Town were made to rue their missed chances as they fell to a narrow defeat at home to Chesterfield.

A Lee Bonis goal on the hour mark was the difference as the striker's low effort found the bottom corner.

Michael Appleton's side had a wide range of chances throughout the game, but they were unable to find a breakthrough as the visitors held firm and ended our five-game unbeaten run at home.

Team news:

Boss Appleton made one enforced change from the side that put in an impressive performance at Walsall last weekend.

Having picked up a minor injury in that game, Anthony Scully missed out on a place in the matchday squad with Tommy McDermott coming into the starting XI.

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 McDermott moving forward into the number 10 role.

John Marquis and George Lloyd were the front two.

Chesterfield lined up in a 4-2-3-1 formation with Bonis as the central striker. 

Liam Mandeville and Dylan Duffy were on the wings with Ronan Darcy in the 10 role.

Report:

Town started incredibly fast and had three good chances in the first seven minutes.

First, McDermott played Kabia through down the right wing and the Arsenal loanee delivered a low cross all the way through to Clucas, but his strike was well saved by visiting keeper Zach Hemming.

Lloyd was next to take aim, thumping a half-volley goalward which was well blocked by a defender.

And second, later Clucas had another opportunity when McDermott played him into space on the corner of the penalty box.

The left wing-back ran onto the ball and hit it first time; however, the powerful strike flew over the bar.

While the dynamism continued throughout the remainder of the first half, there were no more chances of note until after the interval.

It was McDermott who had the next two efforts in quick succession.

Both were half-volleys resulting from flick-ons from Marquis and Anderson respectively.

However, the on-loan Burnley midfielder didn't get the desired connection on either occasion, scuffing both shots wide.

And Town were made to rue their missed chances when the visitors took the lead with an hour on the clock.

Striker Bonis broke the deadlock, collecting Lewis Gordon's pass on the penalty spot and turning before firing low past Brook.

As the game reached its conclusion, chances continued to be few and far between.

Substitute James Berry had a great opportunity to double his side's lead in the 88th minute as he took aim from the corner of the six-yard box.

However, he could only drag his shot wide of the far post.

But it didn't matter in the end as the visitors held on for all three points.

Teams:

Shrewsbury: Brook, Hoole, Anderson, Boyle, Kabia, Perry, Ruffels, Clucas, McDermott (England 76), Marquis (Sang 85), Lloyd (Aneke 85)

Subs not used: Harrison, Benning, Stubbs, Gray

Chesterfield: Hemming, Naylor, McFadzean, Mandeville, Stirk, Bonis (Grigg 77), Duffy (Berry 69), Gordon, Dunkely, Darcy (Dickson 90), Tanton (Daley-Campbell 78)

Subs not used: Boot, Lewis, Butterfield

Attendance: 5,890 (991)