Shrewsbury were faced with a Herculean task at League Two leaders Scunthorpe after being reduced to ten men with an hour's play remaining and paid the penalty in a 3-1 defeat.
Centre-back David Walton received a straight red card on the half-hour mark from referee Phil Joslin, after the official's attention had been drawn to an incident by an assistant, which left Scunthorpe's Steve Torpey laid flat in the penalty area.
Mr Joslin then awarded a penalty which the vastly experienced Peter Beagrie dispatched expertly beyond Scott Howie for his first goal of the season and an early 39th birthday present.
The lead was nothing more than the Iron deserved for the totally dominated opening half with some quality possession football which should have seen them taken a more commanding interval position.
Scunthorpe's opening flurry and first corner in the sixth minute almost brought them reward. Beagrie knocked the ball to the far post which teenage midfielder Andy Butler met forcibly to head on to the bar and over the top.
Beagrie then hammered in a terrific shot which dipped over the bar and then whipped in another ball for Paul Hayes whose shot flew across the face of goal.
The Iron maintained their grip on the game after the break, but initially lacked the earlier snap, although Beagrie saw Howie charge a shot down with his knees and he followed that up by sticking a foot out to deny Hayes.
Shrewsbury were battling violently by spreading five men across the back but in a rare break they snatched a 70th minute equaliser.
Subs,titute Jamie Tolley was the man who issued the alarm call by cracking home a long throw into the box by Darren Moss.
Within two minutes Scunthorpe ripped back when Torpey laid the ball off for Hayes who crashed in a brilliant right-foot shot for his 14th strike of the season.
The game was wrapped up in the 74th minute, substitute Cleveland Taylor had torn the Shrews defence to shreds and it was his speed that saw him cut through to hammer home a real crackerjack of a shot.