Portsmouth 1 Shrewsbury Town 0 - Report

Steve Cotterill’s men went down to a narrow 1-0 defeat at the manager’s former club Portsmouth, where the decisive damage was done inside 120 seconds.

Town found themselves behind almost immediately as slack defending allowed Ryan Tunnicliffe in to score. Shrewsbury have conceded the first goal in all four of their fixtures this season.

And, following an otherwise even first half, the visitors couldn’t do enough to force a leveller as their concerning barren league run runs on.

Salop improved on their attacking output from Saturday at Morecambe with four efforts on target, but the biggest chance came and went with Aaron Pierre’s 90th-minute header.

Cotterill sprung a surprise in his team news in handing a start to 17-year-old highly-rated academy prospect Tom Bloxham, a forward by trade, on the right of midfield.

It was just a third start for the Leicester-born teenager - who isn’t 18 until November - and a first in front of any supporters.

He was joined in the visitors’ side by new loan signing Sam Cosgrove, who made his first Town start after a second-half debut at Morecambe on Saturday.

They were joined in a very attacking line-up by fellow centre-forward Daniel Udoh.

Also in for a first start of the new season was Josh Daniels. The winger-turned-wing-back took his place on Shrews’ right flank, with skipper Elliott Bennett shifted into central midfield, where he replaced David Davis, in a surprising 4-4-2 as Cotterill shifted away from his favoured 3-5-2. Nathanael Ogbeta and Rekeil Pyke also dropped to the bench.

Injuries to Shaun Whalley and Ryan Bowman saw them miss out on the squad again. Captain Ethan Ebanks-Landell missed his final match through Covid-19 and is expected to return later this week.

Unsurprisingly, following two wins from their opening two games, hosts Portsmouth named an unchanged XI. Danny Cowley’s men had so far collected wins over Fleetwood and Crewe.

Fratton Park’s atmosphere was white-hot as the players entered the pitch - Town in their new pink and black away colours - ahead of kick-off. The roar was deafening.

And the home supporters had to wait just 120 seconds to raise the decibel levels once more.

It was a disastrous start from a Salop persuasion as the hosts sauntered forward to the edge of the box, where Josh Vela tried his best to challenge but was then unable to clear, and Marcus Harness slipped a nice square pass into Tunnicliffe inside the box and the Pompey midfielder slotted a neat finish into Marko Marosi’s bottom right corner, via a deflection.

Shrews could not afford to capitulate as the home crowd chanted about finding themselves top of the league.

And Cotterill’s men responded reasonably well. Bennett’s drive from outside the box moments later was parried by Gavin Bazunu and Bloxham could only smash the rebound well over from a tight angle.

Defender Clark Robertson directed an awkward header wide for Cowley’s men as Town did look sharp in moments through Udoh, Cosgrove and Bennett.

Town were working out their new system, with Luke Leahy on the left wing and Bloxham and Daniels on the right keen to attack. Pompey had joy in midfield as Harness joined Tunnicliffe and Shaun Williams to outnumber the visitors.

There was nothing in the contest as it approached half hour but only some goal-saving last-ditch defending from Matt Pennington and Bennett denied Robertson from an otherwise poorly-defended corner and Reeco Hackett-Fairchild.

Bloxham shot narrowly wide on the spin from a Cosgrove nod down five minutes before the break but the offside flag was already raised.

Pompey chief Cowley was forced into a couple of changes at the break, as the injured Robertson was replaced by Connor Ogilvie and Gassan Ahadme - who notched eight goals in pre-season, replaced Harness.

Town enjoyed a better start to the second period. Cosgrove drove well from halfway and fed the unmarked Leahy on the overlap to his left. Leahy slipped while shooting, but his effort still had to be turned round the post by Gavin Bazunu.

The home fans soon rediscovered their voice at a booming Fratton Park but Salop did threaten again as Vela shot low at Bazunu from the edge of the box from Udoh’s pass.

Cotterill rolled the dice after the hour and introduced Pyke for Bloxham.

Yet Shrews chances as the contest entered its final quarter were few and far between, as the hosts edged the action. Ronan Curtis’ free-kick stung the midriff of Marosi with 15 minutes left.

Town pressure finally arrived in the closing stages and the big chance came and went with a minute left. Bennett’s fine cross found the unmarked Pierre but his header was clawed away by Bazunu as Salop’s early struggles go on.

Teams

Portsmouth (4-2-3-1):

Bazunu; Freeman, Raggett, Robertson © (Ogilvie, 45), Brown; Tunnicliffe, Williams; Harness (Ahadme, 45), Hackett-Fairchild, Curtis; Marquis (Harrison, 90+4).

Subs not used: Bass, Hirst, Morrell, Jacobs.

Shrewsbury Town (4-4-2):

Marosi; Daniels (Ogbeta, 83), Pennington, Pierre, Nurse; Bloxham (Pyke, 62), Bennett ©, Vela, Leahy; Udoh, Cosgrove.

Subs not used: Burgoyne, Gregory, Davis, Caton.

Attendance: 14,471 (259 Shrewsbury fans)

Referee: Trevor Kettle