SHREWSBURY TOWN 1-0 BRISTOL ROVERS Hurst 73 ATTENDANCE: 3,641 SHREWSBURY TOWN: Joe Hart, Stuart Whitehead, Richard Hope, Gavin Cowan (Neil Sorvel 57), Ben Herd, Neil Ashton, David Edwards, Steven Hogg (Glynn Hurst 57), Jamie McClen (Kevin Sharp 83), Colin McMenamin, Kelvin Langmead Unused Substitutes: Steven Leslie, Lance Cronin BRISTOL ROVERS: Scott Shearer, Aaron Lescott, Steve Elliott, Craig Hinton, Chris Carruthers, Sammy Igoe, James Hunt, Craig Disley, Stuart Campbell (Ali Gibb 76), Richard Walker, Lewis Haldane (Jamie Forrester 76) Unused Substitutes: Martin Horsell, Jon Bass, Christian Edwards REFEREE: N Swarbrick Rovers lost their third game in eight days this afternoon as Shrewsbury Town scraped a 1-0 victory at Gay Meadow to leave the Pirates' play-off hopes in tatters. The Shrews played a direct game on a very boggy pitch, and despite the visitors attempts to play the better football throughout the 90 minutes, chances were few and far between at either end. In the first half Rovers looked the team more likely to score, but shots on goal were rare, and it wasn't until a Lewis Haldane effort midway through the period that home goalkeeper Joe Hart had any cause for even mild concern. Haldane continued to look the most lively player on the pitch for Rovers, and as the first half dragged on, it was a low drive from the striker that once again saw Hart scampering as the ball went just wide. Good pressure once again from Haldane saw the ball fall to Walker after Hart had failed to deal with a clearance, although a low attempt on goal from the striker was parried away, with Stuart Campbell just unable to get to the rebound in time. The second half was a more even contest, and Shrewsbury stepped up a gear from the first kick. Colin McMenamin shot just wide of the post with a first-time effort, and then Hart denied Walker after more good work from Haldane. Sammy Igoe unleashed a rasping volley just past the upright after the ball fell to him from a corner, and then Steve Elliott saw claims for a penalty waved away by the match referee, despite some confusion over the official's original hand gesture. The only goal of the game came as a result of a mistake at the back from Rovers, with a ball forward to the edge of the penalty area charged at by both Scott Shearer and Aaron Lescott. Shearer got their first but could only aim his intended clearance straight at Glynn Hurst, and the Shrewsbury man couldn't believe his luck as he turned around to roll the ball home into an unguarded net. Jamie Forrester came off the bench to show some neat touches before delivering a superb ball to Walker in the box, but after chesting the ball down well, the club's top scorer somehow failed to hit the target from six yards out as he screwed wide. Rovers pressed for a late equaliser, but the closest they came to snatching a point at the death was a James Hunt flick from an Ali Gibb that cleared the crossbar by two yards Neither team really deserved three points from this one, but once again it was just a single goal that proved too much for Rovers. A lack of cutting edge up front, a lack of quality deliveries into the box, and miscommunication at the back when it mattered most ultimately proved decisive, and any lingering ambitions of finishing in the top seven must surely have now been dashed.