Bristol Rovers lost 1-0 away to Shrewsbury Town in Sky Bet League Two, with the Shrews finishing with nine men after two straight red cards.
The hosts started on the front foot, but Ciaran Kelly made a crucial early block to deny Will Boyle's clear goalscoring chance. Sam Stubbs then headed wide from a corner as Rovers looked to respond.
Rovers created the better opportunities as the half progressed, with Clinton Mola firing narrowly past the post and Bobby Kamwa seeing an effort deflected wide. Shaq Forde was a constant threat down the right, while Fabrizio Cavegn’s hold-up play helped create dangerous attacking situations.
Chances were then few and far between in the second half before Salop broke the deadlock with 13 minutes left to play. Joe Quigley was judged to have brought down Boyle in the box before George Lloyd smashed his penalty into the bottom corner.
Shrewsbury had Jay Turner-Cooke and Isaac Fletcher sent off in the closing stages, but held on for all three points at the Croud Meadow.
The hosts came out quickly in the opening stages, with a heroic block in a crowded box from Kelly saving a certain goal early on. Stubbs then had a chance from a corner, moving away from his marker before heading his effort well wide of the left post.
Mola had Rovers’ first attempt of the game; Richie Smallwood’s delivery was flicked on by Kelly into the path of Mola, who struck a half volley across the goal and just past the far post.
Forde looked threatening down the right-hand side, driving at Shrewsbury defenders and setting up Kamwa for a snapshot, but it was deflected wide.
After a quiet start, Rovers built into the first half. Some excellent hold-up from Cavegn allowed him to release Forde again, and his cross flashed into the box, but goalkeeper Will Brook gathered well.
Evans introduced Joe Quigley and Arvin Appiah early in the second half to bolster the attack, and both were heavily involved. Quigley battled with the centre-backs, and Appiah rotated with Forde to find space between the lines.
The Gas kept finding themselves in dangerous positions but could not convert promise into chances. Very little separated the two teams until 15 minutes to play when Salop won a penalty. Quigley brought down Boyle, and Lloyd showed composure to drill his spot-kick into the bottom corner, just beyond the reach of Brad Young.
Turner-Cooke saw red for Shrewsbury shortly after, wiping out Forde as he looked to break away. In added time, the hosts went down to nine as Fletcher was dismissed for a poor challenge on Appiah.
Rovers pushed forward and launched the ball into the box, but did not find a leveller. Cavegn went closest, driving a low shot straight at the goalkeeper in the final few minutes before the referee blew for full-time.
Shrewsbury Town: Brook, Hoole, Ruffels, Boyle, Stubbs, Turner-Cooke, Lloyd, Sang, Berkoe, (Gray 84) , McMahon-Brown (Fletcher 84)
Unused subs: Gregory, Jude-Boyd, Lee, Sousa, Golding
Goals: Lloyd
Bookings: Lloyd, Ruffels
Red cards: Turner-Cooke, Fletcher
Bristol Rovers: Young, James, Balmer, Mola (Russel-Denny 68), Forde, Kamwa (Appiah 58), Purrington, Kelly (Sparkes 73), Smallwood (Quigley 58), Gough, Cavegn
Unused subs: Binns, Sanyaolu, Harrison
Bookings: Gough, Forde, Purrington
Attendance: 5329 (891 away)
Referee: Ben Toner
