Crewe and Shrewsbury play out goalless draw

Posted Sunday, January 16, 2022 by PA

Shrewsbury extended their unbeaten run to five League One games with a goalless draw at local rivals Crewe.

Neither side offered enough quality in front of goal to break the stalemate, with the visitors going closest through late efforts from defenders Matthew Pennington and Ethan Ebanks-Landell.

Salop celebrations were cut shot in the fourth minute after an Elliott Bennett corner deflected past Dave Richards, but the effort was ruled out for a foul on the Crewe goalkeeper.

At the other end Chris Long was flagged offside as he shot and while Mikael Mandron polished off the rebound from Marko Marosi’s save it was all in vain for Crewe.

Nathanael Ogbeta and Bennett tested Richards with well-struck efforts as Steve Cotterill’s side imposed themselves. But they were indebted to Bennett when he flung himself in the way of a goal-bound strike by Oli Finney.

Ryan Bowman flicked Ogbeta’s cross into the side netting and former Crewe striker Dan Udoh showed a neat turn inside the box, but dragged his shot past a post.

An evenly-matched contest was in need of some inspiration in the final third, but Callum Ainley’s volley for Crewe, which arrowed past the post the restart, and Ogbeta’s wild drive over the bar did not provide it in the second half.

Then Richards tipped away Pennington’s firm header from a corner and Ebanks-Landell lifted a far-post header over in the closing minutes.