Fleetwood 3 Shrewsbury Town 0 - Report and pictures

[gallery] A chastening night in Fleetwood condemned Shrewsbury Town to a second consecutive defeat with the hosts easing to a 3-0 success.

David Ball struck twice in the second-half after former Town loanee Conor McLaughlin had opened the scoring.

Salop returned to the bottom of League One and remain five points from safety after their first back-to-back defeats under Paul Hurst.

With wins and clean sheets under the new chief feeling like a distant memory, suggestions that Shrewsbury's honeymoon period under the boss could be up were accurate as Town limped home in bleak conditions on the north west coast.

Hurst was looking for a response from his Salop side for the first time in his short time at the Shrewsbury helm.

Town fell to defeat in front of League One highest average attendance at Bramall Lane on Saturday, while Fleetwood's Highbury Stadium is the lowest.

The boss suggested his players should need little extra motivation with the club's predicament going into the Cod Army clash five points adrift of safety.

Defender Olly Lancashire, who struggled to get to grips with Blades hot-shot Billy Sharp on Saturday was dropped to the bench with Mat Sadler reinstalled at centre-half.

Ian Black enjoyed a first start since the 1-1 draw at Southend last month, in for the suspended Abu Ogogo.

Jim O'Brien, who was also dismissed in the heating Bramall Lane clash, kept his spot after an appeal saw the ban lifted.

Town were much the brighter side in the early exchanges, zipping the ball around and winning battles in midfield, a deflected Ivan Toney effort flew wide inside 10 minutes, but Hurst's side were let off for slack marking as Conor McLaughlin nodded a free header wide at the near post.

The hosts were looking dangerous through the pacy Devante Cole while ex-Salop man Bobby Grant was finding pockets of space to create. It was Grant who forced the game's first save, a low strike from 20 yards kept out by Mark Halstead down to his left.

Grant's effort from the resulting corner was bravely blocked from skipper Adam El-Abd before Cole miscued a header as the Cod Army grew in confidence.

It was only an outstanding late challenge from Jack Grimmer that prevented Cod Army top scorer David Ball from charging in on goal, a superbly-timed interception preventing any chance.

Another former Salop man, right wing-back McLaughlin, drilled a long-distance effort wide on half hour and eight minutes later was the man to break the deadlock.

Salop's first shot on target came courtesy of O'Brien, the Scot's curling free-kick beat the wall but was easily claimed by Alex Cairns. The shot-stopper was to set up the Cod Army attack that edged the hosts ahead.

Left wing-back Amari'i Bell, who had two goes in two games heading into the game, slipped in Cole outside him with Grimmer exposed and the forward fizzed low cross was finished off from close range by McLaughlin.

AJ Leitch-Smith crossed for strike partner Toney late on in the opening period and despite stretching his neck muscles for a powerful header, the on-loan man couldn't seriously test Cairns.

Any half-time words of inspiration from the Salop boss fell on deaf ears as the hosts doubled their lead seven minutes after the re-start.

A relatively simple bouncing ball was completely misjudged by Halstead and it was only a last-ditch challenge from El-Abd that stopped the ball flying in.

Play was recycled though through Bell and who slipped Ball in for an easy six yard finish leaving the traveling side with a mountain to climb in Lancashire.

Town passed up a gilt-edge chance to instantly respond to the second-half setback with their clearest opening of the night so far. Leitch-Smith was able to profit from a bouncing ball but his fierce half-volley smashed into the side netting, with some unsighted Salop fans left cheering a goal kick.

But as the hour mark passed Shrewsbury could have been dead and buried. Kyle Dempsey create space and slipped a cute ball in to Cole who wastefully lashed wide.

Salop continued to ponder in front of goal, with no sharpness on their crosses and cutbacks after carving out promising situations.

After a low Toney ball was cleared, Town earned a 22 yard free-kick but Ian Black could only send it flying into the away fans.

Toney sent a dipping volley well over from distance but Uwe Rosler's hosts made the game safe with Ball's second of the game, a fine curling effort across the goal from an angle, to leave Salop staring down the barrel.

With Town's heads drooping, Fleetwood were rampant and created chance after chance late on. Ball couldn't connect for a low cross for his treble before drilling a low strike agonizingly wide.