REPORT | SHREWSBURY TOWN 1 ARGYLE 2
Shrewsbury Town 1
Phillips 53
Argyle 2
Edwards 68
Wright 90
Callum Wright emerged from the bench to score a dramatic winner and keep Argyle top of Sky Bet League One ahead of the final fortnight of a thrilling season.
The Greens fell behind against the run of play to a super strike from Killian Phillips but Argyle continued to control the game, and deservedly levelled with a back-post header from captain Joe Edwards.
The game was 96 minutes old when one more cross drifted into the Shrewsbury penalty area and Wright was in the right place to seal a huge three points.
Argyle boss Steven Schumacher made one change from the Devon derby win at Exeter City, with Macaulay Gillesphey replacing Saxon Earley, and Brendan Galloway shifting wide to a left wing-back role.
After a tight opening, the Greens conjured the first opening when Galloway picked out a cross for Matt Butcher, arriving from midfield, and his header was brilliantly saved by Marko Marosi. A slick move from Argyle, matched by a super block.
Sam Cosgrove then had a shot saved before a deep corner from Jordan Houghton was met by Edwards but the Shrewsbury defence had amassed enough bodies in the area to charge down the Argyle skipper.
Callum Burton’s first meaningful duty arrived on 19 minutes, saving with his legs to deny a snap-shot from Tom Bloxham, but the game then reverted to a period of midfield scrapping.
Argyle were again the side to reignite some attacking intent, Cosgrove firing over after Butcher had won the ball in the engine room and Finn Azaz had picked out a tidy pass, but the half-time scores remained blank.
Danny Mayor and Ryan Hardie replaced Galloway and Cosgrove at the break, as Houghton restarted with a whack from Jordan Shipley, which earned the Shrewsbury man a booking.
Mayor quickly made an impact with some bright work in the left channel, with Argyle enjoying a spell of prolonged possession in the Shrewsbury half. The probing led to a Mayor pass for Azaz inside the penalty area and he was upended by a clumsy challenge, but referee Anthony Backhouse showed no interest in the spot-kick enquiries.
Seconds later, disaster struck. A ricochet fell nicely for the Shrews in midfield and Phillips broke the offside trap to lash a terrific finish into the top corner.
Wright and Earley replaced Azaz and Dan Scarr, and Wright immediately won a free-kick on the left wing, but Houghton’s delivery was gobbled up by Marosi. The next set-piece, a Houghton corner, bounced around before Gillesphey fired over with a shot on the turn.
The equaliser arrived midway through the second period and it was all down to wonderful tenacity from Niall Ennis, hunting the ball down by the corner flag before swinging over a deep cross for Edwards to head home from close range.
The Green Army reacted with justifiable joy, followed some mild relief as Burton comfortable held a speculative shot from distance. Argyle soon returned to the danger area and Edwards almost repeated his back-post trick but was just unable to get a touch on Wright’s clipped cross.
Jay Matete for Butcher was the final Pilgrim change and, incredibly, Edwards had a third opening in the same position, nodding into the side-netting after a delicious curling cross by Mayor.
Despite the level scores, Argyle had completely dominated territory and possession in the second half. The challenge for the final ten minutes was finding a potentially massive goal in the promotion race.
The Pilgrims remained patient in their probing, brilliantly working the ball down the left with Mayor releasing for a Wright shot deflected over.
Seven minutes of added time increased hope of a winner and Argyle were camped in the Shrewsbury half. Houghton found room in the box but his shot was also deflected off target and the subsequent corner headed clear.
The Argyle pressure was relentless and a wonderful reward arrived in the sixth minute of stoppage time. Gillesphey curled over a beautiful cross, Wright judged the flight of the ball perfectly and launched a diving header past Marosi.
Two massive wins on the road in the space of four days for the Greens. Now on to Cambridge at Home Park.
Shrewsbury: 1 Marko Marosi; 3 Luke Leahy (capt), 6 Taylor Moore, 7 Carl Winchester, 8 Killian Phillips, 14 Rob Street, 17 Elliott Bennett, 18 Tom Bloxham, 22 Chey Dunkley, 26 Jordan Shipley, 27 Kade Craig. Substitutes (not used): 13 Harry Burgoyne (gk), 34 Nana Owusu, 36 Declan Hutchings, 43 Travis Hernes.
Booked: Shipley 46
Argyle: 25 Callum Burton; 3 Macaulay Gillesphey, 4 Jordan Houghton, 5 James Wilson, 6 Dan Scarr (24 Saxon Earley 56), 7 Matt Butcher (28 Jay Matete 73), 8 Joe Edwards (capt), 11 Niall Ennis, 16 Sam Cosgrove (9 Ryan Hardie H-T), 18 Finn Azaz (26 Callum Wright 61), 22 Brendan Galloway (10 Danny Mayor H-T). Substitutes (not used): 32 Adam Parkes (gk), 20 Adam Randell.
Booked: Cosgrove 17, Matete 80
Attendance: 5,801
Referee: Anthony Backhouse