Shrewsbury fell to defeat away at Cheltenham Town on Boxing Day.

First-half goals from Hakeeb Adelakun and Jake Bickerstaff put the hosts in control before the half-hour mark.

Isaac Hutchinson converted a penalty before John Marquis smashed home to pull one back with an hour played.

Team news:

With forward Anthony Scully back from injury, boss Appleton made one change from last weekend's loss, replacing Tommy McDermott with the Irishman.

It meant Town remained in a 3-4-1-2 formation with Will Brook continuing in goal.

Luca Hoole, Tom Anderson and Will Boyle made up the back three with Ismeal Kabia and Sam Clucas at wing-back.

Josh Ruffels was joined by Taylor Perry in the middle of the park with Scully moving forward into the number 10 role.

Marquis and George Lloyd were the front two.

Cheltenham lined up in a 4-3-3 formation with Bickerstaff as the central striker. 

Jordan Thomas and Adelakun sat either side of him.

Report:

After a fast start, the hosts took the lead in the 14th minute.

Thomas hit the byline and drilled a low ball across the box, finding Adelakun at the back post.

The forward then slotted home from close range.

Cheltenham kept up their pressure and made it two on the half-hour mark.

Adelakun was involved again, this time clipping a perfectly-weighted throughball over the Town backline and through to Bickerstaff.

He had time to set himself before sidefooting the ball past Brook with composure.

Salop mustered a couple of chances in the first half as both Lloyd and Boyle went close, but each effort was caught by Robins goalkeeper Joe Day.

The hosts kept up the tempo and Hutchinson made it three from the spot 10 minutes after the restart.

Salop pulled one back through Marquis not long after, with the striker smashing home after a Clucas shot was parried by Day.

The only other serious effort on goal for the remainder of the game fell to substitute Ethon Archer, who drilled a powerful strike goalward. Fortunately for Town, Brook was equal to it.

Shrewsbury will look to bounce back quickly when they travel to Grimsby Town on Monday.

Teams:

Cheltenham: Day, Jude-Boyd, Wilson, Cundy, Young, Thomas (Martin 88), Bickerstaff (Taylor 86), Hutchinson (Archer 75), Stevenson, Tomkinson, Adelakun

Subs not used: Diallo, Harmon, Kinsella, Power

Shrewsbury: Brook, Hoole, Anderson, Boyle, Kabia, Perry, Ruffels, Clucas, Scully (McDermott 69), Marquis, Lloyd (Sang 78)

Subs not used: Harrison, Benning, Aneke, England, Gray

Attendance: 5,553 (621)