Shrewsbury: Garner, Darren Moss, Langmead, Murdock (Kempson 28), Tierney, Herd (Hall 63), Drummond, Hunt, Pugh, Hibbert (Symes 74), Nicholson.

Subs Not Used: Esson, Humphrey.

Booked: Langmead, Darren Moss.

Goals: Nicholson 3, Hibbert 52 pen.

Accrington Stanley: Arthur, Cavanagh (Richardson 68), Williams, Roberts, Branch, Brown, Proctor, Harris, Miles (Whalley 56), D'Sane (Boco 56), Mullin.

Subs Not Used: Dunbavin, Sean Webb.

Sent Off: Harris (48).

Booked: Proctor, Cavanagh, Mullin, Whalley, Brown.

Att: 5,789.

Ref: Andy Hall (W Midlands).
Assistant Referee: N Radford (yellow), W Smallwood (plain)
Fourth Official: M Hutchinson

There are two changes to the side that drew with Stockport County 1-1 last week with Marc Tierney coming back from the injury and Stuart Nicholson back into the starting line-up, Michael Symes and Darran Kempson drop to the bench.

Town started well and were getting at the visitors straight away with Stuart Nicholson having a couple of good sights of Accrington goal.

Then on 3-miniutes Town grabbed the lead after some good pressure saw the ball come to Marc Pugh on the left, he did a nice step over to leave his marker standing and then put a great low cross into the face of goal, Langmead stabbed a shot in which Arthur managed to block but there was Stuart Nicholson to slot the ball home and make it 1-0 to Town.

Accrington were trying to get forward when they could and at times they putting some nice short passes together to cause Town problems. They had a fair chance on goal after a long ball saw Mullin the header with Murdock and the ball dropped to D'Sane, he had a good tussle with Tierney that saw the Accy player get in on goal but Tierney recovered to get back and bustle the ball away.

Accrington had another good sight of goal when an attack saw the ball swung into the back post towards Mullin, he headed the ball back across the goal to find Mark Roberts but he somehow put his header over the bar, a let off for Town.

The visitors were looking dangerous at times but they were also picking up bookings and had two yellows within 20-minutes, the first went to Andrew Proctor for persistent fouling and then Peter Cavanagh was booked for a body check on Marc Pugh.

Accrington were getting a little bit too much of the play at times and were seeing a lot of the ball around the Town box. They were still passing the ball around crisply and when the ball came to Paul Mullin on the edge of the box he skipped past Kelvin Langmead and the Town centre-back sent him flying and was the first Town player into the Town box.

Gary Peters made his first change of the afternoon on the half-hour mark bringing on Darran Kempson to replace Colin Murdock, in what looked like a tactical switch.

Town were still bringing the pressure onto themselves and when a Town corner broke down Accy were quickly on the counter attack, the ball dropped in between Ben Herd and an James Harris player but it was the Harris lad who got to the ball breezed past Herd, Harris kept his run going with D'Sane and Miles as options, he pushed the ball to John Miles on the right who then cut back inside past two Town played before attempting to curl a shot in on goal.

Town should have been 2-0 10-minutes before the break when the ball was pushed to Nicholson, he then attempted a great cross field ball to Hibbert but Peter Cavanagh managed to cut the ball out, he then attempted to push the ball back to keeper Arthur but is was short and Hibbert pounced, he slid the ball excellently under the out rushing Arthur but the ball hit the inside of the post and then rolled back across the face of goal allowing Stanley to clear up.

Accrington had a great chance to go on level terms just before the break after they were fortunate to be awarded a free-kick in front of the away end. John Miles was over the ball and then curled a great ball to the back post to find Mark Roberts who unmarked with his header but luckily for Town it flew wide of the target.

Marc Pugh had been calling problems all afternoon and when he cut down the left and Paul Mullin coming across to send Pugh flying and get a booking.

Half-time: 1-0

Accrington were down to 10-men minutes after the restart when James Harris made a crude lunge to take Marc Pugh down, ref Hall pulled up play straight away and then produced a straight red for the Stanley player.

Town were 2-0 up 5-minutes into the second half, Marc Pugh again caused problems down the left pulling Stanley apart and was tripped in the box after he breezed past Cavanagh, the ref had no hesitation pointing to the spot but for once kept his cards in his pocket. Dave Hibbert placed the ball and then drove a low shot into the left of the goal after sending keeper Arthur the wrong way.

There had been a few heated exchanges between the two benches in the first half about the speed of multiball, and Stanley's assistant manger Jimmy Bell had been speaking to the fourth official all game, and 15-minutes into the second half the officials had enough of this and sent Bell to the stands.

Marc Pugh was still causing problems and had given Stanley captain Peter Cavanagh a torrid time all afternoon, Pugh attacked him and left Cavanagh for dead before cutting inside along the by-line, he then played a low cross towards the run of David Hunt at the back post but he got his shot wrong and skewed the ball wide of the target.

Stanley had been having a good period of possession and had Town pegged back for a while but they had no end product to back up the possession. Town soaked up the pressure and then broke when they could and after a quick break saw the ball with David Hunt he slotted an intelligent ball to put Michael Symes in on goal, he took a touch to lose Mark Roberts who slid in and then smashed a shot beneath Arthur but the Stanley keeper managed to get something to the ball to keep it out.

Town nearly played Stanley in after Glyn Garner came for the ball through a clump of players, he got the ball by then lost it as he came down, it dropped to Boco who smashed a shot in that was blocked by the Town defence, it dropped to Whalley on the edge of the box and Moss slid in with what looked like a good tackle but ref Hall saw differently and gave the free-kick and booked Moss.

Full-time: 2-0