Shrewsbury Town 1 Peterborough 0 - Report and pictures

The defender notched on the stroke of half-time to seal a deserved win for Sam Ricketts’ team, who earned a mightily impressive clean sheet against the highest scorers in the top four divisions.

That shutout came thanks to a penalty save from league debut hero Joe Murphy to deny Marcus Maddison shortly after the break.

The result meant Shrewsbury have now seen off automatic promotion hopefuls Sunderland and Peterborough in consecutive home games and sit just two points off the League One play-off places.

Ricketts’ men were better throughout as Peterborough failed to sparkle or add to their 39 goals and an eighth clean sheet in 16 for Town was one of their most comfortable yet.

Town knew the challenge that lay ahead of them against the freescoring Peterborough, whose goalscoring record looks down on every other in the top four divisions, including Manchester City and Liverpool.

Forward trio Maddison, Ivan Toney and Mo Eisa boasted 33 goals between them from their first 16 league games.

By comparison Town had just 12 - but Town also knew that Shrewsbury visitors had shipped seven more goals in league football this term and very few League One sides play such an open style.

The hosts were dealt a fair blow as ever-present league goalkeeper Max O’Leary was ruled out with a knock picked up late on at Wycombe, meaning 38-year-old summer singing Murphy made his Town league debut.

Salop’s other change was also enforced as Ro-Shaun Williams served his one-man ban for two yellows cards at Adams Park. Ebanks-Landell made a timely return from the hamstring injury that had sidelined him for more than a month.

There was a welcome sight in Ryan Giles being back on the bench as he returned from a knee problem.

There was a subdued atmosphere inside Montgomery Waters Meadow on Guy Fawkes Night, where everyone present immaculately observed a period of remembrance for fallen service members.

But, like at Wycombe, Town looked the brighter and hungrier side inside the game’s first quarter.

Ricketts’ men were especially lively in the first 10 minutes. They snapped into challenges and picked up second balls, managing to force a handful of corners, but Darren Ferguson’s visitors stood firm.

The mercurial Maddison showed in a flash why he is so dangerous with a pot-shot from 30-yards flying narrowly wide of Murphy’s left-hand post.

Any pace to the game fell away after 20 minutes with no real pattern to the contest. Posh tried to inject some pace and movement into their attacks but Town’s backline sniffed them out well.

Panto villain Toney, a former Town loanee, received familiar taunts from the Shrews faithful. Both he and Eisa, brother of former Town flier Abo, were quiet in the first period.

It was big centre-half, visiting skipper Mark Beevers that went closest as a low corner somehow deflected wide off his shin from inside the six yard box before the same man found Murphy’s gloves after a smartly-worked free-kick.

A horror error from Rhys Bennett should have seen Town break the deadlock eight minutes before the break.

Dave Edwards galloped on to the ball on the right side of the box but he thrashed a first-time finish horribly wide at the near post.

Ricketts’ men went up a couple of gears before the break and Jason Cummings was a goal against his former club by keeper Christy Pym after good work from Donald Love.

Unsurprisingly Toney had a hand in the game’s first big moment. He received lengthy treatment after an Ebanks-Landell challenge - before picking up a caution of his own on the defender.

Shrews used the time added on to their advantage. Whalley’s left-sided free-kick found Beckles in acres of space in the middle of the goal. Beckles helped a flicked finish on to the post and there was partner Ebanks-Landell to scramble home.

Murphy became an instant hero with his first save of note after the break. He kept out Maddison’s tame penalty after Toney had gone to ground under minimal contact from Beckles.

Town fans were much happier with what they were seeing from their side. George Boyd tried to spoil the party with an off-target strike from 40 yards before Ferguson hauled off Boyd and Maddison.

Ricketts followed suit with Fejiri Okenabirhie on for Cummings.

The hosts looked in confident mood as the second half wore on. Posh’s talented attackers were contained by Town’s dogged backline and industrious midfield displays.

One of the hard-working midfield men Josh Laurent, busy alongside skipper and former Posh target Ollie Norburn, charged into the box and found the side netting with 20 minutes left.

High-scoring Peterborough offered precious little as Shrewsbury were so disciplined and drilled as a unit, pushing the visitors back and pressing to nick the ball.

The visitors looked decisively ordinary and Town good value for their three points which could act as a real springboard towards the top six amid this tricky run of fixtures.

Shrewsbury Town (3-4-3):

Murphy; Ebanks-Landell, Pierre, Beckles; Love, Norburn ©, Laurent, Golbourne; Whalley (Walker, 90+2), Edwards (Thompson, 64), Cummings (Okenabirhie, 59).

Subs not used: Agius (gk), McCormick, Goss, Giles.

Peterborough United (4-4-2 diamond):

Pym; Thompson (Ward, 84), Beevers ©, Butler, Bennett; Reed, Knight, Boyd (Dembele, 58), Maddison (Kanu, 58); Toney, Eisa.

Subs not used: Chapman (gk), Kent, Blake-Tracey, Mason.

Referee: Darren Handley

Attendance: 4,890 (252 Peterborough fans)