Shrewsbury Town

Town: Anyon, Bearsfield, Jacobson, Summerfield (McAllister, 45), Winfield, Mkandawire (Jones, 45), Wildig, Marsden (Goldson, 80), Bradshaw, Parry (McQuade, 78), Taylor.

Subs: Mcquade, Weale, Woods, Jones, Goldson, McAllister.

Goals: Taylor, 8. Bradshaw, 11. Parry, 77. Jones, 81.

Birmingham: Doyle, Little, Robinson, Burn, Adeyemi, Allan, Shinnie, Elliot, Green, Davis (Hancox 63), Burke.

Subs: Reilly, Randolph, Eardley, Hancox, Higgins, Arthur, McGurk.

Goals: Green, 46. Burke, 70.

Referee: Mr. S. Atwell

Assistants: Mr. J. Law & Mr. R. Merchant

Fourth Official: Mr. T. Harty

Attendance: 2,037 (707)

Goals from Jon Taylor and Tom Bradshaw within the first 11 minutes capped an explosive start to the pre-season tie with Birmingham and meant Town went into the half-time break 2-0 to the good.

The home side wasted no time in making a mark on the game, Taylor reading Tom Bradshaw’s perfectly weighted flick-on in just the eighth minute before racing through on goal and slotting coolly under Colin Doyle.

The electric start continued with Salop doubling the lead just three minutes later. Paul Parry fed trialist John Bearsford down the right, and he drilled in a pinpoint cross for Tom Bradshaw to slide in and score his first senior goal in over 18 months.

With the bit between his teeth, Bradshaw almost doubled his tally just two minutes later, firing a ferocious effort from the edge of the box that keeper Doyle was forced to beat to safety.

Finally with a foothold, the visitors almost pulled one back on 16 minutes, Matt Green rising highest from six yards, but he saw his powerful header saved masterfully by Joe Anyon.

To cap off the frenetic opening exchanges, Parry should have made it 3-0 in the 18th minute when he was sent through one-on-one, but he lost his footing and his effort rolled harmlessly wide.

The Blues should’ve twice pulled a goal back before the interval, Wade Elliot first firing over from inside the six-yard-box on the 32 minute mark, before Andrew Shinnie rolled a presentable effort wide after good work down the right from Mark Little. 

The visitors wasted little time in hitting back after the break, striker Matt Green taking aim from 25-yards and seeing his effort deflected into the top corner past a helpless Anyon.

Tom Adeyemi went close to drawing the Blues level on the hour mark when he flashed a header just wide from a corner, but they did manage to grab the leveller ten minutes later. Green’s shot was blocked, but it fell kindly for Chris Burke 20-yards from goal and the Scot left Anyon with no chance, bending an unstoppable curler into the corner.

Reacting to the equaliser, Town pushed on and were rewarded by another eye-catching goal from Paul Parry on 77 minutes after his thunderous volley against Bolton on Saturday. He was in a straight race with Doyle and got there just ahead of the Blues keeper outside the box to loft a delicate chip into the net.

Four minutes later and big centre-back Darren Jones was getting in on the act, controlling well on the edge of the box before guiding a measured left-footed effort into the corner.

Town looked more likely to add to their tally than any chance of a Blues fight-back, but the evening ended in a morale boosting 4-2 victory to Graham Turner’s side.