Town and West Ham remain locked at 0-0 after an entertaining first half at Portman Road. Jack Marriott went closest for the Blues, while ex-Blue Aaron Cresswell hit the bar for the visitors.
Summer signings Cameron Stewart and Alex Henshall were in Town’s first-half XI, while first-year pro Ted Bishop made his first start for the senior side and second-year scholar Matt Clarke, 17, was at the heart of the defence.
Striker Frank Nouble was up against his old club, while Cresswell made a quick return to Portman Road having joined the Hammers from the Blues earlier in the month. Former Town loanee Mark Noble also started for the visitors.
The Hammers created the game’s first opening in the fifth minute, left winger Matt Jarvis was found in acres of space and sent in a cross which Cheikhou Kouyate nodded over at the far post.
West Ham continued to threaten and in the seventh minute Cresswell’s long ball found Carlton Cole, who teed-up Jarvis on the edge of the box but the midfielder, who played for Mick McCarthy at Wolves, blazed over.
Town’s first chance came in the 10th minute, Jack Marriott picking up a loose ball midway inside the Hammers half but scuffing his 20-yard effort wide.
But the visitors were still having the best of it and in the 12th minute Stewart Downing hit a left-foot shot from 25 yards just over Dean Gerken’s crossbar.
Two minutes later, returning former Blue Cresswell came close to a goal when a cross from the edge of the area took a deflection, left Gerken flat-footed but struck the top of the bar.
The Blues broke immediately, Nouble sending Henshall away down the left. The summer signing from Manchester City crossed towards Marriott, but the ball was nodded away ahead of the frontman.
Town should have gone in front in the 20th minute when Tyrone Mings cut the ball back from the left to an unmarked Cameron Stewart, who hit his shot straight at Nouble.
Stewart might have done better two minutes later when found by Marriott as he broke into the area but his first touch was too heavy.
Improving Town were inches from going in front in the 26th minute when Marriott burst past James Collins and into the area on the right. The 19-year-old hit a low cross-shot just beyond the post and ahead of the diving Nouble.
Three minutes later, only a last-ditch Elliott Hewitt challenge diverted Mo Diame’s shot after Noble had found him with a cross from the left.
West Ham were by now again looking the more threatening side and on 34 Mings did well to get in ahead of Cole after Cresswell had sent in a teasing ball from the left, then following the resultant corner Noble curled an effort narrowly wide.
Two minutes before the break Jarvis was again found in space on the West Ham left but scraped a weak shot straight at Gerken. Just before the whistle, Diame hit a 20-yard strike which deflected wide.
The only surprise at half-time was that neither side had managed to break the deadlock given the number of chances at both ends.
Jack Marriott, a threat throughout, will feel he should have done better with his chance as will Cameron Stewart.
Unsurprisingly, Premier League West Ham had most of the better chances but without Gerken having been forced into a serious save.
As at Shelbourne on Saturday, Mick McCarthy is set to field an entirely different XI in the second half.
Town first half: Gerken, Hewitt, Berra, Clarke, Mings, Stewart, Skuse, Bishop, Henshall, Marriott, Nouble.
Town Second half: Bialkowski, Parr, Chambers, Smith, Wyatt, Anderson, Hyam, Veseli, Tabb, Murphy, Taylor. Subs: McQueen, Lawrence, Crowe.
West Ham first half: Jaaskelainen, Demel, Collins, Tomkins, Cresswell, Kouyate, Noble, Diame, Jarvis, Cole, Downing. Referee: Darren Deadman.
Photo: Ian Summers