Solihull 0 Shrewsbury 4 - Report and pictures
Shrewsbury Town eased to their second pre-season victory this week after a rampant first-half blew hosts Solihull Moors away.
Four first-half goals did the damage on a humid afternoon in Birmingham, with boss Micky Mellon making 11 changes on the hour mark to freshen things up.
AJ Leitch-Smith, Louis Dodds and Antoni Sarcevic all opened their Town accounts in the first period, while Shaun Whalley found the net before the break after his original spot-kick was saved.
Town wasted no time in livening things up in Birmingham, after defending a corner, they broke rapidly as Joe Riley looked for the run of Leitch-Smith over the top.
The former Port Vale man took the bouncing ball on by unleashing a phenomenal volley across Moors' shot-stopper Danny Lewis and into the opposite top corner to open his Town account.
Mellon's men were rampant and fellow Vale man Dodds had Town fans celebrating again just four minutes later.
The hosts could not clear their lines and a slashed clearance dropped to Dodds on the edge of the 'D'and the midfield man struck a dipping volley that beat Lewis with ease.
After a Solihull injury led to an early drinks break, Town looked to set about their rhythm and almost made it three but Ethan Jones was unable to keep his header from Whalley's cross down.
Jamey Osborne's strike from distance trickled into the untroubled Jayson Leutwiler's grasp.
Shrewsbury Town (4-2-3-1) first-half: Leutwiler; Riley, Lancashire, McGivern, Brown; Ogogo, Sarcevic; Whalley, Dodds, Jones; Leitch-Smith.
Shrewsbury Town (4-2-3-1) second-half (from 63 minutes): Burton; Grogan, Smith, El-Abd, Sadler; Deegan, Wellens; Mangan, Anderson, McAtee; Barnett.
Solihull Moors: Lewis, Murombedzi, Trialist, Cowan (c), Trialist, Franklin, Moore, Byrne, Asante, Beswick, Osborne.
Then the hosts had a real opening of their own but former Salop defender Gavin Cowan's header from a Ryan Beswick corner dropped just over the crossbar.
Leitch-Smith continued to impress as his quick feet were proving too much for the Moors defence to deal with.
The 26-year-old jinked between two challenges but his goalbound effort was deflected into Lewis' grasp.
A third seemed inevitable for the visitors and Sarcevic was able to add his name to new Town goalscorers with 10 minutes of the first-half remaining.
Riley's early cross was flicked on by Whalley towards Jones at the back post and, while his effort was saved, he tucked away the rebound with ease.
Three minutes later and last season's National League North winners found themselves 4-0 down, as Whalley added himself to the score-sheet.
The pacy winger was bundled over by Connor Franklin and picked himself up to take the spot-kick,.
His effort from 12-yards was tipped onto the post by Lewis, but the follow-up was clinically slotted into the top corner.
A Moors trialist featuring at left-back almost got the hosts back into it, with a fierce drive from 20-yards causing Leutwiler to scramble.
Just before the break, right-back Riley attempted to add himself to the list of Town players to register a spectacular first goal for the club.
But the 24-year-old's first-time volley from all of 30 yards dropping just over the crossbar.
Some fine grafting from Jones early on the in the second period created an opportunity for the 18-year-old, who scored his first senior goal at the Meadow on Tuesday.
Jones robbed the ball from Solihull right-back Shepherd Murombedzi before making for Lewis' goal.
The Town attacker jinked inside before belting a fierce strike that was palmed away by the home goalkeeper.
Town had understandably come out without the vigour of a lively first-half.
On the hour mark, Mellon changed things by bringing on 11 substitutes with the Stourbridge clash on Monday in mind.
While the tempo dropped, Salop were unable to profit from some clear late chances to extend the lead, while Moors' custodian Lewis kept the scoreline down.
Young defender Callum Grogan saw his tame left-footed effort trickle at the shot-stopper, before Tyrone Barnett should have finished beyond the goalkeeper but could only find the post.
Andy Mangan was denied twice in the space of seconds, before Richie Wellens broke through the defence only to be denied again by the goalkeeper's midriff.
