Shrewsbury Town 2 Walsall 0 - Report and pictures

Goals in each half from Alex Rodman and Abu Ogogo saw Walsall slip to defeat in an intriguing derby in Shropshire.

Rodman opened the scoring in the sixth minute after promotion chasing Town flew out the traps. Ogogo then wrapped up the points in the closing stages.

Walsall had their moments with Nicky Devlin and Luke Leahy hitting the woodwork. Jon Guthrie also saw a header saved by Dean Henderson.

But it was the hosts who were overall the better side, with Paul Hurst’s men showing the work rate, organisation and desire that has put them in the promotion race.

Analysis

In naming his starting line-up, boss Whitney made one change to the team that was humbled 3-0 by Rochdale on Tuesday.

Opting for a 4-1-4-1 formation, Amadou Bakayoko was restored up front with Maz Kouhyar the man to make way.

It meant Julien Ngoy switched to the left wing, with Bakayoko the lone front man and Kieron Morris wide on the right.

Shrewsbury, who midweek clinched a place at Wembley after making it through to the final of the Checkatrade Trophy, also lined up in a 4-1-4-1 system with Charlton Morris up top.

The home side entered the derby having secured just two victories against the Saddlers in their last 22 attempts.

But they flew out of the blocks and grabbed the lead in the sixth minute before then going on to create a host of other goal scoring opportunities.

Hurst’s men broke the deadlock when Jon Nolan escaped down the right before delivering a pin-point low cross that Rodman delicately placed in the bottom corner.

And full of confidence, Town began piling forward. They should have doubled their advantage when Shaun Whalley whipped in another dangerous ball which Carlton Morris slammed against the post.

The lively Whalley then saw a free-kick beaten away by Liam Roberts with the ball falling for Nolan on the edge of the box who then whistled a fierce drive inches over.

Walsall had started sluggishly, but they began to get a foothold on the game as the half reached its midway point.

And they came close to getting back on terms when Erhun Oztumer floated in a cross that Jon Guthrie headed straight at Dean Henderson.

All of a sudden, Walsall began playing with a bit more urgency and they had a glorious chance to pull level in the 25th minute.

A ricochet saw a Bakayoko cross fall kindly in the box for Nicky Devlin who then darted at goal.

But on the angle, just yards from goal, the full-back smashed a strike against the base of the post when he should have done better.

Shrewsbury survived another scare on the half hour when a miss-timed Luke Hendrie header sent Oztumer through on goal.

The creative schemer still had around 40-yards to travel but he was hauled to the floor by the defender as he got to the edge of the box with Tote Nsiala also attempting to get back.

Despite calls from the away fans for Hendrie to see red, referee Stephen Martin opted for yellow with Oztumer then curling the resulting free-kick wide.

And that chance proved the last meaningful action of the opening 45 minutes with the two teams then largely cancelling each other out to half-time.

The cagey nature of the clash continued after the interval with neither team creating a chance of note as the clock ticked past the hour mark.

But that changed in the 65th minute when Whalley again escaped down the right before picking out Nolan in the box.

The midfielder had enough time to place a strike beyond Liam Roberts from 12-yards. But he lacked composure and instead scuffed a weak effort which Walsall cleared.

With Shrewsbury on top, Whitney made his first change in the 70th minute with Florent Cuvelier replacing Kieron Morris.

The change saw Walsall switch to a back three, with Adam Chambers slotting in at the heart of the defence alongside Guthrie and Kory Roberts.

And the switch almost proved a positive one with the Saddlers a whisker away from pulling level in the 82nd minute.

After Shrewsbury only half cleared a corner, Chambers sent a dangerous ball back into the box which Luke Leahy rose highest to meet.

But the full-backs header bounced off the angle of post and bar with Town then doing enough to hack the ball clear.

Now pressing forward in search of an equaliser the Saddlers threatened again when a Kory Roberts cross was glanced towards goal by Oztumer – but Nsiala was in the right place to block the header.

And the miss went on to prove costly with Hurst’s men going up the other end and wrapping up the game in the 88th minute – with Rodman sending in a low cross that was fired into the roof of the net by Ogogo from close range.

Key moments

5 Luke Hendrie sees a dangerous low cross flash across the Walsall goal.

6 GOAL Shrewsbury! Jon Nolan’s low cross is swept in by Alex Rodman.

7 Julien Ngoy stands up a cross for Kieron Morris, whose header is tipped over by Dean Henderson.

9 Carlton Morris smashes a Shaun Whalley cross against the base of the post.

12 Whalley's dangerous curling free-kick is pushed away by Liam Roberts. Nolan then lashes a sweetly-struck drive over from 20-yards.

14 Erhun Oztumer whips in a dangerous free-kick from the right but nobody can get on the end of it.

19 Whalley's dangerous free-kick is volleyed over by Toto Nsiala at the back post.

21 Jon Guthrie heads Oztumer's dinked cross from the byline straight at Henderson.

25 Devlin capitalises on a fortunate ricochet but his low drive from an acute angle hits the post.

28 Oztumer races through on goal after capitalising on a mistake from Hendrie who then brings him down. The defender escapes with a yellow card.

29 Oztumer curls the resultant free-kick wide.

44 Rodman drags a left-footed shot well wide.

56 Bakayoko races away downt he left before firing wildly over.

62 From a corner, Shrewsbury put the ball into the net but it's ruled out for a push on Liam Roberts by Omar Beckles.

64 Bakayoko turns smartly and cuts the ball back to Oztumer, who blazes over.

65 Whalley picks out Nolan with a pin-point cross. But from 12-yards the midfielder scuffs a shot at goal when he should do better.

76 George Dobson tees up Nicky Devlin, who fires wide from 20 yards.

82 Luke Leahy's far-post header from Chambers' cross comes back off the woodwork.

89 GOAL Shrewsbury! Rodman's right-wing cross is fired into the roof of the net by Ogogo from close range.

Teams

Shrewsbury: Henderson, Beckles, Nsiala, Sadler, Godfrey, Rodman, Ogogo, Nolan (John-Lewis 90), Whalley (Thomas 79), C. Morris (Payne 76).

Subs not used: McGillivray, Lowe, Gnahoua, B. Morris.

Walsall: Roberts, Devlin, Guthrie, Roberts, Leahy, Dobson, Chambers, Oztumer, Morris (Cuvelier 71), Ngoy (Shaibu 86), Bakayoko.

Subs not used: Gillespie, Kinsella, Fitzwater, Flanagan, Kouhyar.