Town won only their second ever penalty shoot-out and their first in 18 years as they eventually defeated Shrewsbury at the Prostar Stadium. The game had ended 3-3 with Connor Wickham (2) and Alan Quinn scoring for the Blues, but Town ran out 4-2 winners from the spot.

Only Alex Bruce kept his place from the team which lost at Coventry, the defender moving from right-back to centre-half. Elsewhere, Shane Supple started in goal, Jack Ainsley at right-back, David Wright on the left and Tommy Smith in the other central defensive role.

Colin Healy, Owen Garvan and Jack Colback were the midfield central three with Reggie Lambe and Alan Quinn wide and Connor Wickham up front. Ainsley, Lambe, Healy and Colback were all making their Town debuts, while Wickham was making his first senior start.

Early on, both sets of fans joined in a chorus of “There’s only one Bobby Robson” as neither side created anything serious in the opening phase of the game.

The first half-chance brought the first goal. Wickham seized on a loose ball on the edge of the area and hit a low shot on the turn which beat Shrews keeper Chris Neal at his right-hand post. It was Wickham’s first senior goal for the club.

Moments later, the 16-year-old scuffed an even better chance and on 18 the home side were back on terms. Lambe and Ainsley were slow to close down Kevin McIntyre on the Shrewsbury left and he sent in a cross which was missed by several Town players and Jake Robinson fired home at the far post from eight yards.

Six minutes later, the home side were in front, again due to bad Town defending. Tommy Smith weakly headed to Dave Hibbert 25 yards out and the Shrews man lobbed the ball back towards goal and over Shane Supple to make the score 2-1.

On 32 the best Town move of the half saw Healy find Wickham, who in turn played the ball to Quinn on the edge of the area. The Irish international was tripped and grabbed the ball to take the freekick himself, hitting a low shot past the wall and into the net for his first of the season.

Wickham was proving quite a handful for the home defenders and on 39 saw a shot deflect over. Three minutes later, the youngster shot wide after good work from Colback after a quick Supple throw had sent the Sunderland loanee away.

Town’s youngsters had played some good stuff in the first half and deserved to go in ahead, however they, like their more senior colleagues at the weekend, had been let down by some bad defending.

At the break, Ed Upson took over from Owen Garvan, while Shane O’Connor became the fifth debutant, coming on for Jack Ainsley with David Wright switching flanks. Garvan had done OK without really dominating the game, while Ainsley had made some dangerous forays forward and had sent in some good balls, but hadn’t always been as sharp defensively.

Town dominated the early stages of the second period with Quinn volleying wide, then Upson also coming close.

O’Connor was very near with a 30 yarder which flew narrowly beyond keeper Neal’s right post. Moments later, the Shrews stopper was in trouble when he dropped the ball under pressure from Upson, but Quinn’s follow-up hit a defender and Neal claimed.

There was rare danger for the Blues on 56 when Nathan Elder escaped Bruce and hit a shot across the face of goal.

The Blues got the goal their second half dominance deserved on 58 when Wickham reacted quickly to some indecision amongst the Shrewsbury defence inside the area, stabbing the ball to Neal’s right and into the net.

From here it really ought to have been a case of how many Town were going to score. Upson shot over, then Lambe had a header cleared off the line as the Blues played some excellent football but without adding to their lead.

On 72 there was a warning of what was to come when New Zealander Kris Bright struck a well hit effort straight at Supple

Two minutes later, the scores were level again. Shane Cansdell-Sherriff was given too much time on the edge of the area and was allowed to unleash a shot which flew past Supple and into the net.

Omer Riza probably ought to have scored in the 76th minute when he was found in space on the Shrewsbury right but somehow scrambled the ball wide.

The game was increasingly open and had been thoroughly entertaining throughout. On 78 Roy Keane made his final substitution, Jon Walters replacing Reggie Lambe. The Bermudian had shown his skills in patches without ever really imposing himself on the game and looks like he’ll need a fair bit of work on his physique before he can become a first team regular.

Town now looked like they could score with every attack with Walters making his trademark bustling runs down the right. On 84 Neil failed to hold his shot but Wickham was forced away from goal.

Colback shot over, then Bruce flicked a header from a corner narrowly wide moments before the final whistle.

The first additional 15 minutes saw few chances aside from an increasingly tired Wickham having an effort deflect over, then a few minutes later miss a dangerous Wright cross. For the Shrews, Graham Coughlan headed wide.

After the break, Ed Upson’s shot over with seven minutes remaining, when he really should have settled the game, was the only noteworthy action with both sides tiring.

Town won the toss to have the spotkicks taken in front of their own supporters in the Prostar Stadium’s North Stand.

Jon Walters lashed the first penalty to the keeper’s right, but Jake Robinson saw Supple save his weak effort to his left. Wickham and Quinn followed Walters’s example with equally well-taken kicks, while Omer Riza and Kevin McIntyre netted for the Shrews.

Ed Upson sent the ball to the keeper’s left and the keeper himself in the other direction, before Graham Coughlan blasted the ball high into the Shropshire skies and over the bar.

The victory on penalties was only Town’s second in 10 attempts, the previous win having come in a Zenith Data Systems Cup tie against Luton at Portman Road in October 1991, the Blues having run out 2-1 winners.

In truth, but for some defensive errors, the young Blues should have won comfortably and at times played some impressive football.

Connor Wickham will undoubtedly gain most of the plaudits for his two goals and overall excellent display, while Colin Healy was quietly efficient at the heart of the midfield. Alan Quinn kept running throughout, while Shane O’Connor and Ed Upson did well after coming off the bench.

Jack Colback had some good moments, but was in and out of the game, perhaps unsurprisingly given that he only joined the club on Thursday and won’t have trained with his new team-mates too often.

The youngsters will almost certainly be given another run out in the next round of the competition with the draw on Wednesday night at 10pm.

Town: Supple, Ainsley (O’Connor 46), D Wright, Smith, Bruce, Garvan (Upson 46), Healy, Colback, Quinn, Lambe (Walters 78), Wickham. Unused: McLoughlin, Brown, Hyam, Murray. Att: 4,184.

Photo: Action Images

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