Shrewsbury Town 1 Rochdale 0 - Report and pictures

Analysis

Paul Hurst’s blues wrapped up their biggest three points of the season to end a run of six games without success.

Four defeats in a row were halted by Payne’s winner after a quarter of an honour, a cool finish to break his deadlock since joining on-loan from Barnsley in January.

As rivals Port Vale unexpectedly lost at Chesterfield, Salop climbed two places to 19th, ahead of their Staffordshire neighbours - who have a game in hand - by a point, with Gillingham now also below Town.

Payne was handed his second start in a week while there was no sign of Tyler Roberts and Joe Riley - with injuries collected against Millwall sidelining the duo.

Jack Grimmer took the right-back berth with Bryn Morris retaining his midfield spot over Ryan Yates, who returned from suspension.

Gary Deegan beat a bout of illness to start while Stephen Humphrys, also struggling with ill-health, made the bench.

Town were pinning their hopes of taking advantage of their visitors’ suspect away form, Keith Hill’s side have won just a quarter of their away fixture this season - five in 20 - and just once in their last eight League One trips.

With Hurst down in the dugout instead of his favourable position in the press box, Town - and Payne in particular - looked lively. A couple of early involvements included a slice from Shaun Whalley’s cross and a move that ended in Bryn Morris helping the ball over.

Morris, looking keen to work forward, then sent a sweet half-volley inches wide of Conrad Logan’s goal.

Payne’s afternoon went from good to great 16 minutes in, the on-loan Barnsley man profited from a loose Calvin Andrew backpass and found himself staring down Logan in goal.

Using pace to burst into the box, he beat the shot-stopper with a cool left-footed finish looking every bit a confident forward man.

Town were ahead for the first time in almost a month - Chesterfield on March 11 being the last time - but they almost squandered the lead. Nathaniel Mendez-Laing, a tricky customer formerly of Wolves academy and a short Shrewsbury loan cut inside and sent a weak shot along the floor at Leutwiler.

The effort had nothing about it but it squirmed out of the Canadian international’s grasp to skipper Ian Henderson who lifts it home but is adjudged to be offside. A let off for Leutwiler.

Morris powered just over from the edge of the box after more good Payne work with the visitors unable to clear a free-kick.

Clear-cut chances were few and far between as Town looked comfortable against their visitors, who still harboured play-off ambitions.

But aside from Mendez-Laing’s dreary free-kick they weren’t threatening Leutwiler’s goal.

Dodds and Payne were proving a tough pairing to handle. Their aerial threat was posing all sorts of problems for Rochdale. The work rate in the final third, particularly from Dodds, was there for all to see and former Port Vale man was looking in the mood.

Rochdale were struggling to get out of second gear and gave the image of a side already with half an eye on their summer break.

Andrew was moved from his unfamiliar position of left-back to centre-forward but even his considerable stature struggled to unlock Shrews’ back door.

A little second-half lull, with Town looking entirely comfortable, ended as the hosts burst into life with sub Humphrys - on for Payne - at the heart of things. He combined with Morris and Whalley as the latter was searched out by Morris inside the box but fine last-ditch defending denies a second.

Rochdale’s sub Keith Keane whistled a warning just inches wide of Leutwiler’s right post as the midfielder was awarded too much space.

More superb work from Morris, who put in an immaculate midfield display, released the flying Junior Brown down the left, but Town’s left-back sent his cross-shot across goal.

With the single goal lead defended manfully, nerves inevidently kicked in and Dale unbelievably had the ball in the net a second time in the third minute of added time - Andrew’s powerful header mercifully ruled out for offside as Lady Luck smiled Shrews’ way.

Key moments

16 - Town GOAL. Stefan Payne opens his blue and amber account in style. He glides onto a loose Calvin Andrew pass to finish low beyond Conrad Logan.

18 - Shrews get lucky. Jayson Leutwiler fumbles a tame Nathaniel Mendez-Laing strike and the ball falls to Ian Henderson who stabs home. Goal ruled out for offside.

26 - Rochdale are unable to deal with a Shaun Whalley free-kick, Payne recycles the play and eventually falls to Bryn Morris on the edge of the box who smashes marginally over.

66 - Lovely move from sub Stephen Humphrys, the superb Morris and Whalley. Latter is denied by a fine last-ditch challenge.

75 - Keith Keane has a go from distance and it’s not wide by very much beyond Leutwiler’s post.

77 - Fine work from Morris releases Junior Brown who hits a cross-shot across goal.

84 - Chance as Nathaniel Mendez-Laing’s fine cross hits skipper Henderson but drops just wide.

90+2 - Surely not!? Rochdale have it in the net but again it’s offside. Phew…

Teams

Shrewsbury Town (4-4-2):

Leutwiler; Grimmer, Nsiala, Sadler ©, Brown; Whalley (Ladapo, 77), Deegan, Morris, Rodman; Dodds, Payne (Humphrys, 65)

Subs not used: Halstead, Smith, Leitch-Smith, El-Abd.

Rochdale (4-1-2-3):

Logan; Rafferty, McNulty, McGahey, Andrew; Camps, Lund (Keane, 59), Rathbone (Davies, 65); Mendez-Laing, McDermott (Noble-Lazarus, 50), Henderson ©

Subs not used: Wilson, Vincenti, Allen, Kitching.

Attendance: Attendance: 5,002 (356 Rochdale fans)

Referee: Kevin Johnson

Position in the table

19th (46 points from 42 games)