Burton 1 Shrewsbury 2 - Report

A crisp Harry Chapman volley helped Shrewsbury Town record a 2-1 success at Burton Albion, their first win at the Brewers in more than five years.

Top scorer Chapman’s volley 10 minutes after the break doubled the lead the visitors earned in just the sixth minute, in bizarre circumstances, as Curtis Main claimed to have flicked a deflected Nathanael Ogbeta cross which spun over helpless goalkeeper Ben Garratt’s head.

Burton, who started the evening one place and two points below Steve Cotterill’s men, replied instantly through a fine Sean Clare strike, but Town were the better side and saw out their three points with relative comfort.

Shrewsbury are now unbeaten in four games, a return of eight points from a possible 12, and sealed the win without key figures Aaron Pierre, Ollie Norburn and Matija Sarkic.

Chapman's star quality, a sixth goal in 13 games for the loan attacker, proved the headline act.

They remain 17th in League One - the position they have occupied for a number of months - but they climb to 46 points, with the 50 benchmark, and a number of rivals above them, well in sight.

Salop were made to make the short trip to Staffordshire without skipper Norburn, who began a two-match suspension after collecting his 10th yellow card of the league season in his return from injury against Hull on Saturday.

The midfielder will also miss Saturday’s visit of Portsmouth.

He was replaced by David Davis, who partnered Josh Vela. Davis was one of five changes to the Town XI, some of which were enforced. Davis and Vela were tireless once again in midfield.

Harry Burgoyne came in between the posts to deputise for Sarkic, away on international duty with Montenegro. Brad Walker, who started in midfield on Saturday, missed out with a groin problem.

And the visitors’ frontline was rotated again, as Sean Goss was elected in an advanced midfield role, behind forward pair Chapman and Main, preferred to Dan Udoh and Shaun Whalley.

It was a proud night for Shrewsbury’s academy as under-18s goalkeeper Jaden Bevan, an 18-year-old Shrewsbury-born shot stopper was named on the bench alongside forward prospect Charlie Caton, which also highlighted the stretched nature of Salop’s ranks ahead of an intense run in of 13 games in six-and-a-half weeks.

The in-form Brewers had put together a run of wins to rival any since Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink’s appointment. But that form had been checked slightly with a Blackpool draw and Pirelli defeat to MK Dons last weekend.

Experienced stopper Michael Bostwick returned to the host’s backline.

The tight nature of the Pirelli stands, with the press box just behind the dugout and subs bench, allowed a unique first-hand view of Aaron Wilbraham on the phone, via earphones, to manager Cotterill ahead of kick-off.

Burton threatened with a couple of long throws in the opening minutes but a truly bizarre moment saw them lead after just six minutes.

The ball was worked out to Ogbeta on the left flank whose cross cannonned off Burton midfielder Edwards, allowing the ball to skid off the turf and bounce over flailing goalkeeper Ben Garratt, the Market Drayton-born former Crewe keeper.

Main tore off in celebration and, on replay, the big striker appeared to manage a very faint flicked header before the ball just crossed the line - with Burton clearances to no avail as the assistant flagged a goal.

Salop’s scrappy opener provided an ideal early platform in a frenetic encounter. Burton shifted the ball well in response but Shrewsbury worked hard in closing them down.

Town’s competitiveness meant they resorted the hosts to just a Bostwick strike from distance flying well wide of Burgoyne’s goal.

Hasselbaink was vocal from the dugout as his side struggled to cut through the visitors.

It was not quite as scrappy and stop-start as Saturday’s draw against Hull, but a frenetic, second-ball style match had no extended period of possession or quality, owing to stoppages.

But Shrews impressed in their compact, organised shape and working relentlessly to give little away to the Brewers.

The clearest opening of the first half dropped to Vela and it wasn’t an easy chance. Ethan Ebanks-Landell and Matthew Pennington helped on a Chapman free-kick and Vela shanked a left-foot finish well wide.

Ebanks-Landell and Ro-Shaun Williams were largely impeccable in their defensive duties.

Bostwick headed wide at the far post for Burton before Burgoyne was brave diving at the feet of a scramble after Town, for once, missed a clearance on the stroke of half-time.

Burton emerged for the second period knowing they needed to improve to test Burgoyne between the sticks but a drilled Town proved resistant.

And the visitors doubled their lead 11 minutes after the break. Ogbeta was released down the left and his cross picked out Chapman on the edge of the box.

The loan star did the rest, with a first-time volley that flew beyond Garratt.

It could’ve proved a fatal blow for Hasselbaink’s men but they rallied well and were two behind for just four minutes.

Bostwick picked out a fine through ball for Clare, in behind Josh Daniels, before on-loan Oxford man Clarke was allowed to cut inside the Town box and fire a fine finish into Burgoyne’s top left corner, ruining the clean sheet.

Salop brought off Daniels, who had to apply ice to his calf, soon after as Ryan Sears was introduced, before Dave Edwards replaced Chapman with less than 20 minutes left.

Town looked the more likely to add to the scoreline, however, with the clash on a knife-edge at 2-1.

Goss pinged a fine 30-yard half-volley narrowly over before the midfield sent a perfect low cross to the near post that was met by Main, but the ball somehow managed to squirm wide at the near post via Garratt’s intervention.

As expected the Brewers, who had until recently been on a six-match winning run and won nine from 11, applied pressure from set-pieces and long throws but Shrews stood up and defended admirably for a deserved victory, just a second in seven efforts at The Pirelli Stadium