Match Report
Shrewsbury secured a fourth victory in a row thanks to an excellent performance at Accrington Stanley.
With confidence high following wins over Barrow, Swindon and Notts County, Iwan Morgan put Salop ahead after just 30 seconds at the Wham Stadium.
Gavin Cowan’s side then flew out the blocks once again following the re-start, with Luca Hoole scoring just three minutes after half-time.
The result could have been more emphatic with Morgan, Taylor Perry and Josh Ruffels all going close on what was another excellent day for Cowan and the team.
Team news:
Town stuck with a 3-4-1-2 system for the trip to Lancashire - but there were a couple of tweaks with Ismeal Kabia and Anthony Scully missing out with minor knocks.
Matt Cox got the nod in goal with Luca Hoole, Will Boyle and Josh Ruffles continuing as the back three.
But with Kabia out, Kev Berkoe moved to right wing-back with Mal Benning coming in on the left.
Taylor Perry and Tom Sang sat in midfield with Tommy McDermott replacing Scully in the number 10 role.
George Lloyd and Iwan Morgan were the front two.
Accrington lined up in a 3-4-2-1 system with Salop favourite Shaun Whalley one of two numbers 10s alongside Charlie Brown.
Paddy Madden was the central striker.
Report:
In what was an incredible start - Morgan had Town ahead with a magical goal after just 30 seconds.
While some supporters were still taking their seats, the forward collected the ball wide on the left before dancing his way past one defender and then another.
And if that wasn't impressive enough, the Brentford loanee then arrowed a strike into the bottom corner that a diving Ollie Wright simply couldn't reach.
Despite conceding so early, the hosts refused to let their head drop.
Whalley tested Cox with a dangerous free-kick from 20 yards. The goalkeeper then made another smart stop to keep out Alex Henderson.
The hosts then went even close when, from a corner, Freddie Sass headed narrowly over the bar.
The game was barely 10 minutes old - but Town went up the other end with Morgan almost creating more magic.
Once again the forward cut in from the left flank before curling a brilliant strike towards goal.
This time, though, Wright was equal to it - with the goalkeeper making a fantastic full-stretch save to keep it out.
Stanley threatened again midway through the half with Everton loanee Isaac Heath seeing an effort from the edge of the box parried away by Cox.
And from that point the half settled down, with Town going in at the interval with a deserved lead.
Salop took a bit longer to score at the start of the second half – with Hoole needing three minutes to double the advantage.
After being fouled on half-way, Benning then delivered a wonderfully inviting cross to the back post.
And that delivery was met by Hoole who bulleted a header past Wright and in.
Accy tried to find a route back into the game. Madden headed over the bar just past the past the hour mark.
Salop, though, came a whisker away from a third in the 80th minute.
Sang whipped in a brilliant corner that Ruffels headed millimetres over the bar.
Then just moments later, Perry saw a fierce strike from 20 yards deflect narrowly past the post.
Teams:
Accrington Stanley: Wright, Sass, Rawson, Whalley, Madden, Henderson (Popoola 85), Brown, Smith (Abimbola 79), Conneely, Heath, O'Brien.
Subs not used: Kelly, Martin, Hall.
Shrewsbury: Cox, Hoole, Boyle, Ruffels, Berkoe, Sang, Perry, Benning, McDermott (Freeman 85), Lloyd, Morgan (Ogunsuyi 68).
Subs not used: Brook, Anderson, Clucas, Ojinnaka, Stubbs.
Attendance: 2,342 (547 away).
