LEAGUE One side Shrewsbury Town made easy work of Solihull Moors after recording a comfortable 4-0 victory over Marcus Bignot’s side at the Automated Technology Stadium on Saturday.
Moors fielded a completely different team to the one that beat Barwell the night before and without Liam Daly and Theo Streete in the heart of their defence, the hosts knew they were in for a tough fight against opposition two leagues above their new status.
With just two minutes on the clock Shrewsbury went ahead when Leitch-Smith was perfectly placed to receive a high ball into the box before firing it into the top corner of the net.
Five minutes later the pressure paid dividends again when Riley lobbed from the edge of the box giving Danny Lewis no chance as the visitors doubled their advantage.
Gavin Cowan headed a Ryan Beswick corner over and good play between Jack Byrne and Jamey Osborne ended with a shot easily gathered by Leutwiler.
As half hour approached Lewis saved well from another Lietch-Smith effort but having then parried Jones at close range the ball fell to Sarcevic for the simplest of tap ins.
Stefan Moore fired across the goal inches beyond the far post after good work from Asante but Moors then had a dubious penalty awarded against them.
The referee felt Whalley was brought down in the area and Lewis saved magnificently from Whalley who took the kick but he could do nothing when the same player rounded on the loose ball to grab Shrewsbury’s fourth.
There were no changes as the second half got under way but Bignot’s interval talk seemed to have steadied the ship.
Asante miscued from 18 yards and Asante shot wide from Beswick’s through ball whilst two successive free kicks for the hosts were easily cleared.
With an hour played Lewis thwarted Jones with a point blank save and then denied Whalley but at that stage Shrews manager Mickey Mellon changed his entire squad for the remainder of the game.
Beswick brought out a good save from keeper Burton as Solihull went in search of a consolation goal and Barnett hit the upright as full time approached.
However it was Moors shot stopper Lewis who was in the thick of the action at the end as he kept out successive close range shots from the advancing Barnett and Mangan, then denied Wellens in a one on one and foiled Anderson’s follow up.
Team: Lewis, Murombedzi, Trialist, Cowan, Trialist, Franklin, Moore, Byrne, Asante, Beswick, Osborne (Trialist)
