It had to be you, Freddie

HOLD-UP PLAY: New boy Michael Ngoo brings the ball under control

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ANOTHER insipid attacking display in a tight, low-quality contest means Athletic's task of avoiding relegation has become more daunting.

Freddie Ladapo scored the only goal of the game, heading in after a corner was nodded into his path in the 68th minute, having earlier had an effort eventually disallowed for what appeared to be a late offside decision.

It was a typical case of a player back to haunt his former club. The on-loan Crystal Palace forward was fairly lively on the day and with goals in each of his last two outings for Paul Hurst's side, he has matched the tally achieved in 17 league outings for Athletic.

Those two Ladapo goals, against Bradford and now John Sheridan's side, have earned the Shrews six points. They are now 20th, three places and six points clear of Athletic. Even with two games in hand, that is a major gap.

Athletic huffed and puffed and can't be faulted for work-rate.

Michael Ngoo looked a menace up front at times, notably with a crusade down the left wing in the first which saw him defeat three players through sheer determination.

Sheridan's team, badly missing a dictating presence in his own image in midfield, were generally solid at the back in a game that seemed destined to end 0-0.

CHANCE

And when the chance did arrive to find the net for the visitors, it was not taken.

Billy Mckay has yet to score his first league goal of the season and though it wasn't a simple opportunity in the 61st minute, the ball arriving at him at an awkward height from Aaron Amadi-Holloway's nod-down, he will feel he should have done better than fire back over his head and two feet wide of goal from six yards out.

Shrewsbury goalkeeper Jayson Leutwiler was not worked at all in the second half and Athletic did not threaten an equaliser.

In the context of the importance of the game at the bottom of the table, this can go down as one of the most disappointing performances of the season.

With three new signings on board, Sheridan opted to start with two of them while leaving Amadi-Holloway's powder dry on the bench.

In came Anthony Gerrard in place of George Edmundson and Ngoo got a start with Lee Erwin relegated to the substitutes' bench.

Reverting to a 4-4-2 shape, it meant Brian Wilson operating at left-back and Ryan Flynn on the left of midfield, with the previous week's goal hero Josh Law continuing to operate as a holding midfielder.

Shrewsbury started on the front foot in this clash of two sides with the dark cloud of relegation looming over them.

But the lack of a cutting edge at both ends was evident. The Shrews twice fired off-target after corners were cleared out of the box, first from Joe Riley then Shaun Whalley, before Flynn started to find space to turn at the home defence and probe for openings.

One Flynn cross was blocked, the ball rebounding back to him for Leutwiler to keep out at point-blank range eight minutes in.

Gerrard welcomed Ladapo to the game with an early shove on halfway that earned them both a clash of heads.

The man who a day earlier penned a two-and-a-half year contract was then on hand to make a crucial sliding tackle on teenager Tyler Roberts, after the ex-Athletic loan forward had neatly worked an opening in tandem with Ladapo.

Ngoo then got Athletic fans off their seats with a crusade down the left touchline, bumping off defenders in his wake, but it was the hosts who ended the half the stronger.

DISALLOWED

After Ladapo saw his strike disallowed, Whalley fired no more than a couple of yards over the top as another corner was cleared into his path, before Wilson produced a lovely far-post cross which Ngoo reacted a fraction too late to in order to fire an attempt at goal.

Athletic barely showed as an attacking force after the break.

Right-back Cameron Dummigan, who had a tough afternoon, was forced off the field after a chase towards his own goal ended with what looked like a torn hamstring. He was taken off the field on a stretcher.

Sheridan brought on Amadi-Holloway and he had some impact, winning a couple of headers in the opposition box including one from Ryan McLaughlin's cross that set Mckay's chance up.

Athletic suffered the blow of going a goal down and from then on, a more direct approach was deployed. It had little effect, though, and a 12th league defeat of the season makes Sheridan's rescue mission that big tougher.

IN A NUTSHELL: Athletic need further signings to have a chance of beating the drop.