Cobblers off the pace as they are well beaten by struggling Shrewsbury Town

Jon Brady’s men turned in arguably their worst home performance of the season as Shrews claimed the win thanks to second-half goals from Dan Udoh and Chey Dunkley.

The match was Paul Hurst’s first in charge on his return to the Shropshire club, and they could and would have won by a bigger margin but for a series of Lee Burge saves.

Town simply weren’t at the races, and can have no complaints about the result.

The Cobblers were forced into one change from the team that saw off Charlton Athletic in such dramatic fashion at The Valley in midweek.

Midfielder Shaun McWilliams picked up a calf injury in that game and was ruled out, to be replaced by Will Hondermarck.

Shrewsbury included former Cobblers central defender Aaron Pierre in their starting line-up.

The only action of note in a quiet opening saw Shrewsbury appealing for a penalty as Tom Bayliss went to ground under a clumsy looking challenge from Kieron Bowie, but referee Sebastian Stockbridge give a goal kick.

It was the 15th minute before there was a shot in anger, but it was a good one, with Shrews midfielder Jordan Shipley firing a left-foot volley over just the top from 20 yards, the ball having been played straight to him on the edge of the area from a corner.

Both sides were struggling to get their game going in a forgettable affair, with the Cobblers strangely subdued, but there was a big opportunity for Shrews to take the lead just before the break.

The ball was cut back to Tom Bloxham 12 yards out, and his shot beat Lee Burge but struck the left-hand upright and rebounded straight to Jon Guthrie, who cleared the danger.

That was a relief for the Cobblers, who went in at the break having failed to force Shrews goalkeeper Marko Marosi into any sort of action in the first half.

Town will have been aiming to start the second half sharply, but instead it was the Shrews who looked the livelier and went close when Shipley sent a curling shot just wide of the post.

As the hour-mark approached it was all Shrews, and Burge had to then react sharply to keep out left-foot strike from Udoh, but he was beaten by the same player just moments later.

With the Cobblers defence backing off, Udoh let fly with a low right-foot shot that took a slight deflection and flew past Burge and into the bottom left hand corner.

It was a lead the visitors deserved.

The Cobblers needed to react, and substitute Tony Springett’s drive from the edge of the area did at least force Marosi into a save, his first of the match.

But it was Shrewsbury who still looked the more likely, and they very neary got a second on 67 minutes, Burge reacting sharply to keep out Dunkley’s close-range header from a corner.

Burge was again called into action to deny Bloxham from the right side of the area, but from the resultant corner Dunkley rose unchallenged at the far post to head home and make it 2-0 with 15 minutes to play.

The Cobblers kept plugging away, but they couldn’t click into gear, and it was the visitors who nearly finished on a high, Burge doing brilliantly to deny Taylor Perry, who was clean through on goal.

Match facts

Cobblers: Burge, McGowan (59m, Lintott), Willis (75m, Monthe), Guthrie, Brough, Leonard, Hondermarck (75m, Appere), Pinnock, Hoskins, Simpson (53m, Springett), Bowie. Subs not used: Haynes, Abimbola, Moulden

Shrewsbury: Marosi, Benning, Feeney, Winchester, Udoh (83m, Bowman), Perry, Pierre, Bloxham (81m Sobowale), Bayliss (83m, Kenneh), Dunkley, Shipley. Subs not used: Sraha, Idowu, Burgoyne, Mata,

Referee: Sebastian Stockbridge

Attendance: 7,186

Shrews fans: 771