Town 2 Chesterfield 1 - Report and pictures

The skipper rose to power in Jim O'Brien's corner six minutes from time after a goal apiece in the first half.

Jay O'Shea had put the visitors ahead after 14 minutes but Junior Brown headed in Town's first League goal of the season 10 minutes later.

Moha Choulay, one of Shrewsbury's two changes made from the defeat at Charlton Athletic, made a lightning start to the match and showed endeavour to pick the ball up and burst at the Chesterfield back four in the opening moments.

The left-footed former Barcelona youngster cut inside and threaded a fine ball towards Ivan Toney and the Newcastle United loanee fired narrowly wide of Ryan Fulton's near post.

The former Spanish youth international continued to light up Greenhous Meadow with his twinkling toes, cutting inside challenges and dancing through dangling legs. The rough-and-tumble of League One clearly bringing no fear to the 18-year-old.

Salop were enjoying things on the ball and seeing a lot of control but the visitors clearly posed a threat going forward. Ched Evans enjoyed a couple of early touches with Jay O'Shea behind him and the livewire Gboly Ariyibi out wide on the left.

Town's good work was undone 14 minutes in however as the League One pace-setters broke the deadlock through O'Shea. A high ball stuck to big forward Evans and the free ball dropped at the feet of the attacking midfielder, O'Shea managed to wrong-foot both Ryan McGivern and El-Abd before slotting a calm finish beyond Jayson Leutwiler.

With their tails up the visitors were rampant and the impressive Ariyibi picked the ball up on the left-flank before throwing a couple of stepovers, cutting inside and sending a low drive towards the near post which Leutwiler did well to keep out.

The Spireites enjoyed a succession of corners, with Evans enjoying a first opening of sorts, he sent a fierce half-volley towards goal but Joe Riley bravely flung himself in front of the strike. Salop were defending corner and set-pieces well as a group, with the big frame of Toney dealing with a number of balls into the box.

Town wrestled the initiative back midway through the opening period, Toney wriggled free towards the left byline and his weak cutback was met by AJ Leitch-Smith but the returning forward saw his snapshot well blocked for a corner.

But the corner proved most welcoming for Mellon's charges. All from the right-hand side, they were perfectly positioned with the swirling wind for Moha's left foot, the on-loan Stoke man's first delivery was palmed away on his own line by Fulton.

A second corner was scrambled clear for a third, the third was met by a Toney bicycle kick but eventually cleared before the fourth did the real damage.

Chesterfield were clearly struggling to get to grips with Town and Brown burst onto the six-yard line to power a header in for the equaliser.

Moments later Moha sent in a free-kick delivery from the right that again caught the fierce wind and landed just over Fulton's angle.

Chesterfield sent a timely reminder of why they'd started the season so brightly after half hour, Evans fed Dan Gardner and the attacker sent a 25 yard effort inches wide of Leutwiler's far post.

But Greenhous Meadow had warmed to their challenge and supporters were getting behind the blue and amber shirts. Leitch-Smith worked hard to win position and fed Ian Black, the Scot charged for the box and let fly from 25 yards but dragged his strike wide when returning to Leitch-Smith was perhaps the better option.

Gary Deegan and Black were earning plaudits in the middle, working tirelessly to maintain possession and showing the quality and poise to keep the ball ticking in Salop's favour.

Leutwiler was called back into action five minutes before the break as Chesterfield ended the half well, the Swiss was at full-stretch to palm away a Gardner strike after good O'Shea work.

The shot-stopper was put through a busy end to the half as he got down low at his near post to keep out a fierce low drive from O'Shea, a top stop in very difficult slippery conditions.

Moha was involved in much of what Salop did well early in the second-half, the winger used his electric pace to help Town counter as he cleared 70 yards of Greenhous Meadow's pitch before impressively challenged by Ian Evatt when O'Brien had make a lung-bursting run and was well placed.

Just before being brought off before the hour mark for fellow youngster Ethan Jones, Moha almost found himself staring into the whites of Fulton's eyes. His fine run was picked out by O'Brien but a combination of wind and lack of awareness saw the on-loan Liverpool goalkeeper just about deal with the danger.

Evans was proving a dangerman all over the field and almost earned Chesterfield the lead for the second time with a 35 yard piledriver of a free-kick. The former Manchester City man's driven effort swirled in the wind but was dealt with by Leutwiler.

McGivern was enjoying an outstanding afternoon at the back for Salop and made a number of exceptional clearances as Evans threatened to give El-Abd the runaround.

But midway through the second-half the hitman escaped the clutches of the home defence, swivelled on the six yard line and was ready to burst the net but someone saw his effort creep wide.

It was the visitors who were now making all of the play and Jon Nolan's corner was met at the back post by Ian Evatt whose thumping header flew right across Leutwiler's goal.

Superb pace from Evans saw him outsprint El-Abd and test Leutwiler's reflexes with a powerful strike from an impossible angle.

O'Shea then had another fine opening but somehow nodded over from almost on the goal line.

Mellon had sent Louis Dodds on for Leitch-Smith and George Waring for Toney and shortly after the latter, Salop's moment arrived.

With six minutes of normal time remaining O'Brien sent in a right sided corner and skipper El-Abd burst through the Chesterfield marking and powered a sensational header into the top corner before disappearing into the Salop Leisure Stand.

Despite six minutes of added time and the best efforts of one of the League's fiercest forwards in Evans, Salop comfortably held firm for a fantastic first win of the campaign.

Shrewsbury Town (4-4-2):

Leutwiler; Riley, Brown, McGivern, El-Abd ©; Deegan, Black, Moha (Jones, 58), O'Brien; Leitch-Smith (Dodds, 65), Toney (Waring, 81)

Unused: Halstead, Lancashire, Ogogo, Mangan

Chesterfield (4-2-3-1):

Fulton, McGinn, Hird, Liddle, Evatt, Gardner (Morrison, 87), Evans, Nolan, Donahue, O'Shea (Dennis, 90), Ariyibi

Unused: Allinson, Raglan, Dimaio, Simons, Maguire

Referee: Ben Toner

Attendance: 4,936 (556 from Chesterfield)