It was a tale of two penalties at Priestfield on Saturday afternoon with Nicky Wroe’s 94th minute goal for Shrewsbury sealing all three points for the visitors.
Danny Kedwell’s first half penalty for Gillingham was saved and that proved costly as Wroe’s goal on the stroke of full-time made it back to back defeats for Andy Hessenthaler’s side.
Hessenthaler made two changes to the side that lost at Rotherham last weekend with Joe Martin dropping to the bench and Danny Spiller out of the sixteen man squad altogether.
In came Danny Jackman at left back with Luke Rooney also given his first start of the season starting on the left hand side of a five man midfield supporting striker Danny Kedwell who was deemed well enough to play after overcoming the effects of a virus.
Neither side really got the grips with the game in the early stages and it took until the 23rd minute when the Gills won a penalty after Luke Rooney was upended in the box by Jermaine Grandison.
Up stepped Kedwell who had scored two penalties against Plymouth at the Rainham End just a fortnight before, but his tame effort was too close to keeper Ben Smith who smothered the ball easily.
That proved to be a real let off for the visitors who then began to up their game significantly.
A constant thorn in the Gillingham side, Marvin Morgan had numerous chances to open the scoring for the Shrews, blazing one over and seeing another well saved by Ross Flitney.
Just three minutes before the break Gillingham were forced into an early change with Jack Payne limping off with suspected knee ligament damage and having to be replaced by Dennis Oli, meaning a change of shape to 4-4-2.
Coming out in the second half with a more attacking line up should have suited the Gills, but it was the visitors that once again had the better chances with Morgan again showing why former Gills boss Mark Stimson was so keen on signing him.
Even the introduction of Chris Whelpdale (back from a calf injury) and Joe Martin did little to inspire the home side and the cruelest of blows was to befall them on the stroke of full-time.
Sean McAllister burst into the box and Flitney came flying out and dragged the Shrews man down forcing the referee to point to the spot.
Up stepped Nicky Wroe and he tucked the ball past Flitney, only to see Mr Graham rule that it be taken again. Second time round and Wroe sent Flitney the other way and sealing all three points for Graham Turner’s side.
The loss sees Gillingham drop to sixth in League Two and next up is Accrington Stanley at Priestfield next Saturday afternoon.
FULL TIME: GILLINGHAM 0-1 SHREWSBURY TOWN
Gillingham line up: Flitney, Fuller, Lawrence, Frampton, Jackman, Weston (Whelpdale 59), Montrose (Martin 70), J Payne (Oli 42), Lee, Rooney, Kedwell.
Subs not used: Gazzaniga, Richards.
Booked: Lee (72).
Shrewsbury line up: Smith, Grandsion, Jacobson, Sharps, Cansdell-Sheriff, McAllister, Wright, Wroe, Ainsworth, Morgan, Gornell.
Subs not used: Neal, Hazell, Goldson, Leslie, Richards.
Goal: Wroe (pen 94).
Booked: Morgan (93).
Referee: Mr Graham
Attendance: 4,869 (168 Shrewsbury)