Shrewsbury Town offer hope after Coventry draw

Town's 0-0 draw with Coventry at the Sky Blues' temporary home in Northampton made it three games unbeaten for the visitors.

It's a feat they have only managed once before this season, having recorded a run of five league games without a defeat back in August and September.

That sequence, which included a win against Swindon as well as draws against Rotherham, Coventry, Crawley and Bristol City, means Town's haul of five points from a possible nine in their last three games shouldn't be sniffed at.

But despite edging the chances in a gruelling and largely unspectacular clash at Sixfields Stadium, Shrewsbury still remain unable to record back-to-back wins.

And although they remain only three points adrift of safety with a game in hand on three of their four nearest rivals, they really could have done with a maximum return yesterday.

They had chances to get them as well, with Coventry's Joe Murphy easily the busier of the two goalkeepers.

The Sky Blues shot-stopper was called upon to make three very decent saves while Joe Anyon in the Town goal did not have a stop to make, despite 15 efforts by the hosts.

Jackson understandably named an unchanged line up from last weekend's victorious trip to Notts County.

Coventry, meanwhile, had top-scorer Callum Wilson back in their starting XI. He had recovered from the dislocated shoulder he suffered on New Year's Day.

The Sky Blues had won just two of nine games in his absence and he was given a warm welcome from the home crowd on his return.

It was his strike partner, Chuba Akpom, who had the first chance of the game, though, hooking wide from a decent position five minutes in after a pacey burst into the box from Wilson's pass.

The same combination were at it again two minutes later when Akpom outmuscled Connor Goldson on the edge of the box.

His cut back was timed to perfection but Wilson miscued his effort, swiping only air as the chance went begging.

It was a big left-off but Coventry's pace was causing plenty of problems and Town keeper Anyon had to be quick off his line to smother another attempted quick break soon afterwards.

At the other end, Tom Eaves did well to force a corner-kick from Dan Seaborne and Goldson drew a good save from Jon Taylor's delivery on nine minutes.

Murphy was down quickly to deny his powerful far post header and the rebound was scrambled clear.

Town should have been ahead on 20 minutes when Nathaniel Mendez-Laing burst into the box before releasing Eaves.

The Bolton loanee kept his shot on target, but at a nice height for Murphy who saved impressively from close range.

From the corner, Dave McAllister headed wide from a tight angle while Mendez-Laing mis-controlled inside the box soon afterwards from Eaves' well-aimed cross.

The Peterborough winger tried to chest the ball down but his touch was far too heavy allowing Coventry to clear.

At the other end Town were fortunate that Michael Petrasso's control let him down. He had escaped his marker but could not bring a speculative through ball down in the penalty area, the ball bobbling off his shin and out for a goal-kick.

Wilson then flashed a header over the bar from a central position on the half hour mark from John Fleck's corner.

The hosts were dominating possession but had failed to trouble Anyon with a shot on target, while Town were looking marginally more threatening, albeit with set-pieces looking their most likely scoring outlet.

Taylor, in particular, was causing problems with a handful of decent deliveries from corners and free-kicks although Town were not quite making the most of them.

This pattern continued as Franck Moussa blazed wide for Coventry from outside the box entering the final five minutes of the first half.

Town had to replace Mendez-Laing with Miles Storey a minute later, though, the winger having tweaked his hamstring.

Coventry wasted a chance just three minutes into the second half when Jordan Clarke nodded over from a well-aimed corner-kick.

Akpom then briefly had the home fans out of their seats with a low effort into the side netting on the hour mark.

The game was just starting to get a little stretched entering the final 30 minutes, and Town should have gone ahead just after the hour mark when Eaves flashed a header wide from a central position.

Paul Parry had released Ryan Woods on the right and his pin-point cross looked certain to result in a goal.

But Eaves and McAllister appeared to put each other off as they went for the same ball and it ended up striking the advertising hoardings instead of the back of the net.

Coventry substitute Mark Marshall, who replaced Moussa on the left of midfield, added a bit of extra pace and trickery in the last half hour.

And Shrewsbury central defender Tamika Mkandawire twice had to be alert to clear dangerous crosses from him inside the area.

Coventry began to turn the screw in the final 20 minutes and Goldson did well to head substitute Carl Baker's curling effort away

Petrasso should have at least hit the target two minutes later after making space for a shot inside the box.

He was off-balance slightly, though, and hammered just over on the turn as again Coventry failed to test Anyon.

It looked increasingly likely that only something sublime or ridiculous would break the deadlock and Andy Webster tried his luck at the former with five minutes left, drilling just wide on the half-volley from 40 yards out as the ball stood up for him.

He was more than entitled to have a punt, but like everything else the Sky Blues had tried it was off target.

Town sat deeper in the final minutes, looking content to hit their hosts on the counter-attack. That tactic almost paid dividends when McAllister came close to nicking the win two minutes from the end of normal time, drawing a fine save from Murphy after substitute Bahrudin Atajic had slid him in inside the box.

There was still time for one final Town chance when Taylor also blasted over from 14 yards out deep in stoppage-time after a great chipped pass from Woods had created the opening.

But it finished honours even as Coventry halted a run of three straight defeats, while Town had to content themselves with a second clean sheet in three games.