Coca Cola League 2
COUNTY began 2007 with a defeat on New Yearés Day, but what a game this was and what a pulsating second-half fightback the Hatters produced.
With the game seemingly over at 3-0 for the Shrews, County hit back with two special Anthony Pilkington goals, and the drama continued when Michael Malcolm hit the post with an acrobatic volley.
However, it wasnét to be and Andy Cooke completed his second hat-trick against the Hatters this term with a late killer fourth goal for the home side.
County boss Jim Gannon said: "Both sides had their chances, but we shot ourselves in the foot in the end.
"Thereés enough quality in our team and we played some fantastic football today, but two or three of my players slipped down the gears a bit. We gave the ball away too many times and got punished. Iéll take a lot out of this game though."
Following Saturdayés splendid home win over Grimsby, Gannon named the same starting XI for the crucial game in Shropshire, but any plans the manager may have had were quickly scuppered.
By the half-hour mark, the Hatters found themselves two goals down, and almost three after former County loan-man Michael Symes hit the crossbar.
Not for the first time on their travels of late, County conceded in the opening minutes.
Just three had gone on Monday when Ben Davies turned inside Jason Taylor before firing home a low drive between James Spencerés legs.
County hit back with Liam Dickinson blasting over from close range and then Adam Griffin seeing a powerful effort expertly beaten out by Shrewsé goalkeeper Scott Shearer, and it was clearly against the run of play when the home side doubled their lead on 21 minutes.
Davies found bags of space in the County box and fired in a shot which Michael Rose blocked on the line, but there was Cooke lurking close in and he could scarcely miss from five yards.
It was soon almost 3-0 when Symes out-smarted the County defence, but thankfully his shot cannoned back off the crossbar.
There was a blistering start to the second half, but after the County players had been sent out five minutes before the restart, it was they who went three down almost straight away when Cooke superbly chipped home his second from the edge of the box with Spencer in no-manés land.
Prospects looked bleak, but the Hatters hit back within a minute when Pilkington superbly curled home a 20-yard shot following Tony Dinningés measured through-ball.
Dickinson went close when he headed just over, but it was really game on after 69 minutes when the excellent Pilkington guided home a great header following Taylorés quick free-kick.
Shrewsburyés backs were against the wall and sub Malcolm dramatically hit the bar with an acrobatic effort, but County sadly ran out of steam and Cooke completed another hat-trick in stoppage time.
In the dying seconds Williams saw red after seemingly hauling down Cooke to complete what had been a truly breath-taking afternoon.
- COUNTY: Spencer, Clare, Rose (Malcolm, 60), Dinning, Williams, Dickinson, Owen, Taylor, Pilkington, Griffin, Gleeson. Subs not used: Deasy, Bowler, Allen, Tunnicliffe. Sent off: Williams. Star Man: Stephen Gleeson.
- SHREWSBURY: Shearer, Hall, Drummond, Hope, Cooke (Humphrey, 90), Herd, Davies, Edwards, Thomas (Sorvel, 58), Symes, Burton. Subs not used: MacKenzie, Jones, Fortune-West.
Attendance: 4, 569.
Referee: Mr F Graham.