Reggie Lambe scored a hat-trick and Ed Upson (pen), Colin Healy and Luke Hyam all scored once as Town’s reserves thrashed Stevenage Borough 6-2 at Portman Road this afternoon.
The visitors went in front with their first attack of the game in the 11th minute, Charlie Griffin making the most of Troy Brown’s slip and beating the on-rushing Ian McLoughlin.
Reggie Lambe, playing as a lone striker with Colin Healy behind him ahead of the midfielder four, had already missed a golden opportunity for the Blues after the ball had looped to him six yards out only for the Bermudian to shoot wide.
However, Town got back on terms in the 22nd minute when Ed Upson was felled inside the area. The midfielder took the spotkick himself and beat former Grays keeper Ashley Bayes to his right.
Two minutes later, the Blues were in front. Lambe won the ball from hesitant Stevenage defender Daniel Broom and found Healy to his right. The Irishman waited for Lambe to find himself space in the centre before releasing the ball to the 18-year-old, who scored his first of the afternoon.
Luke Hyam hit the post on the half hour, then Bayes saved well from Lambe with the makeshift striker through on goal.
Healy made it 3-1 with an exquisite chip on 42, the best goal of the game, having been found in space on the edge of the area. Moments later Lambe made it four when again played through by Garvan.
The visitors pulled a goal back just after the break, Dino Maamria heading home from a freekick on the right.
Three minutes later it was 5-2 when Luke Hyam’s shot deflected off a defender and beat Bayes.
Garvan sent a freekick well over, then Josh Carson and Ronan Murray replaced Jamie Griffiths and the impressive Colin Healy.
Murray and Shane O’Connor both went close, prior to Seb Dunbar taking over from Hyam.
Bayes did well to save Upson’s deflected shot from the edge of the area on 83, but couldn’t prevent Lambe from completing his hat-trick a minute later when Maamria missed a through ball from Carson and the Bermudian rounded the keeper and tapped into the net from a tight angle.
A comfortable win for a reserves side largely made up of youngsters against a Stevenage side mainly consisting of more senior players. The Blues’ more experienced men Garvan and Healy ran most of the game from midfield and Town probably should have scored more than their six goals.
The game was watched by manager Roy Keane from the directors' box, while the blocks at the ends of the North Stand already bear the name 'The Sir Bobby Robson Stand' with similar legends and logos being added to the outside.
Reserves: McLoughlin, D Wright, O’Connor, Hyam (Dunbar 75), Ainsley, Brown, Griffiths (Carson 62), Garvan, Lambe, Healy (Murray 62), Upson. Unused: Eastman.