Shrewsbury 1 Wigan 2 - Report
Shrewsbury slumped to a third straight defeat as their end-of-season malaise continued at home to resurgent Wigan.
Steve Cotterill’s men could have all-but mathematically secured their League One position for next season with a win but the visitors prevailed 2-1.
Will Keane and ex-Town frontman Callum Lang struck before half-time for Wigan, who chalked up a fourth win on the bounce despite Ollie Norburn’s fine volley midway through the second half.
Relegation-battlers below Town and the Latics also won, meaning Salop ended the evening just seven points clear of the drop.
Shrews, after a triple half-time substitution and change of shape, improved after the break but not sufficiently to grab a point.
On the night plans for the European Super League appeared to be crushed, Town’s bid to cement their place in League One for next season went on, with difficult fixtures against form sides to come in the remaining five games.
Town missed first-choice goalkeeper Matija Sarkic, owing to a quad precaution, against the Latics.
He was replaced between the sticks by Ludlow’s Harry Burgoyne, who made his 17th start of the season as Sarkic’s deputy. Under-18s goalkeeper Jaden Bevan was the substitute goalkeeper.
The other change made by Cotterill was to include Brad Walker, who was a half-time sub in Saturday’s defeat to Doncaster and at fault for Rovers’ second goal, and started ahead of Harry Chapman.
The usual 3-5-2 remained in place, David Davis occupying the more unrecognised right wing-back role for the second game running as Walker started in midfield, pushing Josh Vela into a more advanced role.
The visiting Latics, under Leam Richardson, have been resurgent both on and off the pitch.
Having seen their takeover go through at the end of last month, Wigan have shown a remarkable rise. At one point they were cut adrift at the bottom of the pile.
But three wins on the spin, against Doncaster, Sunderland and Crewe, lifted them four points clear of the bottom four prior to kick-off.
Town lived on the edge in the opening minutes. A long throw from defender George Johnston drew Burgoyne out of goal, but the keeper’s punch was poor and dropped to a red Wigan shirt, but somehow neither Curtis Tilt or Keane could convert from close-range. It was a big early let-off.
The hosts settled well and began playing some impressive stuff. Defender Matthew Pennington recycled a Shrews corner and sent in a cross, which was cleared only as far to Nathanael Ogbeta, who drilled a fierce half-volley just inches wide of the bottom left corner.
Shrews caused problems early on, as Vela’s excellent press robbed former AFC Telford stopper and created a gilt-edged chance for Dan Udoh who, one-v-one with goalkeeper Jamie Jones in the box, could not find the required finish as the keeper stood strong.
It was the kind of opportunity that the striker could hardly afford to spurn.
Walker, who had started the game well for the hosts, then sent a trademark 30-yard free-kick a fraction wide of Jones’ right-hand post.
Shrewsbury’s troubles in defence over the last week or so would continue as the Latics edged ahead a few minutes before the half hour mark.
And, as at Oxford seven days previously, it arrived via a simple set-piece. Lee Evans’ corner was met by Keane’s towering header, which crashed the ball high beyond Burgoyne, who was motionless.
Town had actually enjoyed a decent half hour and forced decent opportunities, but their display fell away badly before half-time, as Wigan dominated the ball in better areas, with Shrewsbury unable to impose themselves.
Out of absolutely nowhere, Town almost bagged an equaliser on the stroke of half-time. In the space of 30 seconds, they fell further behind.
A Whalley corner from the left was met by Pennington, who threw himself at the ball with a diving header which was just cleared off the line by a sea of Wigan bodies.
And the hosts never recovered or reset. The ball was worked out to Keane on the left whose pass released the totally unmarked Lang, who had been quiet up to that point, but the ex-Town striker converted a clinical finish to further punish their hosts.
Cotterill was clearly unhappy with what he had seen from afar. The boss, who has left his substitutes until late previously, made a triply change at the break.
Ro-Shaun Williams - withdrawn at the interval for the second game running - Walker and Udoh were replaced by Dave Edwards, Chapman and Curtis Main.
Town matched Wigan up with a 4-2-3-1 and looked immediately sharper after the break.
Shrewsbury showed signs of improvement in the early stages of the second period as Chapman and Edwards combined well and the latter headed off target from a corner.
But a contest entered a lull, with a Wigan injury unhelping the hosts as they looked to show a response.
Whalley was sharp having pulled out to the wide left and a strong, determined run down that flank, where he left several opponents for dead, led to a low curled strike that was excellently tipped around the bottom corner by Jones.
But the danger wasn’t clear and Town pulled one back from the resulting corner with 25 minutes left. The set-piece was only cleared to the edge of the box, where skipper Norburn thrashed home a thumping volley high into the net for his first goal from open play this season.
A crucial chance seemed wanting but there was still time for late drama. Chapman’s low cross was just ahead of Main who could only stretch to turn on to the woodwork at the far post.
There was still time. Academy striker Charlie Caton was introduced for just his second league appearance in the dying seconds and his last-gasp header was somehow saved by a remarkable Jones save, to full cheers from visiting staff, which were increased at the sound of the referee’s whistle seconds later.
Teams
Shrewsbury Town (3-5-2):
Burgoyne; Pennington, Ebanks-Landell, Williams (Edwards, 45); Davis, Norburn ©, Vela, Walker (Chapman, 45), Ogbeta; Whalley (Caton, 90+3), Udoh (Main, 45).
Subs not used: Bevan, Sears, Love.
Wigan Athletic (4-2-3-1):
Jones (c); Darikwa, Johnston, Tilt, Robinson; Evans, Ojo; Lang, Keane (Aasgaard, 90+3), Solomon-Otabor (Gardner, 84); Keane.
Subs not used: Evans, Whelan, Clough, Proctor, Joseph.
Attendance: Zero
Referee: David Rock
