Shrewsbury back after year out

Aldershot 1 Shrewsbury 1 (Shrewsbury win 3-0 on penalties)

Shrewsbury are back in the Football League after a year’s absence.

The Shropshire club won the Nationwide Conference play-off final in a dramatic penalty shoot-out at the Britannia Stadium, Stoke after 120 minutes of full-blooded commitment had failed to produce a winner.

Aldershot, looking for a return to the League after 12 seasons, had all three of their penalties saved by Shrews goalkeeper Scott Howie, and it was left to Trevor Challis to score the winning penalty.

Both sides had reached this final by winning their semi-finals on penalties, but Shrewsbury’s nerve held the better on this occasion.

It was a brave effort by Aldershot’s part-timers, who had taken a first-half lead through Aaron McLean, only to be pegged back just before half-time by Duane Darby’s equaliser.

For Shrewsbury, it is a quick upturn in their fortunes after they slid out of the league last season following an horrendous string of results.

Aldershot crowned a lively opening spell by taking the lead after 35 minutes. Adam Miller swung in a free-kick from the left and Ray Warburton’s far-post challenge left the ball sitting up invitingly for McLean to sweep into the net.

Shrewsbury’s Jamie Tolley had a chance whipped off his toes by a timely challenge from Dominic Sterling then had a 25-yard free-kick tipped over the bar by Shots keeper Nikki Bull.

Tolley, however, was not to be denied and his corner kick three minutes before the break set up the Shrewsbury equaliser. Aldershot did not get the ball away cleanly and Darby had an easy task to score from close range.

As the relentless pace eased a fraction after the break, Shrewsbury should have gone in front after 66 minutes when Luke Rodgers picked out Ryan Lowe, free at the far post, with a cross but Lowe volleyed over.

Bull in the Aldershot goal was a spectator for most of the half, but he had to be at his most alert when Shrewsbury threatened to snatch the game with two minutes of normal time remaining.

On a swift break, Lowe laid back an inviting pass for Tolley, but his shot was saved by Bull at full stretch.

In extra-time, Aldershot substitute Lee Charles should have done better than head a free-kick from Miller down and over the bar on the first bounce.

With players visibly tiring a penalty shoot-out looked inevitable long before the referee’s final whistle.