Match Report | Rochdale 3-0 Shrewsbury

Shrewsbury fell to defeat at Rochdale.

Goals from Baba Adeeko, Dajaune Brown and Jonny Smith won it for the hosts in Greater Manchester.

Town had their moments with Josh Davison hitting the post and seeing a low strike saved by the legs of Nils Ramming.

Will Boyle, George Lloyd and Michael Golding also went close but it was Rochdale's night with Ian Watson's side taking their chances well.

Team news:

Boss Gavin Cowan named the same team that started Saturday's win over Salford.

It saw Will Brook continue in goal with Tom Anderson, Will Boyle and Josh Ruffles making up the back three.

Luca Hoole and Kevin Berkoe were deployed at wing-back with Will Gray, Jay Turner-Cook and Tom Sang in the middle of the park.

Isaac Fletcher and Josh Davison were the front two.

Kian McMahon-Brown, who arrived on loan from Burnley yesterday, was named among the subs while fellow new additions Lino Sousa travelled to Greater Manchester but wasn't yet ready to be in the squad.

Rochdale lined up in a 4-3-3 system with Mani Dieseruvwe the central striker and Dajaune Brown and Tobi Adebayo-Rowling out wide.

Report:

Both teams looked bright in the opening 15 minutes with the hosts moving the ball well but with Town setting traps and pressing superbly.

And it was from that pressing that the first chance of the game came about with Hoole winning the ball high before sending in a cross.

That was collected by Fletcher who teed up Turner-Cook on the edge of the box. And he saw a snap-volley well claimed by keeper Nils Ramming.

Rochdale created their first chance in the 20th minute.

Kane Taylor sent in a cross that Brown met with a powerful header - with effort sailing just over the bar.

The hosts did take the lead shortly past the half-hour mark.

Zain Silcott-Duberry, who had been introduced as a first half sub, sent in a cross that bobbled around the Salop box.

And it eventually fell for Adeeko who kept his composure to curl the ball into the bottom corner.

Town almost got themselves level immediately - with Davison running through on goal only to see his low strike saved by the legs of Ramming.

But the hosts then doubled their advantage when a Ruffels was unable to cut out a long ball forward.

That allowed Hannant to charge through on goal. And he finished brilliantly, with the midfielder lifting the ball over Brook and into the net.

That moment proved to be Ruffels last action, with the defender coming off with what looked like a strain.

He was replaced by striker Joe Gbode as Cowan shuffled his pack - with the boss making a second change during the interval with Arkell Jude-Boyd replacing Turner-Cooke.

It meant Town switched to a 4-2-3-1 formation with Davison the central striker, Fletcher in the 10 role, Gbode on the left and Jude-Boyd on the right.

Cowan's men started the second half with Gbode seeing a claim for a penalty - following a handball - waved away while Boyle saw a header claimed by keeper Ramming.

Salop were then a whisker away from getting one back when Jude-Boyd sent in a cross to the back post which Gbode did really well to collect, while holding off his marker.

He then hit a powerful cross-come shot that Davison - sliding in - turned against the post.

Cowan introduced Kian McMahon Brown for his debut in the 65th minute, the Burnley loannee replacing Fletcher.

George Lloyd and Michael Golding then replaced Anderson and Sang.

Town had another chance moments later, Jude-Boyd whipping in a cross that Davison nodded agonisingly wide.

You felt if Salop got one, they'd have a real chance of taking something from the game.

But Rochdale went on and wrapped up the points in the 80th minute, with substitute Smith charing into the box and curling a brilliant strike into the far corner.

Within a minute, Lloyd has seen a close-range strike saved by the legs of Ramming. Golding then saw another effort saved as Salop fell to defeat.

Teams:

Rochdale: Ramming, Wilson, Ebanks-Landell (Silcott-Duberry 22), Dieseruvwe, Adebayo-Rowling, Francis, Adeeko (Gilmour 87), Hannant (Smith 77), Taylor, Moss, Brown (Henderson 87).

Subs not used: Walker, Bradley, Leonard.

Shrewsbury: Brook, Anderson (Lloyd 75), Boyle, Ruffels (Gbode 45), Hoole, Gray, Turner-Cook (Jude-Boyd 46), Sang (Golding 75), Berkoe, Fletcher (McMahon-Brown , Davison.

Subs not used: Proctor, England.