Stockport 1 Shrewsbury 0: Town fall to another defeat on the road

On an evening where the football was overshadowed by a serious injury to Salop defender Morgan Feeney, Town fell to back-to-back League One defeats. 

The Salop defender picked up a nasty injury on the hour mark following a collision inside the penalty area and had to be stretched off. 

Ollie Norwood had given Stockport the lead in the first half with a brilliant free-kick, but despite Salop huffing and puffing late on, the hosts were deserved winners. 

REPORT 

Gareth Ainsworth made two changes to his starting XI against Dave Challinor's side. Both were enforced. 

Dominic Gape came in for his Shrewsbury debut. Luca Hoole was suffering from injury. 

Jordan Shipley also returned to the starting XI - Leo Castledine was not fit to play any part in Greater Manchester.

It was a quiet first 30 minutes at Edgeley Park, and the opening half an hour went by with very little happening for either team. 

The hosts were the ones pushing, and they had the evening's first big chance when Callum Connolly managed to get space in the Shrewsbury penalty box from a corner. 

The defender got up well and headed powerfully towards goal. The ball looked like it was going into Jamal Blackman's net, but he stuck out a strong right hand and tipped it over the bar. 

That was a warning for Salop as the hosts continued to push, and they did take the lead minutes later when Norwood scored a sensational free-kick. 

Salop would have been disappointed with the ease they allowed Connolly to run forward before he was fouled on the edge of the box by Funso Ojo, but there was nothing they could do about the strike. It went right into the top corner. 

It was a moment of Premier League class from the former Sheffield United midfielder - who arguably should not be playing in League One. 

After the break, Stockport continued to look the more likely, and Kyle Wootton forced a block from Morgan Feeney when the ball broke to him in the penalty area. 

From the resulting corner, Norwood headed goalwards, and once again, Blackman was equal to the effort. 

The second half was stopped for roughly 10 minutes when Morgan Feeney suffered a serious injury in the Town penalty area. 

It was not clear exactly what happened to the former Carlisle man, but he lay, unmoved on the ground for some time. Town's medical team and coach Ainsworth were on the field of play, and eventually, he was carried off on a stretcher. 

With seven minutes of normal time remaining John Marquis had Town's best chance of the game when his header from close range was saved by Ben Hinchliffe.

Due to Feeney's injury there were 12 minutes added on but Salop were unable to find a way back into the game. 

TEAMS: 

Stockport: Hinchliffe, Knoyle, Touray, Camps (Bate 76), Olaofe (Bailey 76) , Southam-Hales, Collar, Pye, Connolly, Wootton, Norwood (Rydel 90).

Subs not used: Addai, Diamond, Breki-Andresson, Hamilton.

Shrewsbury:  Blackman, Nsiala, J. Feeney, M. Feeney (Perry 71), Gilliead, Gape (Biggins 90), Shipley (Stewart 83), Ojo, Benning, Marquis, Lloyd.

Subs not used: Savin, Morris, Nurse, Dinanga.