Match Report | Shrewsbury Town 1-3 Barnet

Matchday Two | League Two Match Report | Shrewsbury Town 1-3 Barnet - Barnet struck twice in the closing stages to leave Shrewsbury Town empty-handed at Croud Meadow.

Jake Reeves' early strike gave the visitors the lead inside the opening ten minutes.

But Josh Davison was on hand with the simplest of finishes just before the break to bring Salop level by half-time.

Town pushed for a second after the restart and were left aggrieved when a Will Boyle header appeared to cross the line without being given.

Barnet made their moments count in the end, though, with Charlie Lakin and substitute Tom Knowles both finding the net in the closing stages to seal victory.

Team news:

Boss Gav Cowan set Town up in a 3-4-1-2 formation, with Will Boyle handed the captaincy once again.

Will Brook started in goal behind a back three of Luca Hoole, Boyle and Josh Ruffels, with Kevin Berkoe and Arkell Jude-Boyd the wing-backs.

Tom Sang and Will Gray made up the midfield two, with Isaac Fletcher in behind a front two of Josh Davison and Joseph Gbodé, in for George Lloyd.

Barnet lined up in a 4-3-3 formation, with captain Danny Collinge part of a back four alongside Zac Williams, Adam Senior and Nikola Tavares.

Nnamdi Ofoborh, Charlie Lakin and Jake Reeves made up the midfield three, with Idris Kanu, Kabongo Tshimanga and Oisín Gallagher the front three.

Referee: William Davis. Assistant Referee: Harley Hetherington. Fourth Official: Niall Felton.

Report:

An even start but it was Barnet who led inside the opening ten minutes, Jake Reeves picking his spot from the edge of the box with a strike that beat a diving Brook.

Town responded well. Around ten minutes later, Will Gray's rising effort from distance kept climbing and flew narrowly over the crossbar.

Moments later, Joseph Gbodé caused problems down the wing, driving forward and picking out a dangerous cross into the box. A diving Barnet defender managed to stick out a leg at the near post to turn it behind for a corner, denying what looked a simple tap-in.

Town's pressure told just before the break. In the 42nd minute, Josh Davison had the simplest of finishes after Barnet's defence made a mess of clearing their lines, tapping home to level the scores.

Salop almost snatched a second in stoppage time at the end of the half. A nicely threaded ball down the wing found Fletcher, whose cross picked out Gbodé, who had made a great run to lose his marker - but the delivery was just out of his reach, and the sides went in level at half-time.

Town picked up where they left off after the restart and thought they'd taken the lead soon after, Will Boyle rising to meet a Fletcher cross with a header that everyone inside Croud Meadow - players and supporters alike - were convinced had crossed the line. Neither referee William Davis nor his assistant gave it, and the score stayed level.

Undeterred, Salop continued to press. Gray found Jude-Boyd with a good pass out wide, and the wing-back's rifled effort was deflected behind for a corner. From the resulting set-piece, Sang's delivery was headed down and wide by Hoole, who had done well to make space for himself in the box.

Jay Turner-Cooke, on for Gray, was booked for a foul just outside the box that gave Barnet a dangerous free-kick, central to goal. Ofoborh's effort from the set-piece cannoned into the wall, and Town cleared their lines.

There was a worrying moment when substitute Sam Stubbs, on for Hoole, was caught flush in the head by a powerful ball into the box from close range. He was down for several minutes receiving treatment before being able to walk off, replaced by Isaac Lee.

Barnet's best spell of the half brought the breakthrough. In the 83rd minute, Charlie Lakin fired home on the half-volley from inside the box to put the visitors back in front.

And Barnet wrapped up the points in the 90th minute, substitute Tom Knowles finishing with quality into the top corner from inside the box to make it 3-1.

Despite a battling second-half performance, Town couldn't find a way back and were left to rue the disallowed Boyle header as Barnet took all three points.

Teams:

Shrewsbury: Brook, Hoole (Stubbs, then Lee for Stubbs), Ruffels, Boyle (C), Fletcher, Sang, Berkoe, Davison, Jude-Boyd, Gray (Turner-Cooke), Gbodé (Lloyd). Subs not used: Proctor, England, Aiston.

Barnet: Cox, Tavares (Wright), Senior, Williams (Knowles), Collinge (C), Ofoborh (Comley), Lakin, Reeves (Kenlock), Kanu (Maskell), Tshimanga, Gallagher. Subs not used: Ashby-Hammond, Siaw.

Attendance: 5,129.