Town got their pre-season campaign off to a positive start with a 6-0 win against Shelbourne thanks to goals from Alex Henshall, Darren Ambrose, Cole Skuse, Jay Tabb and a brace from new signing Brett Pitman.


The Blues were rarely troubled in the first half at Tolka Park and were in the lead inside the opening minute of the game. ""Alex Henshall jinked his way past several defenders after being fed by Adam McDonnell before finishing sweetly in at the near post after just 52 seconds.""
In the following few minutes, Shelbourne attempted to settle into the game with Town putting together a range of neat passing moves that failed to trouble the opposition.""
Town were guilty on occasion of giving away needless freekicks in the centre of the park but Shelbourne's young side still couldn't manage to warm Dean Gerken's gloves.""
A 15th minute corner from Ainsley Maitland-Niles, making his first appearance in a Town shirt, was headed well over the bar by captain Luke Chambers.""
A Cole Skuse interception in the 22nd minute allowed him to feed Freddie Sears, who planted the ball into the top corner, but the goal was disallowed for offside.""A minute later and it was 2-0.
Sears picked up the ball about 35 yards from goal before picking out Darren Ambrose, who stuck the ball into the bottom corner of the net from just inside the penalty area.
""Shelbourne began to struggle to get out of their own half as Town upped the tempo, with Cole Skuse and Adam McDonnell, making his return to the club from which Town signed him last summer, dictating things from midfield.""
Just after the half hour, however, Shelbourne midfielder Aaron Robinson shot just wide of the mark from 25 yards, with Gerken watching the ball fly past his post.
""A mix-up between Gerken and Matthew Clarke two minutes later almost allowed Robinson in again, but the midfielder struck wide once more.""In the 37th minute Town made it 3-0. A freekick won by Josh Emmanuel was floated into the box by Alex Henshall.
Shelbourne's clearance only made it as far as the boot of Cole Skuse on the edge of the box, who struck the ball on the volley through a crowd of players and into the net.""
Just after the restart, Freddie Sears robbed Shelbourne's Andy Gorman just past the halfway line before feeding Henshall out on the left. Henshall had another mazy run at the defence but his cross was cleared away.
""Town failed to carve out any clear-cut chances before the end of the first half but weren't troubled any further by an inexperienced Shelbourne outfit.
""Blues boss Mick McCarthy will field a different XI in the second half, in line with previous years' matches in Ireland.
Town's first chance in the second half fell in the 49th minute, with new signing Brett Pitman robbing the ball from a Shelbourne defender before shooting well wide.
Less than a minute later, Ryan Fraser cut inside from the left and shot wide of the post Fraser, continued to combine with Jay Tabb and in the 53rd minute the two swapped passes before Tabb fed Teddy Bishop who was denied by a Shelbourne block.
Pitman fired a half-volley inches wide from about 25 yards out very soon after. In the 56th minute, Shelbourne keeper Dave Ryan was forced to tip Kevin Bru's curling shot over the upright after the Mauritian international swivelled in the penalty area.
From the resulting corner, Town won a penalty and made it 4-0. Josh Yorwerth was tripped just inside the penalty area before Pitman slotted the ball home, sending the keeper the wrong way.
Town's fresher players began to cause Shelbourne's defence even more problems, with Bru putting Pitman through just two minutes later - the new signing from Bournemouth being denied by a last ditch tackle.
On the hour mark, another Fraser and Tabb combination very nearly allowed the Scottish U21 international to shoot but for yet another desperate block.
A minute later, and Fraser's cross was met by the head of Dylan Connolly, whose looping header skimmed the top of the crossbar.
Shelbourne keeper Dave Ryan's pass was intercepted by the lively Connolly again in the 66th minute. Connolly picked out Pitman whose mishit shot was blocked by a crowd of defenders.
Pitman then fed Fraser who outpaced the Shelbourne defence before cutting back to Kyle Hammond, whose goal-bound shot was well saved.
In the 75th minute, Connolly, who seemed desperate to net against his former club, shot well over the bar from outside the box.
Town made it 5-0 in the 81st minute. Jay Tabb's interception caused trouble to an ever-tiring Shelbourne defence. Tabb found Teddy Bishop, whose cross from the left-hand side found Tabb once more, and he struck the ball into the top corner.
Three minutes before the end, Yorwerth's dangerous cross was miscontrolled by Pitman who had the goal at his mercy.
In the final minute, Kevin Bru made a marauding run down the left-hand side and neatly chipped the ball into the box, where Pitman got his head on the end of it and netted his second of the game.
The young Shelbourne side did not particularly test Town at any stage but boss Mick McCarthy will no doubt be happy with the workout his side had.
New signings Fraser, Maitland-Niles and Pitman impressed, while likes of Henshall and McDonnell looked lively and may well be knocking on the door of the first term come August.
First half: Gerken, Emmanuel, Chambers, Clarke, Parr, Skuse, McDonnell, Henshall, Maitland-Niles, Ambrose, Sears.
""Second half: Bialkowski, Hammond, Smith, Yorwerth, Kenlock, Bru, Tabb, Connolly, Fraser, Bishop, Pitman. Att: 690.