REPORT: Shrewsbury 2, Peterborough United 0: Posh well beaten as loan ranger strikes twice

Two second-half goals from dashing on-loan Blackburn forward Harry Chapman delivered a deserved 2-0 win for the Shrews who were rarely tested by a misfiring Posh attacking unit.

Posh boss Darren Ferguson was so irritated by the performance he’d made all five permissable substitutions by the midway point of the second-half.

One had been forced before the break by an injury to star midfielder Jack Taylor which capped a poor day for Posh against a team they’d duffed 5-1 at home earlier in the season.

There had been some big team news from both camps as Posh were without classy centre-back Frankie Kent who was stood down with a mild concussion. Idris Kanu and Reece Brown were relegated to the substitutes’ bench through choice with Niall Mason, Joe Ward and Ethan Hamilton preferred as starters.

The Shrews were without on-loan Everton defender Matthew Pennington and experienced striker Leon Clarke, as well as manager Steve Cotterill who was continuing his battle against Covid.

The pitch was an unusual colour - green - helped by no football on the surface for over a month.

Posh started brightly with Taylor finding Siriki Dembele behind the home defence, but goalkeeper Matija Sarkick was out quickly to smother a high bouncing ball.

But that was about that until Jonson Clarke-Harris saw a 20-yard shot dribble into the ‘keepers’ arms midway through the first-half and just before the break the top scorer headed a difficult chance well wide.

Both sides used the same defensive formation with two sets of wing-backs denied any room as a result.

Shrewsbury adapted the better without creating much. An early Chapman strike was deflected onto a post by teammate Dan Udoh, but otherwise Posh defended their penalty area well with Dan Butler making a fine block to keep out Dan Love’s 12-yard volley.

Posh suffered a blow just before the break when Taylor limped off to be replaced by Reece Brown.

And the Shrews were quick to take advantage of a reorganised Posh side.

They barged their way through the Posh midfield. Sammie Szmodics initially did well to retrieve possession, but the ball ran away from him enabling Chapman to finish superbly from the edge of the penalty area.

Clarke-Harris was soon heading a Ward cross over, but Posh showed no improvement so a triple sub followed a change of shape with a flat-back four wand two wingers employed with Clarke-Harris and Szmodics among those to go off.

Posh had moments with Kanu stabbing a Blake-Tracy cross weakly at goal and Eisa striking a 20-yard free kick well, but too straight.

But Shrews always looked the more likely to add a second goal and so it proved with the lively Chapman pouncing on a loose ball, turning Blake-Tracy inside out before firing powerfully past Pym four minutes from time.

That was a shame for Pym who had done well to tip an Ogbeta cross over the bar and extremely well to back pedal and deny Shaun Whaley a goal from an excellent lob.

Posh performed rather limply throughout much to the annoyance of Ferguson who could be heard moaning loudly throoughout the second half.

Posh: Christy Pym, Niall Mason (sub Idris Kanu, 67 mins), Nathan Thompson, Mark Beevers, Ethan Hamilton, Jack Taylor (sub Reece Brown, 42 mins), Joe Ward, Dan Butler (sub Frazer Blake-Tracy, 56 mins), Sammie Szmodics (sub Ricky-Jade Jones, 67 mins), Siriki Dembele, Jonson Clarke-Harris (sub Mo Eisa, 67 mins).

Unused subs: Harrison Burrows, Dan Gyollai.

Shrewsbury: Matija Sarkic, Donald Love (sub Ryan Sears, 75 mins), Ro-Shaun Williams, Ethan Ebanks-Landell, Aaron PIerre, Nathanael Ogbeta, Josh Vela, Oliver Norburn, Harry Chapman (sub Dave Edwards, 87 mins), Shaun Whalley, Dan Udoh (sub Rekeil Pyke, 90 mins).

Subs: Harry Burgoyne, Scott Golbourne, Sean Goss, Josh Daniels.

Goals: Shrewsbury - Chapman (51 mins & 86 mins).

Cautions:

Posh - Hamilton (foul), Thompson (foul).

Shrewsbury - Love (foul).

Referee: Kevin Johnson 5.