A red card inside the opening ten seconds set up a vital win for Peterborough United, as they put more space between themselves and the drop zone.
Shrewsbury Town were rocked by the dismissal of John Marquis for a rash elbow on Sam Hughes in the first few seconds.
And, Posh took advantage to claim all three points, rising to 17th in the Sky Bet League One, while the Salop slump to bottom of the table.
A manic start at London Road:
It was an unbelievable first 15 minutes in Peterborough.
First, Shrewsbury striker Marquis was given his marching orders inside the opening minute. He elbowed Hughes, with referee Martin Woods brandishing a red card for the challenge – which happened in the eighth second of the game.
Posh made their man advantage count in an unconventional way, as Tayo Edun curled a corner that went directly in the Shrewsbury net after Jamal Blackman was left scrambling.
A mad quarter of an hour was complete with the Salop equaliser. Peterborough United conceded a penalty, with George Lloyd tripped in the box. The referee quickly gave it, and Mal Benning dutifully slotted the ball into the bottom corner despite Jed Steer diving the right way.
Peterborough United do enough:
Darren Ferguson’s side were boosted by an unlikely win in midweek, coming from behind to knock out Wrexham on penalty for a spot in the EFL Trophy final.
That was the third game without defeat for Peterborough United, who were looking to avoid relegation into the fourth tier – for what would be their first campaign at that level since 2007/08.
This victory is vital, with Chris Conn-Clarke sealing the points in added time, beating one of those teams fighting for just a couple of places above the dreaded drop.
Jamal Blackman makes mistake in Salop net:
Former Chelsea youngster Jamal Blackman was at fault for the freak Posh opener, struggling to deal with a curling corner after a poor starting position left him with a lot to do.
He opened up a gap at his front post, which Edun sought and found.
The 31-year-old had another questionable moment on the hour mark, rushing out of his goal and giving the ball away in a scramble just outside the Shrewsbury box. Morgan Feeney was luckily there to sweep up and head the ball clear from the goalline, though.
He did well to save from substitute Ricky Jade-Jones, who was barreling down on goal when Blackman stood strong to deny him a Peterborough third.
Shrewsbury Town’s job made even harder:
The gap at the start of play was seven points, with Shrewsbury Town hoping to prolong their decade-long stay in League One. It was three losses in a row for Gareth Ainsworth’s side, after a string of positive results, and they extended their unwanted streak in Peterborough.
The early red card gave the visitors a mountain to climb, and they battled hard before Posh provided a sprinkling of quality to seal the victory.
Results elsewhere left Peterborough four points clear of the relegation pack, with Shrewsbury eight points adrift of Bristol Rovers.
