Shrewsbury v Burton Albion
TEAM NEWS: Burton Albion boss Paul Peschisolido recalled central defender Patrick Ada for the visit to Greenhous Meadow as he reverted to a 4-4-2 formation.
Ada was sent off after 20 minutes of his debut as a substitute at Cheltenham Town.
He started in the heart of the defence alongside the returning Nathan Stanton, who replaced the injured Tony James, with Ryan Austin on the bench.
In midfield, Cleveland Taylor and Jimmy Phillips started on the wings, with Matt Harriott and Jack Dyer in the centre, with Adam Bolder dropping to the bench and John McGrath out with a foot injury.
Calvin Zola returned after missing four matches to partner Justin Richards up front.
Injured midfielder Jacques Maghoma also failed to make the squad.
Former Brewers striker James Collins started for the hosts.
SHREWS (4-4-2): Neal; McLaughlin, Grandison, Sharps (capt), Jacobson; Sawyer, M Richards, McAllister, Wright; Collins, Morgan; subs: Smith, Cansdell-Sherriff, Wroe, J Taylor, Gornell.
BREWERS (4-4-2): Atkins; Corbett, Ada, Stanton, Webster; C Taylor, Bolder, Dyer, Phillips; Zola, J Richards; subs: Palmer, Yussuf, Austin, Gurrieri, Bolder.
HALF-TIME: The only early chance came from the hosts as midfielder Matt Richards swung a corner from the right to the far post, but central defender Ian Sharps’ header was wide of the target.
Albion’s first real chance came on 21 minutes.
After good work by Zola on the left touchline, the ball was played to Harriott, who tried his luck from 25 yards, but his effort was straight at Shrews keeper Chris Neal.
Ada put his side in trouble on 26 minutes when his back-pass went straight to home striker Marvin Morgan, but the shot, from a tight angle, was blocked by keeper Ross Atkins for a corner.
The hosts threatened again five minutes later when Matt Richards whipped in a free-kick from the right, but it somehow eluded everyone in the penalty area and drifted wide of the far post.
They went closer less than 60 seconds later when right-back Conor McLaughlin’s cross from inside the area to the right was dummied for Morgan.
The striker took a touch, but his effort was tipped over by Atkins.
Shrewsbury were getting on top and when Morgan sprung Albion’s offside trap down the right, his cross-shot was well blocked by right-back Andy Corbett at the far post.
SHREWSBURY TOWN 0, BURTON ALBION 0
FULL TIME: The Brewers started the second half positively and after just 21 seconds, Justin Richards flicked on a long ball, but Zola’s volley was high and wide.
The hosts had made a change at the break, with Jon Taylor on for Romaine Sawyer.
However, the hosts were in front on 49 minutes.
An initial corner by Mark Wright from the left caused chaos.
The ball eventually fell to Collins, whose overhead kick was superbly headed off the line by Corbett.
However, when Wright swung over the resultant corner, Sharps outjumped Atkins to head the ball home from inside the six-yard box.
With 64 minutes gone, Austin replaced the injured Stanton.
A minute later and it was almost 2-0 as Wright played a free-kick on the left short to left-back Joe Jacobson, whose cross was met by sharps, but this time his header was well saved by Atkins.
The Brewers were under the cosh, but in a rare attack on 70 minutes, Richards crossed for Zola, whose header down and back across goal was just wide with Neal scrambling.
It was almost 2-0 on 74 minutes when Atkins rolled the ball out but saw it picked up by Morgan.
His cross was behind Collins but fell to Wright, who looked certain to score, but his shot was blocked by the legs of Atkins.
That prompted Peschisolido to send on Bolder for Harriott.
With nine minutes to go, Adi Yussuf replaced Richards.
SHREWSBURY TOWN 1, BURTON ALBION 0
