Shrewsbury Town will want to forget the past seven days in a hurry after crashing to a 2-1 home defeat against visiting Lincoln City this afternoon.
Following an encouraging home draw against Division Three leaders Rushden & Diamonds last Saturday, the Gay Meadow side went down by the odd goal in seven at Bury on Monday and today were beaten by two second-half goals after livewire striker Luke Rodgers had given them an early lead.
Although they were in control of a scrappy affair for 65 minutes, the visitors drew level in the 69th minute when substitute Adie Mike scrambled the ball home from close range, with Lincoln securing all three points five minutes later thanks to a Ben Sedgemore penalty after Shrewsbury's Welsh Under-21 international Jamie Tolley had brought down another Lincoln substitute, Mark Camm.
But things looked like they would turn out all so differently when Rodgers fired home his fifth goal of the season after just two minutes. seizing on to a throughball from Ryan Lowe, Rodgers advanced to fire the ball beneath advancing Lincoln goalkeeper Alan Marriott from ten yards.
Shrewsbury proceeded to dominate the rest of a generally untidy first half without threatening to increase their lead, but at the other end Lincoln created nothing to worry Town keeper Ian Dunbavin, who was a spectator for most of the opening 45 minutes.
The loss of Rodgers through injury at half time did not help Shrewsbury's cause, but they kept the upper hand and it was against the run of play when Mike was on hand to level just four minutes after coming on, with Lincoln's second victory of the week secured on 74 minutes when Sedgemore sent Dunbavin the wrong way from the penalty spot.
As they sought to salvage a point Shrewsbury skipper Nigel Jemson, scorer of a hat-trick in the defeated Bury, had a free-kick smartly saved by Marriot five minutes from time, but the Lincoln defence, well marshalled by young Ben Futcher, held firm