SHREWSBURY, England (Interstat) — Priestley Farquharson scored twice, including the decisive second-half winner, to lead Walsall to a 2-1 victory over Shrewsbury Town in an English League Two match at The Croud Meadow on Saturday.

The result completed a league double for Walsall over its local rival, having won the reverse fixture 3-1 in September, and extended its unbeaten run against Shrewsbury to three matches. The win bolstered Walsall’s promotion aspirations while dealing a blow to a Shrewsbury side struggling near the bottom of the table.

Walsall opened the scoring in the 28th minute when defender Farquharson found the net, giving the visitors a lead they would take into halftime. Shrewsbury Town responded just before the intermission, leveling the score in the sixth minute of first-half stoppage time. The equalizer came from forward Iwan Morgan, who notched his first goal of the season in a key performance for the home side.

The deadlock was broken for good in the 62nd minute, as Farquharson struck again to secure his brace and put Walsall ahead 2-1. The match grew increasingly tense as Shrewsbury pushed for another equalizer. Walsall’s William Boyle received a yellow card in the 61st minute, just before the go-ahead goal, and Shrewsbury goalkeeper Sam Hornby was also booked in the 85th minute as the home side’s frustrations mounted.

The outcome defied the pre-match projections from Interstat, whose game simulator had predicted a 1-1 draw and whose ELO rating system gave Shrewsbury Town a 56.3% probability of winning.

With the victory, Walsall improved its League Two record to 15 wins, 10 losses and 8 draws this season, maintaining a position in the upper half of the table. The loss left Shrewsbury Town with a record of 10 wins, 17 losses and 11 draws, as the team continues to seek consistency in a challenging campaign.

Walsall, which had lost 2-0 to Milton Keynes Dons in its previous outing on Monday, rebounded to take three points on the road. Shrewsbury entered the match following a 2-1 victory at Salford City on Tuesday but was unable to build momentum with a second consecutive win.

Walsall will look to continue its form when it hosts Fleetwood Town on Tuesday. Shrewsbury Town’s next match is away at Chesterfield on March 7.