Town continued their good start to their pre-season campaign with a comfortable 3-1 win against Swedish side Mjällby at their picturesque Stradvallen ground in Hällevik. Marcus Bent, Darren Bent and Pablo Couñago got the goals, all in the first half with the home team notching a consolation late in the second.

The game had hardly begun when captain Jim Magilton limped off with a hamstring injury, Ian Westlake replacing him in the midfield.

It didn't take the Blues long to get in front. On 8 Darren Bent ran on to a long pass into space down the right and sent in a low cross. This was cleared but only as far as Tommy Miller who headed to Marcus Bent. The striker turned his man, leaving the ball for Pablo Couñago who played it back to him, Bent senior stabbing the ball home from a few yards out off the keeper.

Two minutes later a Pablo Couñago goal was disallowed for offside when many in the Town support felt that it should have stood. The Spaniard had played a fine one-two with Marcus Bent.

Trialist Javier Sanchez Broto was rarely called into action in the first half but in the 21st minute he pulled off a fine save from Thomas Westergren's well struck shot, dramatically tipping the ball over the bar.

Scorer Marcus Bent turned provider on 23, playing a one-two with Darren Bent, the younger of the two able to calmly stroke home with only the keeper to beat.

On the half hour the Blues went further ahead, Tommy Miller passing wide to the ever dangerous Darren Bent on the right of the box. Bent played a low ball across for Pablo Couñago to slip home from five yards out.

Not long after Marcus Bent stabbed in a Couñago shot from a yard but the linesman's flag was raised and it was ruled out.

As the half came to a close Broto made another fine save, this time preventing Daniel Nicklasson from scoring from distance.

At the break the Blues took off both Bents, Couñago and debutant Georges Santos who had been a steely presence in the centre of midfield. On came Dean Bowditch, Alun Armstrong, Antonio Murray and Martijn Reuser.

There was early concern for Town when Broto kicked the ball against a striker, however Richard Naylor was back to clear up.

The Blues almost went four-up on 50 when Dean Bowditch's 12 yard effort was brilliantly tipped round the post by Fredrik Ohlsson. From the resulting corner Bowditch, Armstrong and Naylor all had attempts blocked virtually on the goal-line.

After that Town rarely threatened the Mjällby goal, except for a number of long range efforts. Alun Armstrong ought to have won a penalty in the 60th minute when he was pulled back but the referee awarded a freekick which Martijn Reuser lashed into the wall.

With 12 minutes remaining Javier Sanchez Broto blotted a promising debut when he seemed to lose a swirling distance effort which sailed past him into the net.

A game of two halves in many ways, the first a clinical display which could well have ended with more goals. Darren Bent has so far proved the man of the moment with the defences of Southend and Mjällby having no idea how to deal with his pace.

Once again Joe Royle made plenty of changes with the formation switching from 4-3-3 to 4-4-2. The second half display, with many of the first's better performers off the field, lacked the same cutting edge and the game gradually decreased as a spectacle.

Diallo once again looked solid at the back, as did Naylor, however the Blues' backline were in truth rarely given a severe test. In midfield Antonio Murray impressed less than at Southend while Dean Bowditch, Alun Armstrong and Martijn Reuser all look like they could do with scoring a goal.

Town: Broto, Wilnis, Makin, Naylor, Diallo (Collins 77), Santos, Magilton (Westlake 5), Miller (Abidallah 63), Couñago (Bowditch 46), M Bent (Armstrong 46), D Bent (Reuser 46).

Photo: Action Images

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