Fleetwood Town’s first Sky Bet League One outing of the calendar year ended in a 3-1 loss on the road to Shrewsbury Town on New Year’s Day.
Two first-half Shrewsbury goals, scored by Nohan Kenneh and Chey Dunkley, and one in the second score by Jordan Shipley gave the hosts the advantage heading into the break and, even though Shaun Rooney pulled one back, it wasn’t enough to secure a comeback.
The hosts managed to start the game the quicker of the two sides and even created two gilt-edged chances inside the first 10 minutes, with the second being the opener to the game after crashing in off the crossbar.
Jordan Shipley had the first chance from the edge of the Fleetwood area, which took a big deflection, meaning Jay Lynch had to be at full stretch to push it behind for a corner but, from the resulting set-piece, Kenneh half-volleyed home from close range for Shrewsbury.
Charlie Adam’s Cods slowly grew into the game and had their first chance of the game as Phoenix Patterson turned well 20 yards away from the Shrews’ goal and tried to find the bottom right corner with his low strike, but it went the wrong side of Marko Marosi’s post.
Not long after, Town were inches away from levelling the score up as Patterson’s free-kick found Rooney, who returned to the squad after a long absence, whose header forced a diving save from Marosi, with Brendan Wiredu unable to get on the rebound.
Fleetwood’s number 13 was called into action 10 minutes before the break as he made a double save. Morgan Feeney’s effort – from a Shipley corner – was brilliantly stopped by Lynch, who had to react quickly for the second attempt from close range soon after.
It was a confident end to the half for Fleetwood though, as Junior Quitirna had his effort from range deflect wide for a corner, which Josh Earl headed against the post. Then, captain Josh Vela played Rooney in but, yet again, the shot deflected wide of the target.
But disaster struck seconds before the referee’s whistle blew as a corner found its way for Feeney at the back post, whose half-shot/half-cross found its way to Dunkley inside the area, and he managed to bundle the ball home, doubling Shrewsbury’s lead at the half.
Town came out after the break looking to find a way back into the game and they almost did straight way as Jayden Stockley latched onto Rooney’s lofted cross from the right, but Feeney applied just enough pressure to take the sting out of the situation for the hosts.
Around the hour mark, Lynch pulled off another brilliant save, this time stopping Bowman, who tried to guide Shipley’s effort goalward, however, this save didn’t stop the momentum as Sobowale then found Shipley with a driven cross, who fired home making it 3-0.
A gift fell on Fleetwood’s lap then as Rooney was in the right place at the right time to convert a rebound after Patterson’s effort on goal to bring the deficit down to two before Quitirna struck a free-kick towards the bottom right, but Marosi got down well to stop it.
Further chances bombarded the home goal including a powerful free-kick from Callum Dolan, a strike from close range by substitute Jack Marriott, and one from Maleace Asamoah, but none of them were able to find the net and affect the score line meaning Town's first game of 2024 would end in defeat.
Shrews XI: Marosi (GK), Benning, Anderson, Feeney, Bowman, Perry, Sobowale (Pierre 79’), Bennett (Mata 79’), Dunkley (C), Shipley (Bayliss 73’), Kenneh.
Unused subs: Burgoyne (GK), Sraha, Loughran, Whitney.
Town XI: Lynch (GK), Wiredu (Hayes 63’), Lawal, Vela (C), Stockley (Marriott 72’), Quitirna, Heneghan, Dolan, Rooney, Earl, Patterson (Asamoah 72’).
Unused subs: McMullan (GK), Tshimanga, Holgate, Teale.