Goals from Baba Adeeko and Luke Hannant in the first half were added to by Jonny Smith late on in the second, as Dale got their points total off the mark for the campaign.
Head Coach Ian Watson made four changes to his starting line-up from Saturday’s defeat at Colchester United. Tobi Adebayo-Rowling came into defence, with Ed Francis and Luke Hannant in midfield, supporting Main Dieseruvwe up top. Sam Sherring and Ryan East missed out through injury.
Dale started the brighter of the two teams with Dajaune Brown glancing a header wide and Dieseruvwe getting close to a number of dangerous crosses into the area.
Nils Ramming was the first of either goalkeeper to make a save though, holding Jay Turner-Cooke’s bouncing volley from the edge of the area.
Watson was forced into an early change when Ethan Ebanks-Landell made way through injury. Zain Silcott-Duberry was his replacement with a reshuffle at the back, as Dan Moss moved centrally and Kane Taylor went to left back.
Dale continued to edge proceedings and took a deserved lead in the 34th minute through Adeeko, with Silcott-Duberry involved. His good work on the left opened space for a cross which was partially cleared as far as Adeeko, who steered first time into the bottom corner.
Ramming made an important stop with his left foot from Josh Davison’s one-on-one effort, before Turner-Cooke fired well over.
However, that was all the visitors had to offer before the break, with Hannant doubling Dale’s lead in the 43rd minute. Dieseruvwe flicked a ball up to him into the path of the Dale number 19, who beat a defender to the ball and raced towards goal. Shrewsbury stopper Will Brook came to close him down, but Hannant clipped the ball over him and in off the underside of the crossbar.
After the interval, the visitors offered more threat on the Dale goal without ever really taking control of the game, as Davison hit the outside of the post after sliding to meet Joe Gbode’s low cross.
Tom Sang blazed over a free-kick and saw another effort deflected wide, before Davison’s diving header went well wide.
Dale were always looking a threat on the break, though, and that proved inside the final ten minutes when substitute Smith added a third. Adeeko launched the counter, finding Brown, who played a great ball into space to find the on-running Smith. Only on the pitch for less than four minutes, Smith kept his cool and finished exquisitely beyond Brook, curling into the far corner.
Watson’s men still had to be switched on at the back, with Ramming making a strong save from Michael Golding’s tight-angled shot, before Taylor made a great block to deny a follow-up effort.
It preserved Dale’s clean sheet and rounded off an excellent evening’s work at the Crown Oil Arena.
Dale XI | Ramming, Wilson, Ebanks-Landell © (22’ Silcott-Duberry), Dieseruvwe, Adebayo-Rowling, Francis, Adeeko (87’ Gilmour), Hannant (77’ Smith), Taylor, Moss, Brown (87’ Henderson).
Unused subs | Waller, Bradley, Leonard.
Scorers | 34’ Adeeko, 43’ Hannant, 81’ Smith.
Shrewsbury Town XI | Brook, Hoole, Ruffels (45+1’ Gbode), Boyle ©, Turner-Cooke (46’ Jude-Boyd), Fletcher (65’ McMahon-Brown), Sang (76’ Golding), Berkoe, Davison, Gray, Anderson (76’ Lloyd).
Unused subs | Proctor, England.
Attendance | 3,241 (361 away)
