Town 0 Oldham 1- Report and pictures

Just three days after beating leaders Burton Albion, Carl Winchester's 23rd-minute goal won it for second-from-bottom Oldham, who had lost eight out of their last 10 games.

Micky Mellon's side failed to create a single on-target effort in arguably their worst home performance of the season.

And they have now lost nine home games this season, and taken just one point from the last four matches in front of their own fans - and all against teams around them.

Mellon insisted beforehand that Saturday's FA Cup fourth round clash against Sheffield Wednesday was no distraction to this game.

But it certainly didn't look that way as Shrewsbury struggled to get out of first gear for long periods.

And if there was a lack of enthusiasm on the pitch, it was reflected in the stands too, where just 4,057 - the lowest home gate of the season and one of the smallest ever at Greenhous Meadow - greeted the teams.

Admittedly it was the first of three home games in eight days and probably the least attractive with Sheffield Wednesday to come in the FA Cup on Saturday.

But it was hardly a ringing endorsement of Mellon's claim that the team is going in the right direction.

Not surprisingly, Town were unchanged from Saturday's starting XI that beat Burton Albion 2-1.

But there was one big surprise in Oldham's team - the inclusion of Anthony Gerrard, who left Shrewsbury last week.

The 29-year-old centre back, who played in Town's last home game against Barnsley, has rejoined the Latics for the rest of the season after finishing last term there with a six-match loan.

Town had the first opening when Kyle Vassell drew Joel Coleman into a poor clearance to Jack Grimmer, whose low volley was cleared with the keeper way out of position.

The loose ball reached James Wallace, but he could only drill it straight to Coleman from 20 yards out.

Vassell was involved again as he won a free kick off Timothee Dieng on the left edge of the box and he took it himself but fell as he made contact and the ball flew high and wide.

There was a scare for Town in the ninth minute when the unmarked Matty Palmer sidefooted a yard over the bar when Daniel Lafferty cut the ball back into his path.

Town got off to a sluggish start and Oldham capitalised to make the breakthrough at the midpoint of the first half.

Karl Winchester turned and picked his spot from 20 yards after Town failed to close him down quickly enough when Dominic Poleon, Lafferty and Palmer combined.

Town were slow to close down again as Oldham were allowed another shooting chance in the 29th minute.

This time Mike Jones advanced and flashed a rising drive that was smothered by Jayson Leutwiler.

There seemed to be a distinct lack of urgency from Micky Mellon's side which saw them devoid of ideas going forward and strangled by a lack of movement going forwards.

Shrewsbury didn't build another worthwhile attack until six minutes before the break when Ian Black sent a swerving drive a couple of feet wide from 25 yards.

But there was another scare for Salop three minutes from the break as Poleon beats Knight-Percival to Lafferty's cross only to head wide.

Mellon made a switch at half-time to breath some life into his team, with Shaun Whalley - matchwinner of Saturday's 2-1 victory - on for Larnell Cole.

Whalley started at wide right of a change to 4-3-3 and it was a change greeted by cheers from the home faithful.

But it had little effect as Shrewsbury continued to frustrate their fans with a strangely laboured performance.

In fact if anything, it was Oldham who looked the more likely scorers and add to their lead.

They almost did so in spectacular style when Liam Kelly tried his luck with a pacy strike from some 40 yards and Leutwiler's parry went out for a throw-in.

Town remained worryingly short of ideas and Mellon gambled on another change just before the hour with the introduction of Jean-Louis Akpa Akpro for Richie Wellens.

But the expected 'bounce' factor didn't arrive as the hosts continued to look lacklustre.

By contrast, Oldham's first substitute, Rhys Murphy almost made an immediate mark on the game by going through only to see his shot blocked by Leutwiler's legs on 65 minutes.

Town just couldn't throw off the lethargy that seemed to encase them like concrete.

And again it was Oldham who broke to threaten again, this time in the second of six minutes of time added on, mainly to allow a change of linesman after one of the referee's assistants was injured.

Murphy was again the dangerman as Lee Croft threaded him through an outnumbered Town defence, but a combination of Leutwiler's legs and Nat Knight-Percival blocked his shot.

Town got what they deserved from this encounter - nothing.

And with six days of the transfer window left, it looks as if Mellon's major makeover this month needs more time and work on.

Town (4-4-2 diamond): LEUTWILER 8; Grimmer 6, Whitbread 7, Knight-Percival 7, Brown 5; Wellens 5 (Akpa Akpro 57 5), Wallace 6, Black 5, Cole 5 (Whalley HT, 5); K Vassell 6 (Vernon 70, 5), Mangan 5.

Subs not used: Sadler, Clark, Smith, Halstead (gk).

Oldham (4-1-3-2): Coleman; Wilson, Dieng, Gerrard, Lafferty; Kelly; Palmer, Winchester (Croft 83), Jones; Forte (Cassidy 88), Poleon (Murphy, 64).

Subs not used: Miles, T Vassell, Cornell.

Referee: Kevin Johnson (Somerset).

Attendance: 4,057 (187 Oldham fans).