Town's U18s lost 1-0 to Aston Villa at Playford Road on Saturday afternoon. Villa's Swiss youngster Damian Bellon netted the only goal of the game from 25 yards.

Blues keeper Andy Plummer will have felt he should have done better with the strike.

Town's U16s had a better Saturday lunchtime, defeating Villa 5-1 with Billy Clark, a locally-based schoolboy midfielder rather than similarly named older Irish striker, on the scoresheet twice. The other goals came from Charlie Matthews, Jordan Pavett and David Cawley.

Irish midfielder Cawley and another County Mayo-based youngster, striker Ronan Murray, also in Saturday's U16 side, are set to join the academy full-time when they turn 16 in September.

Cawley, currently with Ballina Town but previously with Shelbourne, and Murray, an Erris United player at present, are both Republic of Ireland U16 international colleagues of another academy new recruit, Paul Murphy.

Both players have been watched by the Blues for a number of years and have previously spent trial spells at Playford Road. Chelsea and Liverpool have also shown interest in Murray.

U18s: Plummer, Short (Clemo 60), Fenn, Smith, Robins, Nimmo (Leabon 56), Upson, Reason, Tooms (Webster 28), Ainsley, Rhodes. Unused: Boto.

Get the fastest and most comprehensive Ipswich Town news service at ipswichtown.footballlatest.co.uk.

Photo: Action Images

Ipswich Town Polls