Checkatrade Trophy: Town 0 Cambridge 1- Report and pictures

The controversial new format saw the U's visit Micky Mellon's side, with the Town boss making six changes.

In front of a small but restless home crowd, Shrewsbury failed to create very much at all and had no answer to the visitors' first-half strike.

The much-changed Salop outfit got underway in the late summer's sun at an unusually quiet Greenhous Meadow.

It was the Cambridge side that came out of the blocks the brighter, knocking the ball around confidently and they should have reaped rewards after just a minute.

A tame low cross was not cleared and Ben Williamson was able to evade the attentions of Junior Brow but his effort lacked power and was well kept out by Jayson Leutwiler's legs.

Joe Riley, one of just five Town players keeping his place from the Gillingham, wasted a decent opportunity in an presentable attacking position before Joe Pigott fired wide from distance at the other end.

But it was the former Barcelona livewire Moha Choulay that livened things up on the 10 minute mark. The former Spanish youth international introduced himself to Cambridge by bursting through the heart of their midfield and sliding in AJ Leitch-Smith.

But the former Port Vale striker, as he did in added time against Gillingham on Saturday, was unable to apply the finish - shooting straight at Will Norris.

But their visitors, managed by former defender Shaun Derry, had the brightest opportunity of a lively start on 12 minutes. Jake Gosling's corner was only just about cleared but the warning was not headed and his resulting flagkick was met powerfully by skipper Leon Legge.

The towering defender rose highest - and totally unmarked - to slam his header straight at Leutwiler.

Cambridge's bright start was rewarded after just 20 minutes, fine work out on the visitors' right side from Medy Elito saw the winger cross for Pigott, who had all of the time to measure a finish, originally well-saved by Leutwiler, before having the freedom to tuck home the opener.

The 10 minutes that followed gave Micky Mellon and Salop supporters an injury scare as Ian Black went down in some discomfort on the edge of his box.

Town switched Ethan Jones and Moha, with the latter coming onto the right flank, and it almost paid off, as Leitch-Smith looked to dummy a ball into the nifty winger, who was just unable to get it under his spell.

Mellon's charges were worrying sleepy and Pigott could have easily had his second eight minutes before the break. The forward easily wandered through the Salop back line and Shrewsbury had Leutwiler to thank for coming to their rescue again.

The first-half was perhaps best summed up by skipper for the evening Abu Ogogo's expletives easily heard around the eerily quiet Greenhous Meadow. Ogogo furious at his own and his team-mates' performances.

Tom Dallison then managed to put the ball beyond Leutwiler but, with the 63 Cambridge supporters cheering, the assistant referee's flag hardly ruled out their second.

Ironically, it was straight down the other end on a break that Town fashioned another decent opening. Good work from Jones down the left flank had the academy graduate square to Moha who blazed a first-time effort well wide.

Town were playing some better football as the second-half got underway but still struggling to penetrate the drilled Cambridge defence. A trio of Mellon changes, introducing Louis Dodds, Andy Mangan and Gary Deegan for AJ Leitch-Smith, Moha and Jones seemed to liven the small home faithful.

But as the changes were adjusting, Cambridge should have put more daylight between the sides. Gosling was released down the left side and his cross-shot seemed to travel right along the Salop six-yard box. It begged a finishing touch as time seemed to stand still but no touch was applied.

Conor Newton kept Leutwiler on his toes with a dipping 30-yard effort that landed over. Town were playing some more intricate football since the break and had what looked like would be the equaliser but Dodds could not apply the finishing touch after good work from Mangan.

Ogogo's drive from the edge of the penalty area deflected into the grateful grasp of Norris to trigger huge ironic cheers from the restless crowd at Salop mustering a shot on goal.

Black finally answered the home support demands to shoot with a rasping 30-yard drive that fizzed just over the U's crossbar,

Waring, who endured a challenging evening on his first Salop start, was unable to use his powerful frame to meet an inviting Junior Brown cross with eight minutes remaining.