Fleetwood Town fell to a 3-0 Sky Bet League One defeat to Shrewsbury Town at Highbury on Boxing Day.
Even though Fleetwood managed to create multiple chances throughout the game, which challenged Marco Marosi, they were defeated after goals from Ryan Bowman, Josh Vela, and Daniel Udoh.
The first half-chance of the game was by the visitors as Luke Leahy dispossessed Jay Matete in the midfield and tried his luck from the halfway line, with his effort easily collected by Alex Cairns.
The Cods could have taken the lead 10 minutes in as Tom Clarke got on the end of a deep free-kick, playing the ball across goal to Ged Garner, but he couldn’t get it out of his feet. The play ended up going to Harrison Biggins who seemed to be dropped in the box, but the referee waved play on.
Two minutes later, Andrew did well to keep hold of the ball and find G.Garner in the midfield, he played a tricky one-two with Harrison Biggins, with the forward’s eventual effort going just wide of the near post.
Shrewsbury managed to forge a few half-chances from the left, as Bowman and Leahy almost got on the end of the low crosses, but neither of them put their chances on target.
Just before the half-time break, Fleetwood half-cleared a cross from the right, with the looping ball falling for the visitors, more specifically Nathanael Ogbeta, whose volley went just wide of Cairns’ near post.
The Shrews took the lead just after the restart as a forward latched onto a through ball, played from the midfield, before playing it across goal to Bowman who passed it into an empty net.
Cian Hayes looked like he had got Fleetwood back on level terms 64 minutes in as he dispossessed Ethan Ebanks-Landell on the edge of their box, but the ball rolled a bit too close to the goalkeeper, as he played the ball away from his goal.
Town had another chance two minutes later as Andrew lumped a ball up from the back, toward substitute Chris Conn-Clarke who ran towards goal, tricked his way around his marker, and forced a diving save out of Marosi.
In the 67th minute, Hayes proved to be a terror for the Shrews defence as he pushed his way towards goal from the left of the box, earning his side a corner after his effort was deflected out for a corner. The set-piece was played into a dangerous area but was cleared well by the away side’s defence.
Town were on the attack again, searching for the equaliser, just a few minutes later as Hayes played the ball to Harrison Biggins in the midfield, who tried his luck on goal and even though Marosi lost control of the ball, he was able to collect it before Hayes could capitalise.
The away side doubled their lead soon after as Vela went on a solo run from the right, after a nice bit of play from him and Bowman, with the former whipping an effort from the edge of the box into the far corner, out of Cairns’ reach.
A third followed 10 minutes before the end as Udoh decided to try his luck from the edge of Town’s box, with his effort rifling off the bottom of the bar and into the back of the net.
Town XI: Cairns (GK), Andrew (C), McLaughlin, Clarke, Camps (Morris 59’), G.Garner (Conn-Clarke 35’), Matete, Biggins, Lane, Johnston, Hayes (C.Johnson 76’).
Subs not used: Crellin (GK), Clark, Boyle, McMillan.
Shrews XI: Marosi (GK), Leahy, Ebanks-Landell, Pennington, Vela, Udoh (Cosgrove 86’), Bowman (Pyke 86’), Ogbeta (Daniels 90’), Davis, Bennett, Nurse.
Subs not used: Burgoyne (GK), Caton, Leshabela, Craig.