BURTON Albion were defeated 4-0 at the hands of Shrewsbury Town at the Pirelli Stadium 3G pitch on Sunday.
Burton started well, with Millie Drinkhall skilfully sending Hajrah Mahmood in on goal with a bicycle kick over the heads of the Salop defenders, but the visitors recovered well to snuff out the danger.
It wasn’t long until Shrewsbury took the lead however, as a misplaced pass at the back saw JONES intercept the ball and tuck away past keeper Alice Langstone to open the scoring in the 17th minute.
Jones almost doubled her tally just minutes later, as she cut into the Brewers box from the right-hand side and curled an effort narrowly wide of the post.
The visiting side doubled their lead just before the half hour mark, with Shannon MCSHANE smashing a low driven effort from the edge of the box, going under the arms of Langstone and into the back of the net.
Langstone was forced into a brilliant stop in the 34th minute, as Vikki Owen headed powerfully towards the Burton goalkeeper, but she stood firm and caught the ball well.
A rare chance came for the Brewers just before half-time, as Emily Gillott broke down the right-hand side sending a cross towards the back-post, finding Elisha Gourlay, but the midfielder’s first-time effort went just wide of the mark.
The first half came to a close with Charlotte Jarvis’s headed effort from a Amber-Leigh Denny corner being denied by Salop goalkeeper Phoebe Carter.
Shrewsbury started the second half very well, with Leanne Rimmer almost netting her side’s third with a powerful header, but her effort rattled the crossbar, allowing the Brewers defence to clear the danger.
Sophie Richards forced Carter into a save in the 66th minute with a well struck first-time volleyed effort from the edge of the Shrewsbury box.
Zoe Child almost produced a third for the visitors, but her glanced headed effort whistled just wide of Langstone’s post.
Denny’s well struck free kick in the 74th minute forced Carter into making another save, with the ball falling to Alice Lilley in the box, but her strike on goal went wide of the mark.
However MCSHANE soon netted her second of the afternoon from the penalty spot, extending the Salop lead to 3-0 in with just 10 minutes of play remaining.
And a late Shrewsbury Town counter-attack saw Charlotte Fletcher send JONES in behind the Burton defence, who slotted past Langstone comfortably to secure the three points for the visitors.
The Brewers will be looking to bounce back next Sunday as we take on Bewdley Town in the Vitality Women's FA Cup at the Pirelli Stadium.