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U21s Lose at Millwall - Ipswich Town News

Goals from Niall McManus, Jack Powell and Charlie Penny saw Millwall’s U21s to a 3-0 victory over their Town counterparts at the Den this afternoon.

Trialist Dan Sweeney started in central midfield for Mark Kennedy’s side, the 19-year-old Kingstonian player having spent last week training with the Blues. After playing for his current club at the weekend, he is back at Playford Road again this week.

The former AFC Wimbledon man was watched by Sky Sports commentator Martin Tyler, a coach with Kingstonian, who play in the Ryman League Premier Division, while senior squad members Scott Loach, Frederic Veseli, Tyrone Mings, Anthony Wordsworth and Frank Nouble were also included from the start.

Town found themselves two goals down at the break via two strikes from outside the box.

On 22 Niall McManus beat Loach with a flashing right foot drive, then in the 34th minute Jack Powell added the second with a fine 25-yard freekick.

The home side went three up in the 83rd minute when Penny nipped past Blues centre-half Omar Sowunmi and latched on to a long punt. He showed fine first time control and before finishing past Loach.

It was an uninspiring Town performance with nobody particularly impressing and they were defeated by three decent Millwall goals.

Ex-Blues loan keeper Stephen Bywater didn't have a save to make as Town's three chances from Wordsworth in the first half and Nouble and Jack Marriott in the second were blazed high, wide and handsome.

Trialist Sweeney played the full 90 minutes in central midfield and although fairly neat and tidy did little of note.

Left-back Mings, playing his second U21 match after two months out with a knee injury, got through the game but looked understandably rusty.

The U21s have now lost this season's first four Professional Development League Two matches.

U21s: Loach, Veseli, Mings, Sweeney, Sowunmi, October, Doherty (Timlin 72), Wordsworth, Marriott, Nouble, Adekunle. Unused: Crowe, Berkane, M Clarke, Winter.

Millwall: Bywater, Connolly, Lowry, Powell, De Havilland, Bender, McManus, Onyedinma (Philpott 85), Morison, O'Brien (Thompson 73), Penny. Unused: Siafa, Gerrer, Nelson.

Thanks to MaySixth for the report

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