing Day, also against the Cod Army, replaced him two minutes later.

The visitors continued to look the more dangerous side as Town were stuck in a sluggish period and on 28, Jacob Murphy wriggled through to the left of the six-yard box but Halstead smothered his shot.

Salop were their own worst enemies on 35 as poor closing down saw Fleck allowed to surge forwards only for his shot to be blocked.

The Sky Blues surged forward again a minute later and this time Murphy rifled low and wide from just inside the box.

Another foul and booking saw another goal - and Whalley was involved again as Town took the lead six minutes before the break.

Left back Chris Stokes was yellow-carded for pulling down the in-form winger after he controlled Black's chip, and from the latter's free kick, Whalley glanced home a superb pacy header which veered away from Reece Charles-Cook into the far corner of the net.

It was Whalley's third successive goal, his seventh in 13 games and put him level with Kaikai on six in the league.

Town sniffed blood all of a sudden and in the third of five minutes of time added on, Black's fierce, rising 30 yarder was tipped over by Charles-Cook.

If the first half was end to end, the second was just as breathless - but increasingly fought out in Shrewsbury's half.

But first, there was a chance for Town as Jack Grimmer's cross beat Jack Stephens and the tireless Kyle Vassell glanced wide of the far post when he should have done better.

Mellon's side threatened again when after Larnell Cole was caught dallying following a Salop corner, Whalley seized on the loose ball and let fly with a curler that Charles-Cook scrambled away.

Then Coventry woke up and Adam Armstrong had his first shot on 55 but his crisp, low effort was well held by Halstead after Marc-Antoine Fortune's lay-off.

Shrewsbury however hit back again and on 57 a superb run and deflected shot by Larnell Cole was superbly tipped away by Charles-Cook.

A minute before the hour mark, Town broke from a Coventry corner through Kaikai via Larnell Cole but the on-loan Crystal Palace man delayed instead of crossing to Whalley and ran into Romain Vincelot.

Murphy remained a driving force for Coventry and his curling free kick from 22 yards drifted a foot over the bar.

The powerful forward then got free in the box but his shot from a reducing angle was parried away by Halstead.

That sparked a long period of sustained Sky Blues pressure, but Salop defended superbly to keep their lead intact and with blocks and tackles flying in, protected Halstead's goal as if their lives depended on it.

Town (4-3-3): Halstead 7; Grimmer 7, Smith 7, Knight-Perciva 8, Brown 6 (Sadler 26, 7); OGOGO 8, Cole 8 (Akpa Akpro 73, 7), Black 7; Whalley 7, Vassell 8, Kaikai 7 (Clark 83).

Subs not used: Wellens, Mangan, Grandin, Burton (gk).

Coventry (4-2-3-1): Charles-Cook; Ricketts, Martin, Stephens, Stokes; Fleck, Vincelot (Maddison 73); J Cole (Lameiras 63), Armstrong, Murphy (Henderson 68); Fortune.

Subs not used: Lorentzson, Rose, Tudgay, Addai (gk).

Referee: Sebastian Stocksbridge (Tyne and Wear).

Attendance: 6,023 (1,196 Coventry fans).