Town fell to defeat away at Grimsby Town on Monday night.

A Justin Amaluzor strike in the 83rd minute was the difference.

Tom Sang hit the post for Shrewsbury and John Marquis forced a fantastic save out of Jackson Smith, but they couldn't find a crucial breakthrough.

Team news:

While there was only one personnel change to the starting eleven, Michael Appleton made a change in formation from the Boxing Day defeat at Cheltenham.

Lining up in a 4-4-2, Tom Anderson and Will Boyle partnered at centre-back.

Sam Clucas was at left-back and Luca Hoole on the opposite side.

A midfield four saw Anthony Scully on the left, Taylor Perry and Josh Ruffels in the middle, and Sang on the right.

Up top, Ismeal Kabia was joined by Marquis, although the skipper was playing slightly deeper than the Arsenal loanee.

Grimsby lined up in a 4-1-4-1 formation with Jude Soonsup-Bell as the lone striker.

Report:

Neither side had a lot to show for their efforts in the first half hour.

Darragh Burns and Charles Vernam tested Brook in the early stages, but the Town goalkeeper was equal to both strikes.

Down the other end, the best chance of the opening 30 minutes fell to Sang, whose volley from the edge of the box was well blocked by the Mariners before Jackson Smith smothered the loose ball.

The half picked up in the final moments as Perry collected the ball and embarked on a 50-yard run. His pass found Sang on the penalty spot, but the midfielder couldn't keep his effort down.

Grimsby then countered and both Jamie Walker and Soonsup-Bell took aim, but again Brook wasn't troubled and the sides went into the break level.

The hosts had the first opportunity of the second period too, but it too went wide of the target as Evan Khouri misjudged Jayden Sweeney's cross.

Appleton looked to his bench shortly before the hour mark, replacing Scully with George Lloyd.

It meant Kabia moved out to the left wing and Lloyd took the reins up top.

Marquis continued to play behind the striker.

And the captain could've put his side ahead minutes later if it weren't for an outstanding save from Smith.

Good play between Sang and Lloyd allowed the former to deliver a cross to the edge of the six-yard box and Marquis rose highest to meet it.

However, Smith produced a cat-like save to claw the ball away from danger.

Salop kept pushing and struck the post with their next chance as Sang took aim from distance, only to see his effort agonisingly deflected onto the woodwork.

But despite this period of dominance, it would be the hosts who broke the deadlock as substitute Amaluzor trashed home a low strike in the 83rd minute to secure three points for the Mariners.

Teams:

Grimsby: Smith, Sweeney, Rodgers, Walker (Green 62), Khouri, Soonsub-Bell (Kabia 73), Turi (McEachran 73), McJannet, Burns (Amaluzor 73), Tharme, Vernam

Subs not used: Casper, Staunton, Warren

Shrewsbury: Brook, Hoole, Anderson, Boyle, Sang (Aneke 90), Perry, Ruffels, Clucas, Scully (Lloyd 55), Marquis, Kabia (McDermott 84)

Subs not used: Harrison, Benning, England, Gray

Attendance: 5,386 (154)