Chris Zebroski's first half goal successfully ended a run of four League 2 games without a victory that had blighted the early season optimism of supporters, though it wasn't all plain sailing for Paul Buckle's side. If it weren't for the Shrews wastefulness in the final third the result could easily have been different, though as it was the Gas were the team who created the best chances on the night.
Chris Zebroski's inclusion in the started line up, in place of the veteran Scott McGleish, was the only change from Saturday's team that drew up at Bradford, the former Torquay forward proving, quite typically, to be a thorn in the opposition's side. Now getting a chance to play through the centre Zebroski appears more capable of producing on a regular basis than when placed out wide, his powerful running pressurising the Shrewsbury back four.
One such burst at the heart of the Salops defence drew a foul from central defender Ian Sharps two yards from the edge of the penalty area. Referee Graham Scott ignored home catcalls for a red card, instead awarding a yellow, deeming there to be a covering defender. It was one of a set of bemusing decisions from the Oxfordshire official.
Zebroski's goal, a volley from the edge of the box, came as a result of Matt Harrold's knock-down and was a well taken strike, doubling the 24 year old's tally for the season. It came very much against the run of play as Shrewsbury ran the majority of the game.
The visitors ended the match with 62% of the possession, pushing hard down the wings via Lionel Ainsworth and ex-Rover Mark Wright. Ainsworth's pace had Rovers on the back foot from the off, though first Lee Brown and then Michael Smith dealt with the threat commendably. Wright proved to have a frustrating night, his twists and turns were dangerous, his final balls less so, though a second half drive that whistled inches past the frame of the goal had Scott Bevan flying despairingly through the air.
The right hand flank saw Ainsworth backed up by monstrous full back Jermaine Grandison who overlapped at will as Shrewsbury looked to force the issue from the wide positions. Grandison, and his left sided cohort Joe Jacobson, were able to make an impression on the game with little care for their defensive duties as neither of the Rovers flankmen possessed great pace, indeed, both were arguably playing out of position, Wayne Brown a central midfielder by trade, Eliot Richards a striker.
And yet for all their statistical dominance Rovers still created the better of the chances, Cian Bolger unlucky not to score from a corner as Shrews stopper Ben Smith made a fine save on the line from point blank range.
The dying seconds saw Ainsworth almost snatch a leveller, his twenty five yard drive pushed around the post by the palms of Bevan. The resulting corner saw Smith charge towards the Rovers area, the short corner taken his way, only for the rush 'keeper to slip at the crucial moment. Eliot Richards had the chance to give the travelling support a sense of Deja Vu, though he was unable to put the ball into the empty net as Sammy Igoe had for Rovers at Wembley five years ago.
Paul Buckle and his squad would have taken a win in this fixture by hook or by crook, but if they want to continue to push past their current position of 12th in League 2 their game will need to pick up. Rovers had been kicked back to square one, now they must rise again.
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