Shrewsbury Town secured a huge victory over Harrogate Town this afternoon.

A stunning strike from Taylor Perry was enough to seal the points, with the 24-year-old's strike from the edge of the box rocketing into the top corner not long after the interval.

In a game Shrewsbury dominated from start to finish, the closest the visitors came to finding the net was when substitute Tom Cursons struck the crossbar late on.

Team news:

Boss Appleton opted for a 4-4-2 system for the visit of Simon Weaver's side.

It saw Will Brook start in goal with Nick Freeman making his debut at right-back and Sam Clucas on the left.

Luca Hoole and Will Boyle got the nod at centre-back with Josh Ruffles and Perry in the middle of the park.

Iwan Morgan started on the left flank with Ismeal Kabia on the right. Trey Ogunsuyi and John Marquis were the front two.

Harrogate lined up in a 3-4-3 with Emile Acquah, Jack Muldoon and Reece Smith in attack.

Report:

Salop looked best in the opening 20 minutes and fashioned a host of half-chances before Ogunsuyi came close to breaking the deadlock, showing great technique to volley Clucus' cross goalward on the turn.

Unfortunately, though, his strike went narrowly over the bar.

Morgan looked like the liveliest player on the pitch in the first half, showing pace and power as he caused the visitors a host of problems.

After creating plenty of crossing opportunities, the Brentford loanee came close to netting a superb goal of his own when he drove inside off the left and sent a fierce effort hurtling narrowly wide of the mark.

As the interval approached, he did it again, beating two men before this time bending an effort towards the far corner.

But Harrogate keeper Henry Gray was equal to the effort and palmed it clear.

Brook was finally called into action at this stage of the game, smartly blocking Acquah's effort to send the sides into half-time on level terms.

As the second half kicked off, Salop remained in the ascendancy, and while they were still searching for that elusive goal, an advantage came their way in the 52nd minute.

Already booked for a challenge in the first half, Harrogate midfielder Jack Evans committed his second bookable offence by throwing the ball away to delay a throw-in.

Referee Peter Wright was left with no choice but to reduce the visitors to 10 men.

And Shrewsbury almost made their advantage count immediately as Hoole, Perry and Marquis all went close to opening the scoring before the hour-mark.

However, the next action finally saw the deadlock broken as Perry fired an absolute rocket into the top corner from the edge of the box.

Good interplay between Clucas and Ruffels allowed the latter to find the former Wolves man 25 yards out. He shifted the ball onto his left foot and hammered home a shot that was too powerful for Gray.

Shrewsbury looked to double their lead immediately as Morgan again caused a huge amount of trouble, finding space inside the box to send a low drive goalward, but Gray got down fast to keep the deficit at one goal.

This proved to be the striker's last impact on the game - who was running on empty at this stage - and he was replaced by Tommy McDermott.

It took until the 80th minute for the visitors to fashion another chance, but when the opportunity to head goalward fell to Chanse Headman, he could only steer it wide from the edge of the six-yard box.

Harrogate then came closer than they had all game in the 85th minute when substitute Cursons struck the bar with an audacious volley.

Things got fiery towards the end of the match, but Salop did well to see out the game and secure a vital three points.

Teams:

Shrewsbury: Brook, Freeman, Hoole, Boyle, Clucas, Kabia, Perry, Ruffels, Morgan (McDermott 74), Marquis, Ogunsuyi (Lloyd 83).

Subs not used: Cox, Benning, Anderson, England, Gray.

Harrogate Town: Gray, Evans, Thomson, Morris, Acquah (Cursons 75), O'Connor (Burrell 90+), Headman, Muldoon, Smith, Horton (Cass 61), Heffernan.

Subs not used: Oxley, Bennett, McAleny, Falkingham.

Attendance: 4,638 (121)