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Smith Nets Twice as Reserves Defeat Colchester - Ipswich Town News

Town's reserves comfortably beat Colchester United 4-0 at Playford Road on Wednesday afternoon, with centre-back Tommy Smith netting a brace and Andy Drury and Conor Hourihane scoring one each.

Town fielded a fairly strong side, with most of the starting line-up having experienced some first team action at some point during the season.

Smith opened the scoring after just seven minutes when he flicked in an Andy Drury freekick from the right.

Drury got his name on the scoresheet on 14 when he slid the ball home from another cross from the wide areas.

It was threatening to turn into a rout as Town scored from every attack - Smith adding his second just two minutes later with a header.

The U's defence started to show some signs of tightening up, but it was breached again on 28 when Reggie Lambe played a ball through and Conor Hourihane capitalised on some weak defending by Morten Knudsen to slide past Carl Pentney.

Town had the game comfortably won with Smith and Troy Brown dominating everything at the back. The only other real action of the first half was when referee Rob Whitton was replaced by assistant Euan Goodman just before the interval when the man in the middle injured his ankle.

The Blues then made a triple substitution at half-time, with Drury, Darren O'Dea and Smith making way for David Cawley, Rory McKeown and Tom Eastman respectively.

Town made a bright start to the second half and McKeown's cross was turned just wide by Civelli before Colchester started to come into the game a bit more; Medy Elito having a shot deflected just wide of Arran Lee-Barrett's post.

Centre-half Brown then made a great block to deny Jordan Sanderson after some hesitancy in the Blues defence.

McKeown was getting forward well and hit a right-foot shot just over the bar, and Reggie Lambe came close to increasing Town's advantage in the final few minutes with a shot that flew just over.

Overall, Town had the game well won by half-time and just strolled through the second half. Watching first team boss Paul Jewell, who was happy to sign autographs throughout, will have been impressed with Hourihane's presence in midfield and Luke Hyam's energy in midfield. Andy Drury again looked fairly quiet, although his set pieces were dangerous throughout.

Town: Lee-Barrett, Ainsley, O'Dea (McKeown 46), Hyam, Smith (Eastman 46), Brown, Drury (Cawley 46), Hourihane, Lambe, Clark, Civelli. Unused: McLoughlin, Burke.

Report: James Ager

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