The Verdict: Shrewsbury Town refuse to be blown off course by Rotherham storm

Instead, Salop followed up their back-to-back League Two victories with another spirited display to take a point on the road against one of the division’s big names.

There were storms, controversial red cards, goals in abundance and long injury stoppages. It was a game with almost everything, aside from a winner.

Former Wrexham striker Paul Mullin should have given Rotherham the lead inside the opening moments. He was clean through on goal with only Will Brook to beat, he was denied when the Town keeper made himself big and got a foot to the ball, pushing it behind for a corner.

Mullin has been prolific at this level, so when another chance came less than 10 minutes later, you knew he wouldn’t miss.

Brook, so pivotal moments earlier, was this time at fault. From a long, hopeful punt upfield, he came off his line, was caught in no-man’s-land and left Mullin free to lift the ball over him into an empty net.

It was a disappointing goal and avoidable one for Town to concede. Gavin Cowan was keen to express his disappointment when he reflected on the performance post-match.

He was even more frustrated three minutes later when Mullin bagged his second. It was another mistake at the back.

Josh Ruffels gave the ball away, Rotherham played it down the side to Aaron Nemane, and his cross, perfectly placed across the face of goal, was turned home by Mullin, sliding in ahead of Brook.

It left Town with an uphill task, and after a spirited 3-2 win over Crawley, you wondered whether this would be a game too far for Cowan’s men.

Then came the game’s pivotal moment. Kian Spence was sent off for a high tackle on Will Gray, giving Shrewsbury 65 minutes to overturn the two-goal deficit against 10men.

They made a very good start to that task. Josh Davison, with five goals now for the season, pounced on a goalkeeping error by Rotherham’s Julian Eyestone, who dropped the ball following a set piece, and bundled it over the line.

With half-time approaching, Town’s number nine, George Lloyd, suffered a very serious and frightening injury in a clash of heads with Rotherham defender Dominic Iorfa.

The centre-forward lay motionless for the best part of 10 minutes, supported by paramedics and the medical teams of both clubs.

He was eventually carried off on a stretcher to warm applause from the travelling Shrewsbury fans and the home supporters alike. It was clear the players were deeply concerned for their team-mate.

Rotherham have not been in great form, and Shrewsbury sensed an opportunity, a man up and just a goal behind, and pushed for the equaliser after the break.

It arrived when Arkell Jude-Boyd delivered a brilliant cross, and Ruffels nodded home at the back post. Shrewsbury were functional and physical, and when Will Boyle met Gray’s cross, it looked as though Town would take all three points.

The momentum had been knocked out of the hosts. They had squandered a 2-0 lead, they were a man short, and the points looked to be heading back to Shropshire for a third straight win.

Afterwards, Cowan said his side were naive from that point, not arrogant, but naive, and that they invited Rotherham back into the game.

They gave away a free-kick on the edge of their own box, which the Town boss insisted wasn’t a foul, and Tom Bradshaw turned in the delivery to make it 3-3.

Still a man up, Town would have backed themselves to go in search of a winner. But when loanee Kian McMahon-Brown was sent off for what could only be described as a farcical push on full-back Joe Rafferty, you felt the game was heading for a draw.

It was a poor decision. The referee seemed to think the midfielder had raised his hands, but replays showed he simply pushed Rafferty in the chest, and a yellow card would have been fairer.

It is a respectful point given the difficult midweek trip to Crawley that went down to the wire, the injury to Lloyd and the fact that Rotherham away, whatever their form, remains a challenging fixture.

Town are down to the bare bones through suspensions and injuries, so Cowan will be proud of his side’s spirit and effort.

He will hope they can replicate it next week, when they welcome former manager Gareth Ainsworth back to the Croud Meadow, a man who walked out on them as boss just a couple of years ago.