EFL Trophy: Shrewsbury Town 2 Bolton 1 - Report and pictures

Shrewsbury Town qualified from Group C of the EFL Trophy as first-half goals from Ryan Barnett and Jason Cummings handed them a 2-1 win over Bolton.

Sam Ricketts’ men looked in control after the break but visiting defender Adam Senior halved the deficit with 25 minutes left.

But ultimately Town, who passed up several chances of a third only to survive heavy late pressure, did enough for the victory that puts them through with Crewe.

Ricketts handed Town debuts to on-loan Tottenham winger Shilow Tracey and Brentford midfield schemer Jan Zamburek, captured on loan from the Bees 24 hours earlier.

Tracey has only previously been on the bench after checking in from Spurs a few weeks ago.

Town’s other new recruit, Australian right-back signed on loan from A-League side Newcastle Jets, made do with a place on the bench after his 30-hour flight from Sydney.

Midfielder Scott High and striker Cummings were the other inclusions to the side who missed out on Saturday’s League One draw against Gillingham after a last-gasp Gills equaliser.

Winger Tracey played on the right of a front three, moving Scot Cummings to his more natural centre-forward position.

Barnett, who netted his first Salop goal in the victory over Newcastle United’s under-21s in this competition last month, kept his place after a first league start on Saturday.

Brad Walker, scorer on Saturday, slotted into centre-half alongside skipper Aaron Pierre with Ethan Ebanks-Landell not risked. There was no place in the squad for Ollie Norburn or Leon Clarke, who both played 90 minutes on Saturday after long periods out.

Ro-Shaun Williams and Daniel Udoh were missing from the squad for a second game running after the club confirmed two squad members were self-isolating after being in contact with a positive Covid-19 case.

Shaun Whalley missed out with the calf injury sustained at the weekend.

Ricketts knew three points against the side he represented for three years in the Premier League would be enough to join Crewe in qualification from Group C with a game - against the Railwaymen - to spare.

Ian Evatt’s League Two Trotters lost their first group game against Crewe and brought a youthful squad to Salop. Only two players, Billy Crellin and Ryan Delaney survived from their league win at Harrogate, their first win of the campaign after five defeats.

There was a Shrewsbury return for Arthur Gnahoua, playing as one of two forwards.

Town dominated the ball throughout the opening stages without creating anything of note. Both managers were relentless in their loud demands from the technical areas.

Ricketts was calling for right winger Tracey to pull out wide and he was, on a handful of occasions, a target for Pierre’s long diagonal passes.

Bees loanee Zamburek, who looked cool in possession with either foot, was not shy in showing for the ball from defence but also showed his willingness to break forward with bursts from midfield.

Ricketts and Dean Whitehead spent much of the first half ordering Barnett to press and close space and that paid off just under 20 minutes in.

Bolton were guilty of an awful error as skipper George Taft played a hospital ball across the edge of his own area and there was Barnett to nip in and show composure from the edge of the box to drill low into the bottom left corner.

Evatt was furious but the opener sparked his side into life. Marlon Fossey was caught out of position at right-back, allowing space for left wing-back Liam Gordon to advance.

Gordon sent a perfect low cross in for Gnahoua who should’ve scored from five yards, but his crisp, first-time right-footed finish was brilliantly saved by Harry Burgoyne who spread himself magnificently almost from behind his line to make the save.

The Trotters improved and, just before half hour, passed up a golden chance to level from 12 yards after sleepy defending from Pierre and Scott Golbourne combined to bring down Gnahoua.

Midfielder Tom White stepped up, with a Jorginho-style hop in his run up, only to strike the left-hand post with Burgoyne guessing the right way as Shrews were let off the hook.

Josh Vela, playing against the side he made more than 150 league appearances for, was full-blooded as ever, snapping into challenges. His booking, for an accumulation of fouls, came with 10 minutes of the first half left.

After White hobbled off for the visitors, Vela charged on to a Tracey knockdown, powered towards the box and sent a curling strike wide across goal.

Bolton had worked their way back into the contest but were guilty of another error just before the break. Brandon Comley’s pass was seized upon by Cummings who made no mistake with a deadly left-footed finish from just outside the box, taking his cup goal tally to three this season.

The striker’s tail was up and moments later he was fractions from a moment of wonder. Seeing keeper Crellin off his line, Cummings’ chip from just outside the centre circle cleared the crossbar by a few yards.

Ricketts sent Josh Daniels on for Vela at half-time to ensure the midfielder escaped a second yellow.

Daniels and Zamburek in particular began stamping their influence on the tie. Town’s first ever Czech player showed great balance on the ball and pressed brilliantly to win the ball for Cummings, who lifted just over.

Town looked firmly in charge but were undone by a free-kick on 65 minutes. Ronan Darcy’s delivery was met by sub Reiss Greenidge beyond the far post and his header crept over the line with help from Senior.

The tie was suddenly on a knife-edge. Gnahoua, Bolton’s best player by some way, headed a sitter wide as Town escaped.

The game stretched and Shrews should’ve put it to bed but Barnett shot straight at Crellin.

Taft headed a set-piece wide for Bolton as Ricketts gave a 10-minute debut to Millar, the powerful Aussie busy in the closing stages - where Bolton’s Jack Hickman and Jamie Mascoll passed up glorious late chances - as Town sealed their place in the knockout stages.