Town ran out worthy winners of a rather dull game at Portman Road this evening. The most interesting moments were the two second half goals from Richard Logan and Guillermo Graaven both of which were well taken.
A largely uneventful first half saw Town probably have the best of it. Richard Logan had probably Town’s best chance after just three minutes when he hit a well struck shot from just inside the area. The West Ham keeper made a good save down to his left.
In the tenth minute Richard Naylor hit a shot wide of the post while Amir Karic was booked for a foul just outside the Town area on fifteen.
The 28th minute saw Logan head over when he might have done better and the same player came close three minutes later when he forced the keeper to make a save from a well hit shot from distance.
Amir Karic hit a shot after making a jinking run, but he failed to get any power and the ball looped to the keeper.
The half ended without West Ham even having a shot and they did little more in the second.
Town were again the better side and Amir Karic, by now playing in left midfield with Friars switching to the right, was involved in much of the action. In the 50th minute he committed another foul and was spoken to by the referee and it looked for a second as if he might be sent off. Then he was elbowed in the face just inside the Town half but this wasn't seen as a foul by the referee.
Richard Naylor came close to scoring from a Moffat cross but he was just thwarted. Then Karic went close to getting in on goal after a one-two with Naylor. As the ball came back in from the left Logan got close to heading the ball.
In the 62nd minute Karic went down inside the area, but no penalty was given. A minute later he was wrestled to the ground on the by-line but nothing came from the resulting freekick.
The 69th minute saw Richard Logan score Town's first goal. He was put through by Friars just inside the West Ham half and ran thirty yards before slipping the ball home with great composure. It was a very cool finish from Logan who hasn't always been quite so assured in front of goal.
In the 70th minute Richard Naylor hit a shot on the turn from an acute angle into the sidenetting and three minutes later West Ham had a shot saved by Keith Branagan, the keeper's only real action on the night.
The 85th minute saw one of the linesmen go off with a hamstring injury with the fourth official taking over. Three minutes later Town went further ahead. A long looping cross from the left was deftly headed home by substitute Guillermo Graaven, practically his only contribution during the game.
And that was that. Another win for the reserves and they never really looked in any danger at any point. West Ham were very poor and rarely threatened. Naylor looked rusty, but didn't seem to feel his injuries too much. Croft did OK, while Scales went off, but hopefully not
for a reccurrence of his hamstring problem. Nabil Abidallah played some nice balls and Amir Karic always wanted to be in the thick of the action and was for a spell Town's most dangerous player.
Town team: Branagan, Croft, Karic (Subrin 67), Miller, Scales (Mayes 67), Moffat, Abidallah, Nicholls, Naylor, Logan, Friars (Graaven 77).