Coventry 0 Shrewsbury Town 0 - Report and pictures

With last year's 3-0 reversal very much in the minds of Micky Mellon's men, Town went in search of their first points of the current League One season following last week's unfortunate defeat to MK Dons.

With Ethan Jones handed a first time for the injured Shaun Whalley and Ivan Toney in for AJ Leitch-Smith, it was a fresh looking Salop starting XI that had to be resolute during a first-half dominated by the hosts.

But Town were much improved in the second period after changes at the break and deserved to find a late winner. Seven yellow cards and seven minutes of added time summed up the tasty atmosphere and fiery challenged on a summer afternoon in the West Midlands

Town were almost made to pay for not switching on to the game's first set-piece as a cleverly worked corner from the hosts' Vlad Gadzhev found skipper Sam Ricketts who had peeled off his defender near the penalty spot but the former Wolves man could only fire over.

Busy Bulgarian midfielder Gadzhev then burst beyond Ryan McGivern and unleashed a low drive from the angle that found the wrong side of Jayson Leutwiler's near post.

But Swiss shot-stopper Leutwiler was called into action to save an almost carbon-copy effort this time heading on target, Portuguese midfielder Ruben Lameiras had escaped Ryan McGivern's grasp but his low drive was kept out by Leutwiler's legs.

Jordan Willis' resulting header was then comfortably kept out by Salop's busy number one.

It was apparent that Salop right-back Joe Riley would be in for a competitive afternoon as the right-back received an early caution after 15 minutes for pulling back the pacy Kyel Reid.

Toney was enjoying his first Salop start and proving a handful physically for the home backline, winning headers and flick-ons in the air as Mellon's men were unable to profit.

Eighteen-year-old Jones, too featuring from the off for the first time, was also busy during the opening half, linking well with Riley on the right side as Town's only real threat.

A couple of wicked Riley crosses were about the only thing to trouble Reice Charles-Cook and the Coventry 'keeper handled both very well.

But the attacking full-back's defending prowess was necessary as the hosts turned the screw and the summer signing from Bury passed his test with flying colours.

Jodi Jones was living up to his dangerman tag and the 18-year-old City winger jinxed beyond Junior Brown and dinked in a deep cross begging to be nodded home before Riley superbly cleared behind for a corner.

Mellon's charges were seemingly unable to learn their set-piece lesson from the first few moments as Lameiras' short corner again found a Sky Blue shirt to have peeled away but Reid blazed his effort horribly over when he should score.

The heavily-involved Riley barked at official Ross Joyce who had allowed the corner to continue despite Reid having pulled him over.

There were hints of encouragement for Town as Toney won a free-kick 30 yards from goal in a central position before picking himself up and sending a minimum backlift effort just over Charles-Cook's crossbar.

As the half drew on, Salop saved their most exciting moment until a minute before the break. Jones picked the ball up on the near side in his own half before partaking on a one-man mission, he confidently beat two challenges before earning his side a corner, which was rather wasted.

Town schemers Louis Dodds and Jim O'Brien were struggling to have an impact for the visitors, the two attackers seemingly deployed in slightly different positions today. With Dodds operating from the left and O'Brien centrally behind Toney.

Dodds picked up Town's second caution of the half just before the interval for holding back Reid.

Mellon has clearly seen enough during the first 45 and rung the changes in the interval. Olly Lancashire came on for Jones - defender for attacker - with Ian Black replacing Sarcevic in a like-for-like midfield switch.

But the change is personnel changed Salop's system as they went to a 3-5-2 with Black in alongside Deegan in the middle. Lancashire dropped into the RCB position alongside Adam El-Abd and McGivern.

And the apparent masterstroke almost paid dividends, as Dodds pokes a ball into Brown who had broke into the Coventry box and the full-back's powerful strike proved difficult for Charles-Cook to handle but the 'keeper gathered at second attempt.

Town's bulked defence momentarily looked under threat as Jones escaped Lancashire and bore down on El-Abd and the Salop skipper had to take the yellow card with the winger beating him for pace.

But Shrewsbury recovered and looked by far the stronger in the opening stages of the second period. Black's left-sided free-kick was inches away from McGivern's lunge and after the rebound fell to Toney, the big striker teed up an off-balance Dodds who fired over.

More good link-up play between the much-improved O'Brien, Dodds and Toney was a cause for concern for the hosts. Dodds reached the left byline and pulled a low ball back that was agonizingly behind Town's Toney.

Coventry were not enjoying anywhere near as much possession but still had a sting in their tail, Reid let fly from 30 yards and his effort flew off Lamieras but Leutwiler was able to help it beyond.

Moments later and Coventry went closer still as Andy Rose picked it up on the right side of the box and, with time, drilled a low effort across goal that missed the far post by centimetres.

O'Brien had really come to life and, keen to impress against his former side, went close for the visitors. Picking the ball up centrally, he burst beyond two challenges and tried his luck from distance, pulling a well-struck effort just wide of the back post.

More highly impressive forward play from Toney sees him roll his defender and break from the halfway line before switching to Black, the Scot broke down the right and crossed towards Toney but the ball had just too much on it for the Newcastle loanee.

A serious looking injury to Coventry sub Kyle Spencer broke up the final 20 minutes, but after being stretchered off and returning to the field, Mellon continued to press in search of a precious winner.

As the home defence got nervy and twitchy with the clock wearing down, Salop's moment looked to arrive with a minute of normal play remaining. O'Brien broke clear of the hosts' defensive midfield line and unselfishly squared to Toney in acres of space.

The forward did the correct thing and let fly first-time and his effort beat Charles-Cook but cracked back of the Coventry crossbar.

Dodds stretched for the rebound but saw his strike deflected wide.

Seven minutes of added time followed, to the disgust of the home crowd, with Salop well on-top, they just couldn't fashion their second period dominance into a winner.

They were inches away from that as the seven minutes continued into eight, Toney's cross dribbled across the six-yard line and as Dodds made himself a nuisance, O'Brien's presence was just unable to bundle it in at the back stick.

An encouraging point with impressive signs at the front and back was Mellon's side's reward for a brave second period.

Shrewsbury Town (4-2-3-1):

Leutwiler; Riley, McGivern, El-Abd ©, Brown; Deegan, Sarcevic (Black, 45); Jones (Lancashire, 45), Dodds, O'Brien; Toney.

Unused: Halstead, Sadler, Ogogo, Whalley, Mangan

Coventry City (3-4-3):

Charles-Cook, Willis, Rose, Lameiras (Spence, 67), Jones (Tudgay, 55), Reid (Thomas, 85), Gadzhev, Page, Ricketts ©, Harries, Stevenson.

Unused: Burge, Haynes, Finch, Kelly-Evans

Attendance: 10,296 (530 Shrewsbury)

Referee: Ross Joyce