Shrewsbury found a way to win the game – Steve Cotterill

Posted Wednesday, January 25, 2023 by PA

Steve Cotterill was delighted Shrewsbury found a way to win after Tom Bayliss’ late goal snatched a 1-0 victory at MK Dons.

The Shrews arrived at Stadium MK having scored nine goals in their previous two games, but they had little of the ball throughout the contest and only managed their first shot on target in the 84th minute.

However, there was still time for them to complete a smash-and-grab raid that gave them their third win in a row and lifted them up to ninth in Sky Bet League One.

Manager Cotterill said: “I just said to the boys there are many ways to win a football match, either having possession, not so much possession, defensively, all-out attack, counter-attack…

“There are lots of ways to win a football match and they (MK Dons) may be down in the lower parts of the league, but they’ve got a really good squad.

“They would have been buoyed by the victory they had at the weekend (against Forest Green) and it was going to be one of them tricky games, coming here.

“I think our squad have done incredibly well now, over 27 games, to be still running and putting the energy they put into a game.

“Those boys in there are keeping together and they don’t give in when they’re tired.

“We travelled down today, it’s been a hard shift for them and I think they had more efforts than us, but on target we had more.”

As indicated by Cotterill, MK Dons’ only shot on target, despite them dominating possession, came when Mo Eisa’s curling effort was pushed away by Marko Marosi midway through the first half.

Having rarely threatened, Shrewsbury seized their opportunity in the 89th minute when Bayliss slotted past Jamie Cumming after being played in by Ryan Bowman.

MK Dons boss Mark Jackson, whose side remain one point outside the relegation zone, said: “We were ready to go out there and impose ourselves on the game, and I felt we did from the first minute right up until probably their goal.

“Unfortunately, that happens sometimes in football, but performance-wise we’ve got to be proud of what we achieved tonight.

“Obviously not the result, but performances like that, if we continue them, we’ll pick up wins.

“I think from my time here that’s probably the most complete performance we’ve had.

“We’ve talked about behaviours and how we want the team to play and how we want the team to set up to create our identity with the ball and against the ball.

“I was really pleased with so many elements of the game today.

“Obviously we need results, but I’m really confident that if we continue in that frame of mind then we’ll win games.”