The Verdict: Resilient Shrewsbury Town remind us what football is all about

That last 20-plus minutes or so, including the nine added on. That’s what football is all about, isn’t it?

A goal ahead through a penalty, finally, emphatically converted by George Lloyd. Shrewsbury in control and searching for a second against a Bristol Rovers side which had capitulated in the closing stages of their previous game.

And then, a red card for Jay Turner-Cooke on 80 minutes, and substitute Isaac Fletcher on 94, left 14 minutes to negotiate with ten men, and a further with just nine.

The cry of ‘Salooooop’ sweeping across the Croud Meadow suddenly felt substantially noisier and more impactful. Boss Gavin Cowan loved it, and encouraged it to get even louder.

Getting over the line with nine men, even for just a few minutes, is no mean feat. It was very much attack versus defence. But they made it.

Thanks in part to an atmosphere packed with grit and togetherness on and off the pitch. But also, an extremely well-organised and marshalled response to the numerical disadvantage.

‘Train with nine men?’ Cowan responded to a question in his post-match media interview. ‘We don’t even train with ten to be honest!’

No doubt with tongue ever so slightly in cheek, because as he went on to say afterwards, Shrewsbury look a very strong and disciplined team when out of

possession. A well-oiled machine, from back to front.

In eventually having to play with only nine, the five at the back and three across midfield looked very comfortable in coping with all that Rovers could throw at them.

Which, in all honesty, wasn’t that much. Salop keeper Will Brook, whose handling was impeccable throughout, was called upon just once of note, to gather Fabrizio Cavegn’s effort shortly after the second dismissal.

Rovers’ best chance had actually come midway through the first half, when their first serious foray into opposition territory saw Clinton Mora flash his shot inches wide.

But, for the second successive Saturday, Shrewsbury conceded only one shot on target.

Against Exeter it was a shot which proved decisive. This time fortunately not.

And then takes us neatly to the other end of the pitch where Cowan is wanting a more clinical edge from his team, to match the seriously strong foundations at the back.

It is no surprise that a couple of additional frontmen were on his summer shopping list, and may be so again in January, given that, as with Exeter, Shrewsbury’s overall dominance and chance creation wasn’t matched by their finishing.

And that is not a slight on Saturday’s two strikers – Lloyd and Josh Davison – who never stopped running and looking for openings, nor the ever-probing number 10 in Kian McMahon-Brown.

It is an all-round team effort which will add to the goalscoring tally, after another afternoon where being the better team and playing the better football wasn’t transferred - at least initially - into finding the net.

For Lloyd, his third goal in five league games, and lest we forget he had a perfectly good one incorrectly ruled out for offside seven days earlier, provided the continuation of a purple patch as a result of several controversial decisions delivered by an inconsistent performance from referee Ben Toner.

The decision to award Town the 77th minute spot kick for a pull on Will Boyle was branded ‘absolutely disgusting’ by visiting boss Steve Evans.

Cowan and Evans had indulged in a fair amount of verbal sparring during the afternoon to keep fans entertained, to the extent that Evans refused the handshake offered by his managerial adversary after full time.

But on that penalty shout, well, Evans had a valid point. It was a strange call. That having been said, there was a stonewaller, the latest to afflict Shrewsbury, turned down when Lloyd got in behind the defence and was dragged down by Kofi Balmer in the first half.

So maybe one wrong did avert a right. And Salop finally had their first spot kick in 69 league games.

The two sending offs were probably fair enough, but fortunately only succeeded in sparking that vibrant home straight to the game which highlighted the spirit and togetherness of fans and team alike.

Six weeks ago, Bristol Rovers beat Rotherham and Shrewsbury lost at Fleetwood.

Rovers were first and Shrewsbury 23rd . A gap of nine points and 22 places back then has now been reduced to one point and five places. How quickly fortunes can change in such a competitive league.

A long way to go, but Salop are upwardly mobile with 11 points from six and embark on trips to Crawley and Rotherham within touching distance of the play-offs.

Cowan said afterwards he is ‘not interested in mid table’. Ambitions are high.

So yes, breathe. Breathe on them Salop. It was quite the afternoon.