Shrewsbury Town Under-18s hit struggling Walsall Under-18s for five at Shrewsbury Sports Village on Saturday morning.
Town started on top and went close twice in the first ten minutes when Demi Akinwe and Charlie Caton had their shots saved well by the Saddlers 'keeper.
It was Caton who broke the deadlock when, in the 15th-minute, he pounced on a defensive mix-up and nipped in between the Walsall captain and goalkeeper, and smashed the ball into an empty net from the edge of the box. Town remained on top for the next 15 minutes before eventually doubling their lead thanks to Louis Lloyd. After great work down the right-wing, Lloyd connected with a cross and his deft, glancing header settled in the bottom left-hand corner of the net.
Shrewsbury's youngsters began to run riot now and Kade Craig added a third just a couple of minutes later. A corner kick sailed towards the back post where Caton was waiting. The Welshman headed the ball back across goal and Town's towering centre-back leapt highest and headed the ball into the same corner of the net that Lloyd had found just minutes earlier.
There was more to come from Salop, who went four goals to the good before the half-time whistle when Jamie Spiers intercepted the ball on the edge of the opposition penalty area. The forward kept the ball under close control and got it out of his feet before slotting the ball past the goalkeeper at his near post.
The second half yielded fewer talking points as Salop controlled their lead and Jaden Bevan remained untroubled. The closest Walsall came was when their captain clipped the crossbar with a header early in the second half but otherwise, Bevan had nothing to do in the game.
Substitute Jenson Cooper could've had two in the second half. His first strike was flagged offside just before the hour mark and his second went just past the post moments later.
Walsall managed to keep Salop at bay until the 85th minute when Spiers bagged his second. After a corner was played short, Declan Hutchings spotted Spiers' run and picked him out perfectly from the other side of the pitch, leaving the forward with the simplest of finishes to complete the rout.
Speaking on the game, Under-18s manager Kyle Kirby said:
"I'm really delighted, obviously it’s a local derby but I thought the lads put an incredible shift in. We've been doing some good work over the last couple of weeks both on the pitch and off the pitch so there's been a long build up to the game and fortunately, the players did what we wanted them to do today.
"I think there have been games where we've had chances and haven't necessarily taken them, and the lads are always disappointed when that happens, but the area of concern is when we're not getting the chances so we've said to the lads that they're getting in the right areas and getting chances and it will come and fortunately it’s come today."
On the next fixture:
"They're [Preston North End] always tough, they've got a good academy, they're well coached and we're going have to be at our best for that one."
