Notts County kickstarted their Sky Bet League One campaign with an emphatic 4-1 victory over Shrewsbury Town at Meadow Lane.

Goals from Matthew Dennis, Sonny Aljofree, Nick Tsaroulla and Conor Grant secured a first win of the season for Martin Paterson’s side, who had been searching for a breakthrough since the new manager’s summer arrival.

The Magpies made a dream start as Dennis pounced on a mistake by Manchester United loanee Elyh Harrison to open the scoring inside eight minutes. Aljofree then doubled the advantage midway through the first half, finishing from close range to put the hosts firmly in control.

Shrewsbury, looking to avoid a fourth straight defeat, were handed a lifeline when John Marquis guided a header past Kelle Roos on 32 minutes.

But County quickly reasserted their dominance after the interval. The lively Tsaroulla restored the two-goal cushion with a superb angled strike shortly after the restart, before substitute Conor Grant wrapped up the points eight minutes from time, finishing clinically from Kellan Gordon’s assist.

The result lifts Notts County away from the bottom of the table, while defeat leaves Shrewsbury rooted in early-season trouble.

Notts County hit four past Shrewsbury to claim first win under Paterson

Notts County hit four past Shrewsbury to claim first win under Paterson