Michael Chopra showed just why Paul Jewell brought him to Portman Road as he scored two goals to get the Blues’ two-game pre-season tour of Holland off to a winning start with a 2-0 victory at FC Eindhoven. The former Cardiff man came on as a half-time sub, scoring his first within three minutes and the second 13 minutes from the end.
On a very warm Eindhoven afternoon, Blues boss Paul Jewell named a side which was a mix of regular starters and fringe players with Nathan Ellington the only new signing starting. Carlos Edwards (hip) and Ãvar Ingimarsson (thigh) sat the game out with minor niggles.
Town unsurprisingly began the game the stronger against the Dutch second tier side but were unable to carve out many chances in the opening 10 minutes, although a deft Ellington header almost played in Luciano Civelli on the edge of the area.
On 11 Leadbitter tried an audacious chip from 40 yards but Eindhoven keeper, the marvellously named Ruud Swinkels, was able to watch it float harmlessly wide.
A minute later, Tamás Priskin went closer with a 25-yarder which beat Swinkels but struck the top of the bar.
The Blues were starting to make more of an impression inside the area and in the 13th minute Andy Drury fed Ellington and the summer free signing from Watford shot across the face from a tight angle on the right.
Eindhoven came more into the game as it reached the half hour mark but without creating anything of note, aside from one potentially dangerous Serhat Koç ball in from the right which Tommy Smith bundled behind.
On 29 right-back Jack Ainsley crossed from the right, Civelli headed back from deep but Swinkels quickly gathered the loose ball. Two minutes later, Priskin almost found Ellington with a through ball but an Eindhoven foot diverted it from his path.
Alpha Ibrahim Bah had an opportunity to put the Dutch side in front in the 35th minute but Ainsley got across to close the space and block two efforts by the Guinean.
The home side ought to have gone in front in the 38th minute when a flowing move down the right led to Jens Van Son breaking into the area but he hit his shot straight at Arran Lee-Barrett when he probably should have scored.
The 0-0 scoreline at the break was a fair reflection on the game, the Blues not really having made their greater class show and with the Dutch side creating as many decent chances as the visitors. Former PSV and Holland midfielder Theo Lucius was at the heart of most of the home team’s best stuff from a deep lying central role.
Town made six changes at the break and Michael Chopra was quickly in the thick of the action, first shooting over from 20 yards then using his pace to get in behind the backline and holding off a defender before finding the net via the keeper and the post. The former Cardiff man had taken less than three minutes of his first game in a Town shirt to score.
Chopra scuffed a shot through to Eindhoven sub keeper Brahim Zaari in the 52nd minute after good work from Josh Carson down the right, then on 56 Eindhoven sub Leon Kantelberg picked up the game’s first yellow card for a foul on the young Northern Irishman.
From the resultant freekick, Zaari palmed the ball away from Damien Delaney at the far post. Soon after, Aaron Cresswell took over from Mark Kennedy at left-back.
Jack Ainsley got his name in referee Bekebrede’s book for a foul, before Lee Bowyer made his first appearance in a Town shirt, replacing Grant Leadbitter in midfield.
Chopra shot over from the edge of the box on 71 with the Blues well on top of a half which was lacking fluency, probably due to the numerous substitutions from both sides. Moments later Cresswell was booked for a foul on sub Sherry Kindokamara.
Jelle Van Kruijssen headed wide for the home side two minutes later but the majority of the game was being played in the home half of the field, albeit without too many clear cut chances being created.
Jason Scotland went close to doubling Town’s lead in the 75th minute when he took the ball to the edge of the area before hammering a shot which flew only narrowly over the bar.
Two minutes later, Chopra did make it two. Healy found Martin in space on the left and the former Manchester United man cut the ball back to the edge of the six-yard box from where the Blues’ new striker slammed it back across the keeper and into the net.
On 84 Josemar Makiavala shot just over with Márton Fülöp still to make a save since taking over at the break. There was little further goalmouth action before Mr Bekebrede blew the final whistle.
As with most pre-season friendlies, it was difficult to tell too much from what was largely an exercise in getting fit and up to speed.
Chopra undeniably looked sharp up front and took both of his goals well, while Healy played one or two classy passes and Martin did well to get the ball back from the left for the second.
As for the other new signings, Ellington made one or two clever touches and Civelli might have done better with the former Wigan man’s early header, while Bowyer will benefit from the half hour having not started pre-season training until Sunday.
Town: Lee-Barrett (Fülöp 46), Ainsley, Kennedy (Cresswell 58), Smith, Delaney, Leadbitter (Bowyer 63), Peters (Carson 46), Drury (Healy 46), Ellington (Scotland 46), Priskin (Chopra 46), Civelli (Martin 46). Unused: Hyam, Hourihane.
FC Eindhoven: Swinkels (Zaari 46), Tahapary (Paridaans 61), Van der Rijt, Rossen, Bückle (Vanbelle 51), Van Son (Makiavala 76), Van Boekel (Waalkens 51), Lucius (Pennings 54); Koç (Kindokamara 61), Vansimpsen (Van Kruijssen 51), Bah (Kantelberg 51). Referee: R Bekebrede. Att: Not many.