FTDL: Burton Albion 0-4 Shrewsbury Town
To see the latest newsletter from the Final Third Development League, click here.
ASSISTANTS: Minesh Gupta & Kevin Guise
: Richard Eley REFEREE
UNUSED SUBS:
: Remi Matthews (GK); Brad Smith, Liam Slade, Darius Charles (Michael Pearson, 45), Jack O'Brien, Dylan Garnett, Matty Palmer (Merza Sejdic, 58), Callum Reilly, Sam Austin, Aurelien Joachim (Jack Hallaham, 58), Marcus Dinanga. BURTON ALBION LINE-UP
GOALS: Collins (8, 26, 72) Clark (76).
UNUSED SUBS: Callum Grogan, Kaiman Anderson, Ethan Jones, Chris Gallagher.
: Callum Burton (GK); Trialist, Sam Patterson, Mat Sadler (C), Anthony Gerrard, Ian Black (James Caton, 70), Shaun Whalley, Darren McKnight, James Collins, Liam McAlinden, Jordan Clark. SHREWSBURY TOWN LINE-UP
FULL-TIME: Burton Albion 0-4 Shrewsbury Town
But it was a comfortable victory for the Shrews on the day.
Collins also volleyed over from the winger's cross late on, while the striker also turned provider for Caton who shot over from close range at the end.
Whalley could also have got his name on the scoresheet as he headed wide at the far post from Caton's cross.
Clark then added a fourth in the 76th minute as Caton again crossed from the left and Clark volleyed into the bottom right corner arriving late in the box.
However, the striker completed his hat-trick with 18 minutes left as he finished with a shot at the near post from Clark's low cross on the left.
Collins also curled over from the edge of penalty area as he looked for his hat-trick.
McAlinden then shot high from the edge of the box on the half-hour mark and saw his effort tipped over the crossbar.
At the other end, Town had the ball in the net for a third time in the 57th minute as Liam McAlinden finished from close range from Clark's cross on the right, but the on-loan Wolves attacker was ruled just offside.
Burton had the first chance of the second period, nine minutes after the restart, as Palmer swung a cross towards the far post and Burton punched the ball off Joachim before it dropped just wide.
HALF-TIME: Burton Albion 0-2 Shrewsbury Town
Matty Palmer also curled a free-kick just over the top left corner for Burton, and Shrewsbury held their two-goal lead going into the break.
The Brewers' first effort came in the 34th minute as Aurelien Joachim looked to catch Callum Burton off his line from the edge of the box, but the striker's effort flew over the crossbar.
Sadler then had a chance to make it three just past the half-hour mark as he met Clark's corner with a close-range header, but it was well-blocked by a Burton defender on the goal line.
However, the former Burton man eventually did get his second goal as he headed home from close range at the far post after Clark's corner was flicked on by a Brewers head in the 26th minute.
Collins got in behind the Burton defence to latch onto Mat Sadler's ball over the top, took the ball left around the oncoming goalkeeper and looked to slide the ball into the empty net, but Brewers defender Darius Charles got back to block the shot on the line.
The striker was then denied by a goal-line clearance in the 20th minute.
Eight minutes later, Collins almost had his second as he headed over from Shaun Whalley's deep cross from the right.
Despite the foggy conditions at St George's Park, Town took the lead in the 8th minute as Collins played a one two with Clark before chipping the ball over the Brewers goalkeeper in the penalty area.
FIRST HALF
And Jordan Clark added a fourth late on to give a Shrewsbury Town side featuring ten first-team players all three points under the watchful eye of manager Micky Mellon.
The striker scored twice in the first half in the game at St George's Park before adding a third after the break.
James Collins bagged a hat-trick as Shrewsbury Town cruised to victory at Burton Albion in the Final Third Development League's West Division on Monday afternoon.