Shrewsbury Town 3 West Brom U21s 0 - Report and pictures

Shrewsbury eased beyond an inexperienced West Bromwich Albion at a canter as they continued their 100 per cent Checkatrade Trophy record, writes Lewis Cox at Montgomery Waters Meadow.

Three unanswered goals helped Paul Hurst’s experimental side beyond a vastly youthful Baggies set-up.

Lenell John-Lewis, Carlton Morris and Louis Dodds were on target as Shrewsbury took their impressive domestic football into the Group E clash.

Hurst rang the changes for the cup clash with Albion’s youngsters. Ten changes in total. While the rules state four outfield changes are permitted - further changes can be made should the incoming men have made more than 40 career appearances.

The highlight was the inclusion of midfielder Bryn Morris, who has been out after knee surgery, playing for the first time in almost two months. He began the first league game of the season against Northampton but hasn’t played since.

Right-back James Bolton was suspended due to his red card at Coventry, meaning Christos Shelis, fresh from his new two-year deal, started in his place with Joe Riley switching to left-back.

It was a first-team debut for the 17-year-old Cypriot

Town went 4-4-2, a change from the league system of 4-1-4-1, with Lenell John-Lewis and Carlton Morris pairing up front.

Albion’s line-up was almost entirely made up of youngsters.There was a start, however, for £15million summer signing Oliver Burke, who is due to link up with the Scotland under-21 side later this week.

Most of Tony Pulis’s other first-team squad are on international duty with Albion’s senior squad enjoying a weekend off this week.

James Shan’s young Baggies setted in a 5-3-2 set-up, with Burke playing in an advanced position alongside Callum Morton.

The Baggies’ full-backs, Max Melbourne and Aksum White were almost playing as wing-backs. Burke showed within a minute why Pulis bought him from Red Bull Leipzig, a lively burst at the Town backline earned the visitors a corner.

But that was about as much joy as the Premier League 2 outfit had in the opening period.

The hosts worked their way into it in front of a very quiet, low-key crowd, but there were promising early signs from Doncaster hero Arthur Gnahoua and youngster Shelis.

The attendance of 1,404 joined a host of small crowds up and down the country for the controversial competition.

Riley and Gnahoua sent powerful efforts over the top from distance. Dodds tested Alex Palmer low from distance moments before John-Lewis struck the post in the 15 minutes after Dodds robbed an Albion defender.

It was one-way traffic and Hurst’s side broke the deadlock just over midway through the opening half. Riley’s cross from the left was headed goalwards by C Morris, Palmer could only parry it out and John-Lewis eased the ball home from close-range.

Albion could barely get a touch and Dodds once again tested Palmer before John-Lewis helped over from a corner.

Palmer, a former Kidderminster loanee between the sticks, made a fine close-range save at the back post as Omar Beckles connected to a deep corner.

The dominant hosts wasted no time in getting going in the second-half. Riley, who impressed with his delivery all night, cut in from the left on his stronger foot to whip a delicious cross in that C Morris was able to get a toe to and help beyond Palmer.

Aside from brief Burke cameos, where the young Scottish winger showed bursts of pace and deft control, Albion’s fledgling side could not impose themselves on Town.

Town weren’t creating clear-cut openings but were comfortable at almost walking pace, with Dodds measuring one across goal before John-Lewis curled wide.

A second-half highlight was the introduction of exciting young winger Ryan Barnett, who is from Wellington. The former Thomas Telford schoolboy signed a two-and-a-half year deal with Shrewsbury late last year.

He was joined by young midfielder George Hughes, from Powys, for the last quarter.

Lifumpa Mwandwe, a first-year scholar from Wolverhampton, joined them with moments to go.

But it was the experienced Dodds who grabbed a deserved goal with 15 minutes remaining. He took a pass from Ebou Adams and swept exquisitely into the corner.