George Lloyd and Will Boyle were on target as Shrewsbury secured a deserved win over Cambridge.

Lloyd was key to both goals - with the striker first doing superbly well to win the ball high before calmly finding the back of the net.

The forward's work rate then won Salop a corner out of nothing.

And from that, Boyle produced an excellent header to wrap up the points.

Cambridge huffed and puffed to find a route back into the game.

But Town dealt with any threat comfortably to claim what was a fully deserved three points.

Team news:

Boss Michael Appleton stuck with a 3-4-2-1 system for the visit of The U's.

It saw Will Brook continue in goal with Luca Hoole, Sam Stubbs and Boyle making up the back three.

Ismeal Kabia and Sam Clucas were deployed at wing-back with Taylor Perry and Tom Sang the midfield two.

Anthony Scully and Tommy McDermott both operated more advanced in a number 10 role with Lloyd the central striker.

Cambridge lined up in a 4-2-3-1 formation that saw Shayne Lavery operate as the lone forward.

Adam Mayor operated in the 10 role with Korey Smith and Kylian Kouassi the wide men.

Report:

It was Cambridge who started the game on the front foot with Lavery turning a long throw wide before then firing over from 20 yards.

In the 11th minute, though, Town got themselves ahead with a goal Lloyd created and scored on his own.

First, the striker did well to press a defender into a mistake before latching onto a loose pass.

And Lloyd then calmly kept his composure to guide the ball past Jake Eastwood and into the net.

Just past the half-hour mark, Town had a second with Lloyd's hard work once again essential to the goal.

The striker did superbly well to win the ball high and, ultimately, force a corner.

And from that corner, Boyle arrowed a header into the corner of the net with Eastwood rooted.

Town could have had a third just before the break.

Clucas flashed a wonderful delivery right across the six-yard box that McDermott was inches away from tapping home.

Town continued to press for more goals following the restart.

First, Kabia did well to burst to the byline and send in a cross that Cambridge scrambled clear.

Scully then darted into the box after latching onto a Lloyd flick on, only to see a defender nip the ball away just as he was about to pull the trigger.

Appleton made his first change in the 72nd minute - with Isaac England replacing Scully.

It was a move that saw Sang push further forward into the number 10 role.

But while Cambridge tried to find a route back from that point, Town dealt with any threat superbly to claim a fully deserved three points.

Teams:

Shrewsbury: Brook, Hoole, Stubbs, Boyle, Kabia, Sang (Aneke 87), Perry, Clucas, McDermott, Scully (England 72), Lloyd (Marquis 90).

Subs not used: Harrison, Benning, Biggins, Ihionvien.

Cambridge: Eastwood, Morrison, Watts, Brophy (McConnell 60), Smith, Mayor, Mpanzu, Lavery, Kouassi (Kachunga 60), Bradshaw (Kaikai 46), Gibbons (Bennett 71).

Subs not used: Hughes, Jobe, Hoddle.

Attendance: 4,827 (370 away).