Joe Gbode and Will Gray bag braces as Shrewsbury Town claim first pre-season win

Summer signing Joe Gbode and teenager Will Gray both scored braces as Shrewsbury Town claimed their first win of pre-season.

The pair struck twice apiece after the break as Salop thrashed the Isle of Man 4-0 in the third-place play-off at the island’s summer football festival.

The victory finally gave Town supporters goals to celebrate after a scoreless start to pre-season.

Gbode, who recently arrived on a season-long loan from Luton Town, broke the deadlock just after the hour mark with a composed finish before he and academy graduate Gray took control of the contest.

The fixture concluded Shrewsbury’s trip across the Irish Sea, with attention now turning to Tuesday’s first home pre-season outing.

Several chances came and went in the first half. George Lloyd was denied by an early save before heading over.

There was concern for Town just before the half-hour mark when Lloyd was forced off with a knock. Gavin Cowan will hope it is only a minor issue after Luca Hoole suffered an ankle injury in the opening pre-season fixture.

Salop thought they had taken the lead in first-half stoppage time when Tom Sang found the net, only for the effort to be ruled out for offside.

Cowan made a host of changes after the break, and the breakthrough finally arrived in the 62nd minute. Byron Pendleton’s perfectly weighted through ball released Gbode, who calmly lifted his finish over the advancing goalkeeper.

Town’s youngsters combined to double the lead soon after. Jeval Thompson-McKenzie’s effort was blocked, but Gray reacted quickest to the loose ball to fire home.

Gbode grabbed his second in the 76th minute, curling a superb strike into the net from distance, and almost completed his hat-trick moments later.

Gray wrapped up the scoring late on, driving home from just inside the area to complete his brace as Shrewsbury cruised to victory.

Town now return to the Croud Meadow to face Everton Under-21s on Tuesday.