First-half goals from Wes Burns, Bobby Reid and Marlon Pack saw Bristol City’s U21s to a 3-0 victory over their Town counterparts at Ashton Gate this afternoon.

With the Blues first-teamers given a couple of days off following the recent busy spell of fixtures, Alan Lee was the only senior player involved.

New loan signing Alex Henshall and trialists Sam Westley, Roman Michael-Percil and Darren McQueen were also in the starting line-up.

Manchester City winger Henshall, 20, is on loan with the Blues until the end of the season having impressed while on trial, during which time he played in the behind-closed-doors friendly defeat to Southend.

Winger Michael-Percil, 19, and striker McQueen, 18, are currently with Spurs, while 20-year-old Westley, the son of former Blues youth coach Terry Westley, is a right-back with Stoke.

U21s: Crowe, Westley, October, Robinson, Sowunmi, M Clarke, Michael-Percil, Lawrence, Lee, McQueen, Henshall. Subs: McDermid, Emmanuel, Galvin, Adekunle, Ellis.

Photo: ITFC

Photo: Action Images

TractorCam added 16:04 - Mar 31 Awful
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blueherts added 16:27 - Mar 31 We are not very good
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bluefeast added 16:33 - Mar 31 The management of our under 21s seems just terrible. We should have a good crop ie 4 or 5 really pushing the first team. It seems release to non league football is the best these lads can hope for. Something is not right , it cant be as we lose every time we play
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kingcarloss added 16:36 - Mar 31 I've said this before the future looks very bleak especially if we cat 1 status next year and play Prem u21s. Agree the u21s coaching setup is a job for the boys. Kennedy, Lee etc etc
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kingcarloss added 16:36 - Mar 31 I've said this before the future looks very bleak especially if we cat 1 status next year and play Prem u21s. Agree the u21s coaching setup is a job for the boys. Kennedy, Lee etc etc
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Brazilsnuts added 16:55 - Mar 31 Our first team squad is small and the U21s is garbage. Anyone decent enough will be sent out on loan, eg marriott, veseli and hewitt. we could have those 3 plus 5 more senior players like Wordsworth, SEB, Mings, tabb, taylor and then piss the u21s but then those players wouldn't develop mick and the team probably have it right IMO
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cats_whiskers added 17:01 - Mar 31 The one good thing about this seasons U21 results is; The only way is up. But on a more serious note, It doesn't bode well when we even have players in the team from higher level clubs and yet still lose. Our scouting system must seriously be dire shape.
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Bluetone added 17:15 - Mar 31 Who is actually in charge of and responsible for the club's football policy ? Whoever it is needs to get their act together 'cos it isn't working.
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PhilTWTD added 17:36 - Mar 31 Further to some of the criticism, MM's view on why the U21s have struggled. http://www.twtd.co.uk/ipswich-town-news/24740/mccarthy-pants-u21s-league-a-backw
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Michael11 added 17:59 - Mar 31 Think our U21 squad needs a complete revamp. We need to broaden our search for young talent. There must be thousands of good young prospects around Europe that we can bring in! Anyone know how Henshall played?
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BillBlue added 18:10 - Mar 31 All very well Phil, it is there, it is a fact so McCarthy and his team should get on and try to win it - not sit back and say it is no good!
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Cloddyseedbed added 20:07 - Mar 31 Putting a decent manager in charge of the U21's would be a good start. How did Kennedy get the job in the 1st place? Bring back the combination league!
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Blue041273 added 20:18 - Mar 31 It is a pointless exercise. The fundamental ethic concerning the game of football, indeed any team game, is that to derive any benefit, it needs to be competitive. In this particular league too many clubs, including ours, are merely going through the motions. Nothing rides on the result; only performance of players is deemed to be of any importance. But without competitiveness in a 'want to win' sense very few of the the players involved in this league will ever graduate to a higher level. U21 League? Playing Alan Lee simply shows the lack of respect which is endemic in this competition. As MM says a proper competitive Reserve League would serve clubs and their fringe players so much better.

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WhoisJimmyJuan added 20:26 - Mar 31 Agree completely with blue feast and bill blue and in part with blue 041273: if you look back on the clubs history we have generally done best when the youth academy has been thriving. At the moment it is not. Mm is right that a competitive league is essential. But that will be true for all clubs. So that is not actually an excuse for the results. I suspect his real tactic is to send the best out on loan until a decent combination type league is formed. But the simple fact is we ain't producing the talent needed to mount a serious challenge. We should be aiming to produce players of the calibre of Johnny Williams and then we won't have to worry about our season hinging on one player.

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Bluetone added 20:43 - Mar 31 In my younger days the Town had a first team, a reserve team playing in the Combination League and an "A" team playing in the Eastern Counties League to my mind that was a good structure to bring on and develop players. Surely to go back to a similar structure and do away with the player load system would be beneficial. Perhaps it would stop the Prem from hoarding all the promising youngsters and farming them out to other clubs on a loan basis. Thus releasing promising youngsters to lower league clubs as their own potential assets.

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Ipswich24 added 23:39 - Apr 1 We are just not producing any decent talent through academy or Mick just won't give them a chance. When you see Johnny Williams you realise how far behind we are producing top talent
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