FOX IN BOX IS SHREW-D SUB!
MICKY Mellon says sticking to what Shrewsbury know best was the key as Andy Mangan came off the bench to grab a late winner against Morecambe.
An inspired performance from goalkeeper Scott Davies looked like earning the Lancastrians a battling away point.
But even he was powerless to keep out Mangan’s close-range tap-in four minutes from time after Davies had initially brilliantly denied James Collins with a flying save.
Shrewsbury’s delighted manager Mellon was delighted his side’s pressure was eventually rewarded, and they have now won 13 of their 15 home games in all competitions this season.
“I’m really pleased with the performance,” said Mellon. “We knew that Morecambe were going to be well organised, be dogged and determined and fight for their manager and assistant manager who are two good guys.
“We never really lost our way and we kept trying to play our football that we know we’re better at playing on a tricky surface.
“We kept on trying to play the right way and thankfully we got that opening.We picked that lock again and we got that welldeserved winner.”
Mangan eventually obliged after being introduced from the bench in place of Jean-Louis Akpa Akpro.
“When the game’s like that you’ve got to make a judgement call and decide what type of striker you need,” added Mellon, whose team are up to second in the table.
“I thought it was going to be a fox in the box, a little poacher, because they were the type of chances that were happening and thankfully he got on the end of it.”
Shrewsbury had the better of the possession in the first half, Bobby Grant curling a shot against the foot of the far post, but Morecambe had fine chances at either end of the first period.
Paul Mullin cleverly got the better of defender Mark Ellis before bending an effort narrowly wide.
Then, just before the break, Mullin was presented with the ball from a misplaced Mickey Demetriou pass, only for Jayson Leutwiler to come to Shrewsbury's rescue with an excellent save.
The second half saw Collins, Shrewsbury’s hard-working top scorer, force three sharp stops from the agile Davies.
Collins also smashed a shot against the near post, but Shrews- bury kept driving forward and Mangan finally found a way through.
Morecambe manager Jim Bentley, whose side had beaten Luton, another of the division’s promotion contenders, a week earlier, admitted he was impressed with what he had seen of Shrewsbury.
“On that evidence I think they will be in the top three,” said Bentley. “They’re an ambitious club and I know Micky well. I’ve got a lot of respect and time for him. He’s come into a new job, a new club, and he’s really got them going.
“They’ve got good players, a crowd who really get behind them and I fancy them to bounce back and I hope they do.”