Shrewsbury Town

Town: Chris Weale, James Tavernier, Joe Jacobson, Darren Jones (Goldson, 86), Tamira Mkandawire (c), Jon Taylor (McAllister, 52), Luke Summerfield, Paul Parry, Aaron Wildig, Tom Bradshaw, John Marsden (McQuade, 17) 

Substitutes: Joe Anyon, Ryan Woods, Dominic Smith, Kaiman Anderson

Bolton Wanderers: Andy Lonergan, Tyrone Mears, Marc Tierney, Tim Ream, Zat Knight (c), Medo Kamara, Darren Pratley (Baptiste, 87), Oluwasanmi Odelusi, Craig Davies, David Ngog (Moritz, 62) Rob Hall (Andrews, 80)

Substitutes: Adam Bogdan, Keith Andrews, Jermaine Beckford, Tom Eaves, Cian Bolger 

Referee: Stephen Bratt

Assistants: Adam Matthews & Matthew Parry

Fourth Official: Mark Heywood

Attendance: 3,456 (640 from Bolton)

Town’s hopes of causing a cup upset ended at the first hurdle of the Capital One Cup. Championship outfit Bolton Wanderers demonstrated their credentials with a 3-1 win at the Greenhous with Oluwasanmi Odelusi twice on target for the Trotters. Rob Hall had opened the scoring and although Aaron Wildig quickly levelled, Odelusi struck either side of the break to send Bolton through.

Graham Turner stuck with the side that picked up a point from the opening day fixture against MK Dons three days ago, while Bolton made seven changes to the side that drew 1-1 at Burnley for this 1st round clash at a sunny Meadow.

Town had a great chance to open the scoring after just six minutes. Luke Summerfield started the move with a midfield interception and he found Tom Bradshaw in space. Bradshaw laid the ball off to Paul Parry and his precision cross deserved better than to be glanced wide by the incoming Wildig.

Shrews were having arguably the better of the opening exchanges and Jon Taylor showed good enterprise with a powerful burst, but his long range strike went comfortably over Andy Lonergan’s crossbar.

The two teams had traded six goals in a pre-season classic a fortnight ago but with a quarter of an hour played neither side had really threatened in a bitty affair. It was really hot and it was no surprise to see the players come to the touchline to take on some much needed fluids when there was a momentary break in play with John Marsden struggling.

Tamika Mkandawire defended brilliantly to head over his own bar to keep out a dangerous looking Odelusi cross and before Wanderers could take the corner, their former full-back Alex McQuade came on for Marsden who hadn’t recovered from the knock. He limped gingerly down the tunnel to exacerbate Town’s striker problem with Akwasi Asante already on the treatment table.

When the flag kick was finally delivered, Craig Davies rattled the face of Chris Weale’s bar with a decent header with Salop possibly affected by the change and not yet settled defensively.

Summerfield and Joe Jacobson both tried efforts from distance but both were significantly off target as Town looked for their first goal of the campaign.

The best chance of the game came midway through the half when David Ngog did well to make space in the box. The ball eventually found Davies but he scuffed his shot horribly and it trickled harmlessly wide.

Ngog went solo just a minute later with a really penetrating run from deep and this time the shot was struck sweetly enough although the outcome was identical.

The Lancashire side were beginning to ask questions and after 26 minutes they went in front. Hall found the corner with a fine low drive from all of 25 yards to give Weale no chance. It was a quality strike from the former West Ham man and the Reebok side just about deserved their advantage.

The lead barely lasted three minutes. With a static Bolton rearguard appealing in vain for offside, Wildig timed his run to perfection to knock Parry’s low cross beyond Lonergan. Now we had a game on our hands with Shrewsbury quickly back on terms.

Wanderers were quick on the break and another great run from £4m man Ngog set up Davies who went across Weale with the shot, but the Town stopper made an excellent save low to his left with the shot bound for the corner of the net.

The home side came again and Lonergan showed excellent agility to deny first Summerfield, and then Bradshaw at point blank range from the corner.

Town would be unlikely to come across a busier front pair with Davies and Ngog in sync and looking menacing every time they came forward, but it was Turner’s side again that went close. Lonergan made a flying save to prevent Wildig from grabbing a second after the midfielder arrowed a superb shot toward the top corner from the 18 yard line.

Two minutes before the break Odelusi grabbed a debut goal for the Trotters when Hall’s brilliant cross was met at the back post and despatched high into the net, to give Dougie Freedman’s side a half-time lead.

Davies forced Weale into a vital stop to prevent an early third at the resumption and both sets of fans created a decent noise for a three and a half thousand gate.

But it was the travelling fans who had most to sing about when their side constructed a fine third with Odelusi again on target on 51 minutes. McQuade made a poor decision and conceded possession inside his own half and Wanderers broke with devastating effect. Ngog cut the Town defence in two to find the magnificent charge of Odelusi and his venomous first time strike almost removed the blue and amber netting from its rigging.

Taylor was immediately replaced by Dave McAllister as Shrews looked to come back from 3-1 down. They had done so in that friendly with goals from Parry and Asante but this was a far more competitive affair and the task looked almost mountainous. Mind you, had Parry’s blistering effort been a yard inside the right hand post instead of outside, the deficit would have been halved with over half an hour left.

Shrews had acquitted themselves really well against a side fancied to do well in the Championship, and this had been a thoroughly entertaining cup tie with two fully committed teams giving their all.

The goal seemed to knock the stuffing out of the Town and the intensity of the game had subsided too, with Bolton seemingly happy to conserve their early season energies.

But goals can change games in an instant. It’s just unfortunate that the striking department is somewhat threadbare at the moment for Shrewsbury - particularly in light of the injuries to Asante and Marsden.

Bradshaw almost found a way through and the Town fans were furious that the referee failed to penalise Wanderers captain Zat Knight in the build up, with the lanky central defender all over Town’s number 9 like a rash as he tried to wriggle free.

McAllister headed weekly at Lonergan with the clock running down and both sides made a couple of late changes, but the game looked out of reach for Salop who had worked tirelessly for no end result.

Parry did drag a last minute effort wide as Town pressed for a consolation, but it was the Reebok Stadium side that progressed into the 2nd round by a relatively comfortable two goal margin.