Notts County: Pilkington, Silk, Tann (Canoville 89), Pearce, Hunt, Dudfield, Somner (MacKenzie 56), Butcher, McCann, Lee (Parkinson 61), Weir-Daley.

Subs Not Used: Sandercombe, Sam.

Booked: Silk.

Goals: Pearce 69, MacKenzie 75.

Shrewsbury: Garner, Darren Moss, Langmead, Murdock (Ashton 85), Herd, Davies, Hunt, Drummond, Tierney, Hibbert, Symes (Nicholson 66).

Subs Not Used: Esson, Jones, Hall.

Booked: Herd.

Goals: Hibbert 41 pen.

Ref: Nigel Miller (Durham).
Assistants: Mr W Grunill & Mr S Ledger
Fourth Official: Mr G Mellor

Attendance: 3819(537)

Gary Peters sticks with the side that convincingly beat Macclesfield Town 2-0 as Town look to continue that good work at Notts County.

There had been heavy rain in Nottingham all morning and the rain wasn't letting up as the game started. 5-minutes into the game the rain became even heavier but the Meadow Lane surface was holding up well to the deluge.

In the early stages both sides were trying to pass the ball around despite the weather and both were getting some decent attacking moves going.

There were few clear cut chances in the opening 10-minutes but Town saw Hibbert flash a header just wide after a good free-kick delivery from Darren Moss and the home side were causing a few problems with the aerial presence of Jason Lee.

Town were getting some great deliveries into the County box from long range, Marc Tierney had a couple of decent long range efforts but a superb weighted ball from Dave Hunt found Michael Symes in between the County defence, he got a glancing header in which flashed wide of the far post but he should really have hit the target.

County brought out a couple of decent blocks from Glyn Garner, the first after Weir-Daley had found space at the back post, Drummond came across to block but Weir-Daly got a shot in which deflected up off Drummond but Garner was alert to lift the ball over the bar with his arm. From the resulting corner Garner punched clear but didn't get good distance but he redeemed himself with a great block from the resulting shot.

Town's best chance came on 25-minute mark when good pressing from the visitors saw the County defence double up to head clear a Town ball into the box, the County players got in each other's way and the ball fell to Ben Davies in the penalty area, he drilled in a low shot but it took a deflection and fell agonisingly wide of the far post. Ben Davies whipped in the resulting corner which found Colin Murdock in space at the back post but he put his header down into the turf and it went wide of the far post.

County were all over the place at times at the back, Tierney drilled a low cross in that Matt Somner had little idea where it was and nearly put into his own net, balls into the back post were stretching County with Colin Murdock getting a number of decent headers back into the danger area, keeper Pilkington was coming for balls and not getting good punches on, one which fell to Ben Davies who clipped in a nice first time shot that needed to be headed off the line by Somner.

The home side had looked little threat on the Town goal other than from set-pieces and corners. Their best chance of the half came with just over 5-minutes of the half remaining when a corner found Krystian Pearce in some space, he got in a decent downward header but Ben Herd was there at the back post to head off the line.

Town's dominance paid just before the break when the ball got stuck in the County box, Hibbert looked to be in control with 3 County players around him, Hibbert then seemed to be hauled to the ground by captain Adam Tann and referee Miller had no hesitation to point straight to the spot. The County players and fans were incensed but from the press box it looked like a straight penalty, Dave Hibbert placed the ball and then after an age he calmly drove his shot low to the opposite side of Pilkington's dive.

County manager Ian McParland was furious on the bench, he remonstrated with ref Miller but refused to calm down and was sent down the tunnel and had to be helped away from the ref by the rest of the County bench.

Half-time: 1-0

Town were continuing to keep up the pressure after the break and were pushing County back into their own half. Hunt and Davies were working the midfield and getting balls out to Tierney and Herd to stretch the home side, Hibbert and Symes were covering a lot of ground to create the spaces for the midfield to come into.

With quarter of an hour of the game gone the game had become a little scrappy with both sides being guilty of giving the ball away. The rain had continued to lash down but the surface was still holding up well but there was little flow to the play. Town were still looking the more comfortable of the two teams but County had made a couple of substitutions and they were looking to get back into the game.

County were getting more possession around the Town box and were beginning to look a threat when they attacked. They were starting to stretch the visitors a little and on a couple of occasions Garner had to be alert to stop long range efforts, the best a decent drive from Weir-Daley that Garner had to hold onto as MacKenzie was ready to pounce.

With just under half an hour of the game remaining Gary Peters made his first change of the afternoon brining on Stuart Nicholson to replace Michael Symes.

County grabbed a goal back after they won a corner when a free-kick was deflected behind. The ball came across and Pearce made a nuisance of himself, the ball then dropped to Weir-Daly who got in a decent shot that Garner did well to block but the ball went straight back to Krystian Pearce and he looped a header back over Garner to make it 1-1.

Town should really have been back in the lead minutes later after they went at the home side and won a corner. Ben Davies put in another excellent delivery into the box and Stuart Drummond got in space to connect with a great diving header but he put the ball over the target.

County grabbed a second goal after winning a fortunate free-kick on the edge of the Town box when Colin Murdock was adjudged to have fouled Lawrie Dudfield. The ball was right on the edge of the Town with Austin McCann and Neil Mackenzie over it, but it was MacKenzie who lifted a great delivery over the ball that flew in just under Garner bar.

Gary Peters made his second switch of the afternoon with 10-minutes left on the clock bringing on Neil Ashton to replace Colin Murdock.

Town were continuing to push right to the final whistle with a string of corners but there was little to trouble Pilkington in the County net other than a couple of efforts from Drummond and Hibbert.

Full-time: 1-2