Five lessons from Shrewsbury Town's loss to Bolton
Shrewsbury Town couldn't top Bolton in League One, eventually coming out 2-0 losers, but what did we learn from Salop's loss?
Paul Hurst can switch things up
It was the first time in almost five months under Paul Hurst that the boss selected a three-man defence in a similar system to the 3-5-2 regularly opted for by former boss Micky Mellon.
Hurst is not a fan of the formation but was willing to use it in a bid to match up Bolton.
The boss was happy how it played out in the first half and felt the selection worked as Bolton struggled.
Fans would have been pleased to learn Hurst is willing to change from his trusted 4-4-2 should the occasion warrant it.
Bolton Wanderers know what they're doing
Whatever you want to dress it up as, Bolton have been there and worn the T-shirt.
The Trotters, who have assembled a squad with reportedly astronomical League One wages, had a plethora of players used to Championship and even Premier League football, and it showed late on.
Once they got the opener, they squeezed Town and exerted dominance to stifle any faint ideas of a comeback.
That kind of know-how is invaluable and Hurst would do well to purchase some of his own in the summer.
Jayson Leutwiler's error was a costly one
Managers often state that they cannot legislate for individual errors and Hurst questioned the need for keeper Jayson Leutwiler to rush out of his goal in a bid to claim a long throw.
Between the Canadian and the ball were the sizeable figures of Toto Nsiala and Mark Beevers – Leutwiler was never going to clear the pair of them out.
As a result, a slight flicked header had the keeper in no man's land and the ball trickled into the corner.
One costly second cancelled out 50 minutes of encouragement.
The Salop forward link was missing
Town fans have been calling for a return of Freddie Ladapo and itching to see him rekindle a partnership with West Brom loanee Tyler Roberts.
The duo were on fire in the early weeks of their loans, bagging goals and assists galore, but Town have mostly struggled going forward since Ladapo sat out for a period with a hamstring complaint.
The pair have featured together since and Bolton was not the first time that they've struggled to forge an incisive partnership.
It may be back to the drawing board.
Louis Dodds brings quality
Louis Dodds returned to the first XI fold after his scoring impact at Port Vale and it is pretty easy to see why he's been Town's main attacking impact in the goals and assists charts this season.
Ten goals and nine assists for an attacking midfielder, who's not been a regular lately, is impressive and fans like what they see.
His glorious first-half left-footed chipped effort from distance, which almost broke the deadlock, is an example of the match-winning quality he possesses.
