Blackpool 0 Shrewsbury 1 - Report

Matthew Pennington’s first Shrewsbury Town goal confirmed League One safety for Steve Cotterill’s side in a fine victory at promotion-chasing Blackpool.

The defender’s second-half header sealed Shrewsbury’s position for a seventh straight season in the third tier - a feat they have remarkably achieved with four games remaining having gone four-and-a-half months without their inspirational manager on the touchline by their side.

In winning at sunny Blackpool, where hundreds of travelling fans would have partied long into the night in different times, Town ended a run of three straight defeats and inflicted a first home defeat on Blackpool in 18, since the Seasiders lost to Charlton on October 20.

Having spent so long in 17th and recently dropped to 18th after defeats to Oxford, Doncaster and Wigan, Salop climbed to 16th as they posted 53 points, putting them nine points clear of drop zone rivals, with now-relegated Bristol Rovers, Swindon, Rochdale and Northampton unable to catch them.

The excellent victory on the road also ensured Town continued as Blackpool’s bogey side. The hosts have now remarkably gone 13 games without beating Shrewsbury, back to a Gay Meadow victory back on January 1, 1997, a run that includes 10 defeats.

One-nil on the road against one of the division’s high-flying sides has become a familiar sight this season and it was fitting that Town secured safety in that very manner.

A second 1-0 success over the Seasiders this season was not undeserved for Cotterill’s side, who put in an outstanding defensive display, with the manager no doubt cheering his troops on along with several thousand Salop fans from hundreds of miles away.

Town managed the game excellently against the poor hosts, who were 16 games unbeaten before losing to Rochdale last Tuesday. The Tangerines really struggled to create against a superbly drilled Town, who let out a real sense of relief and pride at the final whistle.

Cotterill, his assistant Aaron Wilbraham and first-team coach David Longwell had got the job done and got over the line - the job they were brought in to complete in late November, when Town were out-of-sorts and looked like they were heading for League Two.

The achievement, given they have been without the manager for almost five months, is a remarkable one, and one of the biggest and most impressive efforts in Shrewsbury’s recent history.

It is an outstanding achievement.

They can now enjoy the final four games, of which three are at home, and reflect on a job very, very well done.

Town’s starting line-up at the Seasiders including a surprising full league debut for 18-year-old prolific academy goalscorer Charlie Caton.

The Welsh teenager, formerly of Wrexham, impressed sufficiently in his two late cameos in the last two games - including almost stealing a point against Wigan - to earn a nod for a first start.

It was not just a first start in league football for Caton, it was a first start in senior football in any competition. It was a huge call from Cotterill to include the highly-rated youngster, who Aaron Wilbraham admitted in the week was catching the eye.

The youngster is regarded by Town’s senior defenders as the best natural finisher at the club. His first senior start came at a ground and club he would have watched in the Premier League just a few short years back.

Caton lined up to the right of central striker Curtis Main, with Harry Chapman deployed on the left of the front three.

Town’s line-up also included Dave Edwards, who is almost twice Caton’s age, for a first start since December 22.

Five Shrewsbury academy graduates were in the Town squad - two starters - and Ludlow’s Harry Burgoyne in goal for another local.

The other headline team news was that the visitors switched away from the 3-5-2 used in the majority of Cotterill’s tenure.

Ro-Shaun Williams was dropped from a defence that was made up of four, including midfielder David Davis at right-back.

Shaun Whalley, Brad Walker and Daniel Udoh - the latter not involved at all - joined Williams in coming out of the side that started against Wigan on Tuesday night.

Matija Sarkic, Aaron Pierre, Josh Daniels, Sean Goss and Rekeil Pyke all missed out through muscle injuries.

The substitutes also included 17-year-old first-year academy scholar Tom Bloxham, a 6ft 5ins centre-forward, who is formerly of Leicester.

An end-of-season trip to the seaside, on a sun-baked afternoon in the north west, would have been just the ticket for hundreds of travelling Town fans. It was an afternoon which really highlighted how much the supporters are missed.

The hosts required a response of their own after their remarkable 16-game unbeaten run, a best of more than 50 years, surprisingly came to an end at relegation-threatened Rochdale on Tuesday.

Neil Critchley’s side contained one change, attacking right-back Jordan Gabriel for the more defensive Ollie Turton. They included Sullay Kaikai on the left wing, who Shrewsbury hoped would not make it a hat-trick of former players netting against them in a week.

Town’s 1-0 victory over the Seasiders just after Christmas was the last game Cotterill managed in person before falling ill.

With news this week that there could be a positive update on the horizon about the manager’s return to possibly take in a game, the trip to Blackpool was the 23rd game since, overseen by Wilbraham and David Longwell.

Before Town even kicked off at Bloomfield Road it had been decided elsewhere, due to Bristol Rovers’ 1-0 defeat against Portsmouth, that the Gas were the first side to have League One relegation confirmed.

Caton showed a neat early flick to beat his opposing man while retreating to help out his team-mates, a fine touch that helped settle the nerves. Caton has the experience of Davis behind him constantly talking through proceedings.

