The Blues reserves fell to a 2-1 defeat to Luton Town at a frozen Playford Road on Tuesday afternoon. Colin Healy put Chris Kiwomya's side ahead at the break before second half strikes from Alex Lawless and Jason Walker gave the Hatters all three points.

The game, which was officially an away fixture for Town after it was moved from Barton Rovers’ ground last week, saw the Blues field 19-year-old Tottenham and one-time Town academy schoolboy Calum Butcher at right-back.

Butcher may have come to the attention of the Town coaching staff when he lined-up against Town in a behind-closed-doors friendly defeat to Spurs in late November.

A strong Luton side included new loan signings Craig Hinton, Alex Lawless and Jason Walker, whilst Colin Healy, Damien Delaney and Luca Civelli provided the experience for Town.

Irish youngster Ronan Murray had the game's first chance when a long ball from Tom Eastman put him one-on-one with Luton keeper Lewis Kidd, but the Irish U19 international blazed his shot wildly over the bar.

Town were playing lots of neat football, without really creating too many chances but they took the lead just before the half-hour mark. Reggie Lambe was fouled 25 yards from goal and before the Luton defence or goalkeeper had time to organise themselves, Colin Healy curled the ball into the far corner of the net.

Murray was cautioned a minute later for attempting a Maradona-esque effort at goal from a cross before Luton saw their first real effort on goal drift wide; Dan Walker failing to trouble Arran Lee-Barrett in the Town goal.

Luton’s Jordan Patrick hit his dangerous effort across Town’s goalmouth before Lambe cut in from the right and saw his left-footed effort deflect over the bar for a corner.

Town were then given the opportunity to double their advantage when Tom Eastman was blatantly hauled back from a corner by Jason Walker and referee Burt pointed to the spot. However, Murray’s penalty was comfortably saved by Kidd down to his left and Healy’s follow-up effort flew over the bar.

In front of a watching Roy Keane, sporting a woolly hat and gloves, Town started the second half slowly and within a minute of the restart, the visitors had equalised. Pavel Besta played the ball through the middle of the Town defence and Alex Lawless toe-poked the ball past the advancing Lee-Barrett to level the scores.

The visitors thought they had taken the lead ten minutes later when Dan Walker rounded Lee-Barrett and placed the ball into the empty net, but the whistle had already gone for an earlier foul on Shane O’Connor.

Conor Hourihane saw his long-range effort deflected over the bar on the hour before Luton finally did take the lead two minutes later when Besta slid in a cross from the left that Jason Walker coolly finished from six yards out.

Luton’s number nine came close again minutes later when he was inches away from latching onto a cross from Dan Walker, prior to Calum Butcher seeing his 20-yard volley deflect around the post.

Town seemed to let their heads go down for a while before mounting a late surge for an equaliser, Billy Clark’s ball in from the left nearly being tucked away by Butcher at the far post and sub Josh Carson very nearly connecting with O’Connor’s cross.

However, the Blues couldn’t find the net and had to settle for a disappointing defeat. Healy had a solid game in midfield but Civelli again had a quiet afternoon, with his crosses all too often failing to find their targets in the box.

Trialist Butcher was quite impressive. Quick and attacking, the Tottenham youngster used the ball well and wasn't afraid to get forward.

Damien Delaney didn't have the best of games, up against Luton striker Jason Walker, who was a real handful in the second half.

Reserves: Lee-Barrett, Butcher, O’Connor, Hourihane, Delaney, Eastman, Lambe (Carson 72), Clark, Murray, Healy (Griffiths 80) and Civelli. Unused: Cawley, McLoughlin and Dunbar.

Report: James Ager.

