The Blues' U18s comfortably won their annual friendly against Southwold Town on the Common 7-0 on Friday evening. Josh Fagbohan, George Clarke, Jack Willbye (pictured), Cemal Ramadan (2), Omar Sowunmi and Shane McLoughlin scoring the goals.
Josh Fagbohan, a trialist from Chelmsford City, opened the scoring after just three minutes with a good left-foot finish after finding himself one-on-one with keeper Daniel Ripkin.
Ripkin did well to tip Jack Willbye's drive over the bar before Fagbohan hit the ball across the face of goal and wide from a good position.
George Clarke, a scholar with Needham’s academy who is spending pre-season with the Blues, doubled Town's lead on 26 when he beat the offside trap before coolly slotting home.
Ripkin again did well to beat away Amon Walton Owen's effort and Teddy Bishop's follow-up volley, before Bishop was again denied by the keeper following a mazy run on the left.
Town were awarded a penalty on 42 when Callum Palmer was adjudged to have felled Fagbohan inside the box. He took the spot kick himself, but dragged his effort wide of the post.
Two minutes later Willbye added the third when he cut in from the right following a short corner routine and hit a low shot into the net.
Both sides made a number of changes at half-time, with one of Town's subs, Cemal Ramadan, squandering two good chances with ten minutes of the restart.
Sub keeper Lee Wells produced a good save to deny Ed Ellis, shortly before Jonathan Smith's effort was saved and Ramadan volleyed in the rebound.
On 74 Omar Sowunmi was through on goal but elected to set up Smith who placed the ball in the empty net, only to see the offside flag had been raised against him.
Ellis lifted over from inside the six-yard box following Ramadan's cross, prior to the latter finding himself in acres of space and slotting the ball into the net via a post.
With three minutes remaining the ball was squared from the left and Sowunmi added his name to the scoresheet with a sliding finish at the back post.
There was still time for Town to grab a seventh as Shane McLoughlin headed home from close range.
Overall, it was a comfortable win for Town's youngsters in front of a large crowd. Fagbohan and Ramadan should probably have scored a few more each, but Bishop and Willbye were creating plenty of chances from midfield.
U18s: McDermid (Marsden 46), Emmanuel (Sowunmi 46), Walton Owen (M Clarke 60), Robinson (Fowler 46), Phipps (Robinson 60), Thompson (Trialist 60), Willbye (Trialist 60), Bishop (McLoughlin 46), G Clarke (Smith 46), Fagbohan (Ramadan 46), M Clarke (Ellis 46).
Report: James Ager