The youngster also showed he was willing to stretch his legs, making a clever diagonal run to latch on to a long ball from Ollie Norburn, which was just over-hit.

The hosts had the first effort after 10 minutes of an even start. Left-back Luke Garbutt, previously of Everton, had a low shot from a short corner turned behind by Burgoyne at his near post.

The resulting corner was met by 18-goal top scorer Jerry Yates at the back post and wastefully lashed well over from centre-half Dan Ballard, who should have hit the target.

The visitors responded well and went within a couple of inches of taking the lead.

Main and Josh Vela pressed unsuspecting midfield Grant Ward, who was robbed easily and Vela was released into the penalty area. The midfielder’s tame left-footed effort took a huge defender off Ballard’s orange shirt, looped over helpless keeper Chris Maxwell but hit the crossbar and came back out.

Town enjoyed a decent first half hour in the Lancashire sunshine. A strong start from the Seasiders would have been expected given their poor result in midweek but Cotterill’s men had their hosts at arm’s length.

Yates was a powerful threat from set-pieces, he again got the better of Davis deep at the far post but a difficult header dropped well over.

Town skipper Norburn, who was booked on half hour, made a superb block to ensure Kaikai’s well-struck effort outside the box did not trouble Burgoyne.

Blackburn loanee Chapman sparked his side into life as an attacking unit with a fine run into the left side of the Blackpool box. The attacker turned his marker on the outside before a flashed low left-footed cross-shot was just cleared behind the home goal.

Shrewsbury, on the back of three defeats and eight goals conceded, looked back to their drilled and energetic best. Norburn and Edwards patrolled midfield and ensured Town edged the midfield battle, while Blackpool’s big-hitters struggled to influence the contest.

Ethan Ebanks-Landell, who had been solid alongside Pennington in the heart of defence, almost undid his good work with a needlessly sloppy pass just before the break.

Ebanks-Landell recovered to make a block before the ball fell for Kaikai, whose low strike was comfortable for Burgoyne.

Blackpool ears must have been ringing from a half-time chat with Critchley, as the Tangerines carved out a fine triple-chance, by some way the closest they had gone to scoring so far.

Forward Ellis Simms held off Ebanks-Landell and turned his defender to somehow reach the byline, where he got a cross-shot away which was only parried by Burgoyne. The ball dropped in the middle of the goal and looked like a simple open goal for onrushing attackers.

But Town’s defenders, with Burgoyne also rushing to atone, made up the ground superbly and somehow cleared the ball up and away from almost directly under the goal line. Replays suggest Pennington hooked clear.

The danger wasn’t cleared, and a resulting cross from the left was met well by Yates, whose poacher’s effort missed the top left corner by all of a couple of inches.

Blackpool continued the pressure as Yates was able to turn Ebanks-Landell again into the inside right of Town’s box, but the Seasiders top goalscorer could only thrash his finish into the side netting at the near post. It was a let off.

Nathanael Ogbeta led the charge for the visitors. The left-back powered forward, leaving the pacy Gabriel in his wake, before he delivered an excellent cross which was turned behind.

The resulting corner would provide the breakthrough. Chapman’s excellent delivery from the left was met sweetly by Pennington’s forehead, no more than five yards from goal, and the header powered beyond Maxwell’s flailing arms and high into the net.

The defender tore away in celebration of his first Shrewsbury goal, his first goal since September 2018 and just a fifth career effort.

The goal meant the live table showed Shrewsbury up into 16th and, crucially, mathematically safe from relegation.

The opener appeared to momentarily spark the home side into life. Blackpool enjoyed the ball in good positions, but Town remained strong.

The change to introduce Whalley on the hour for Caton worked in Town’s favour, with Whalley’s fresh legs both a help in midfield and on the break out wide.

Burgoyne was tested from distance after Kaikai’s fine footwork worked some room, the ex-Town loanee’s curled strike was a good one but Burgoyne was more than equal to it, parrying it away on the stretch away from danger.

Town were resilient and offered precious little to their hosts, with the contest on a knife-edge.

It was not until 15 minutes remaining that the hosts upped the ante. Sub Ethan Robson forced Burgoyne into a fine save with his outstretched leg. Yates pounced to convert the rebound into an empty net, but the assistant referee’s offside flag had long been raised.

The visitors could’ve made a nervy finale safe but Edwards sent his diving header from Ogbeta’s free-kick over the bar.

It felt like a barrage was to arrive from the hosts, desperate to not lose pace in the play-off charge, but it was not to be - a marker of just how drilled and resilient the visitors were in keeping Blackpool out.

The contest was so finely-poised in the closing moments but Town need not have worried. Pennington continued making the clearances, Norburn continued patrolling the midfield. Everybody dug in and completed their job, superbly.

For Cotterill and his staff it has been an incredible run, a staggering of achievements. It will perhaps not be realised until looking back in the future just what they achieved in securing League One safety without their inspirational leader for five months.