Photo: Action Images

martleshamitfc added 16:47 - Dec 7 Doesn't get any better does it, losing to a non-league reserve side! surely there is some good news on the horizon?
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pippaine added 16:52 - Dec 7 AT WHAT EVER LEVEL WINNING IS A GOOD HABIT TO GET TO WE AT PRESANT CANNOT WIN VERY MUCH AT ANY LEVEL, BUT CAN THINGS ONLY GET BETTER CAN THEY HURRY UP PLEASE
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Legend added 17:17 - Dec 7 Well they cant get much worse...........Or can they??
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ozzydog added 17:31 - Dec 7 Just struck me what an awful result that is most of those Luton players won`t even be full time pros
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truckertractorboy added 17:37 - Dec 7 I cant even remember the last time the reserves won not saying we had a strong team but there alot of so called 1st team players on the pitch so things really aint good anywhere in portman rd
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h32 added 18:24 - Dec 7 ....... shows what a state the club is in now - all the way through it.
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PriskinIsAmazing added 18:25 - Dec 7 pmsl! We cant beat luton! with lets face it! our first team..........
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Jeff_winger added 18:38 - Dec 7 This team that started should really be plenty good enough to beat Luton Town first team , and should definitely blow Luton reserves away that is a bad result.
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BluePhilG added 18:42 - Dec 7 Where did our reserve team finish in their league when we won promotion, or indeed all those seasons we finished in the playoffs?
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MarkITFC added 18:45 - Dec 7 Oh dear , losing to a confrence league reserve team . the whole club is shocking
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3_5_2 added 18:48 - Dec 7 Not a great result but to put things into context Luton had almost their first team in and ours was very young and small. It was no fluke that the 2 x most comfortable town players were Delaney and Healey. I know 'cos I went
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comrade_blue added 18:51 - Dec 7 I was at the game and Town were poor but!!!! We won the reserve Premier League the year we were rtelegated! The other team to dominate the reserve League - and also relegated were Derby - don't read too much into it, Eastman, Luca and Healey, trial player from Spurs played well plus the young sub Carson. Player who did not do himself any favours in from of Roy- was Lambe.

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blue_em_away added 19:29 - Dec 7 3 5 2 Healey was rubbish. I went too. He hung on to the ball to long, no wonder CK took him off.
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IITFC1948 added 19:43 - Dec 7 Did he play Delaney & Eastman in centre defence ?.If so what did they play like?
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bobble added 21:05 - Dec 7 i just wonder will we ever see a victory again in the ipswich colours ? this is beyond a joke a cancer has infected our once great club can someone remove it quickly
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3_5_2 added 22:34 - Dec 7 The back four was RB - Butcher (Trialist from Spurs) - did ok CB - Eastman - Looked much happier there CB - Delaney - Easy game for him LB - O'Conner - Did ok - overplays a bit The side was very young and did ok at times but lacked the final killer ball or skill in the last 3rd Ronan Murray missed when one on one and a penalty when we were one up Civelli looked out of it, I can't remember one piece of skill that set him apart Reggie Lambe faded badly and lost his rag (which I am told is not unusual) Given the opposition it was not a great display and shows the lack of depth at the club of senior players, a huge gap between 1st team and reserves

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TractorRoyNo1 added 23:09 - Dec 7 if you can compare losing a reserve team match to cancer then i despair for your social responsibility bobble added 21:05 - Dec 7 a cancer has infected our once great club
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Back_The_Boss added 07:04 - Dec 8 Delaney, Eastman, Lambe, Murray to name but a few and we still lose!
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Bergholtblue added 11:28 - Dec 8 Perhaps with RK looking on, the players were too scared of making mistakes?
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BlueVelvet added 12:32 - Dec 8 Poor result, systemic rot or just bad luck. Quite a number of first team players though, so I'd say rot. Civelli needs to get his head together and then he'd be OK for the firsts - and needed
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brian_a_mul added 12:53 - Dec 8 What do people expect? Most of last seasons youth team and reserve teams have been drafted in to first team this season. The reserve league structure has gone backwards the last few years in terms of a competition. Alot of clubs cannot afford to have a reserve team anymore. The main benefit of these games is to give game time to non regular players, youth players, players back from injury and new players on trial. Dont read too much in to these results!

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Mungo added 15:51 - Dec 8 I know its the reserves but that team should have won against a conference reserve side. Are people not taking the reserve games seriously enough? In that case, why bother with them at all? These games are for the players to build up fitness and push for a place in the first team. There is little in the report to suggest that many of those players were trying to do that, even with the current poor form of the first team presenting opportunities for them...

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