Salford City Vs Shrewsbury: Joe Hart helps out as Shrewsbury win 2-1 at the Peninsula Stadium

Salford City Vs Shrewsbury produced a 2-1 result that underlined a growing momentum for the visitors and deepened the hosts’ slump. The match mattered because Shrewsbury converted a half-time deficit into a fifth win in succession while Joe Hart unexpectedly filled in as the club’s goalkeeper coach for the fixture.

Salford City Vs Shrewsbury: own-goal, equaliser and Boyle’s decisive 76th-minute strike

The home side took a fortuitous lead in the second minute of first-half stoppage time when Matthew Cox pushed a mis-hit Ryan Graydon volley against Luca Hoole and the ball rebounded into the net. Six minutes after the break Tom Sang levelled from the edge of the box, finding the bottom corner after Josh Ruffels’ initial shot had been cleared off the line. The match-winning moment arrived in the 76th minute when Will Boyle fired into the bottom corner to seal a 2-1 victory for Shrewsbury.

Salford had earlier started brightly with Ossama Ashley and Jorge Grant going close, and they threatened again when Josh Austerfield rattled the crossbar with a powerful header and Ben Woodburn had a volley cleared off the line. Those missed chances proved decisive: Karl Robinson’s side were left to rue opportunities that could have changed the outcome.

Joe Hart’s role at Shrewsbury

Former England and Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart, who began his career in Salop, was on duty as Shrewsbury’s goalkeeper coach for the League Two fixture. His presence was unexpected and provided an experienced addition to the coaching team for the night as Shrewsbury overturned the half-time deficit to take the three points.

Gavin Cowan’s run and Shrewsbury’s league position

Gavin Cowan’s side have now won five matches in a row. Cowan was appointed on January 29 and, after an initial draw and a defeat, has overseen consecutive victories in every fixture since he took charge. The sequence of results has moved Shrewsbury away from the relegation picture: they occupy 18th in League Two after 33 fixtures, with nine wins, eight draws and 16 defeats, giving them 35 points.

What makes this notable is how quickly the results changed under Cowan’s leadership, with the run of wins directly producing a clearer league position and breathing room from the bottom of the table.

Salford’s slump, midweek form and squad absences

Salford have now suffered a fifth straight defeat in all competitions. The hosts had been on a poor run in the league heading into the match, losing their last three league games and four of their last five, including a 3-2 loss to Cheltenham Town. That sequence has seen them drop out of the playoff positions and pile pressure on the squad.

Midweek fixtures have been a particular problem: Salford have lost their last three league games played on a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday, matching the number of defeats they had suffered in their previous 23 midweek matches. The club also faced the prospect of three consecutive home defeats for the first time since September 2023, when they endured back-to-back losses at the Peninsula Stadium.

Availability issues compounded Salford’s troubles. Michael Rose, Jay Bird, Tom Edwards, Dan Chesters, Kallum Cesay and Ade Oluwo were not part of the squad that lost to Cheltenham. Kadeem Harris was replaced in the first half after going down injured, Daniel Udoh was withdrawn in the final minutes for Ben Woodburn, and Luke Garbutt was unavailable after being sent off in the weekend defeat.

Lineup noted in build-up materials read: Young; Dorrington, Awe, Cooper; Ashley, Mnoga, Grant, Austerfield, Woodburn; Graydon, Borini.

Shrewsbury injuries and selection challenges

Shrewsbury have also managed squad issues while compiling their winning run. Bradley Ihionvien remains in rehabilitation at the club and John Marquis is set to be out for four weeks. Sam Clucas was on the bench at the weekend after recent injury concerns, and Anthony Scully is being assessed after sustaining another hamstring issue. Those absences shape selection choices and underline the narrow margins behind the current run of results.

The match left clear cause-and-effect traces: Salford’s missed chances and ongoing absences contributed to the defeat, while Cowan’s changes and Hart’s short-term coaching input coincided with Shrewsbury extending their run to five straight wins and moving further from relegation danger.