Kick-Off Switch as Lita Set to Face Braintree - Ipswich Town News
This evening’s friendly away against Skrill Premier Braintree Town has switched to a 7.30pm kick-off with trialist Leroy Lita expected to be in action for the Blues. The game was originally advertised as starting at 7.45pm.
As reported earlier, 29-year-old Lita has joined the legion of trialists at Playford Road this week, following his release by Swansea at the end of last season.
Born in Kinshasa in what's now the Democratic Republic of Congo, Lita started with Chelsea's youth system but made his break into senior football with Bristol City, where he spent three years before joining Reading in 2005.
During four years at the Madejski Stadium the 5ft 9in tall striker spent spells on loan at Charlton and Norwich before joining Middlesbrough on a permanent basis in 2009.
He moved on to the Swans two years later but spent much of his time with the Welsh club out on loan at Birmingham, Sheffield Wednesday and Brighton.
The rest of this evening's side is likely to be made up of members of Mark Kennedy’s U21s squad and perhaps one or two other trialists.
Tonight’s game is a second testimonial for long-serving Iron Brad Quinton, who has been forced to retire after 546 appearances for the Essex club.
Town were last at Braintree for a friendly in the summer of 2012 when a goal from Nathan Ellington was the difference between the sides.
The Blues were also the opponents in Quinton's first testimonial back in 2008 when Dean Bowditch (pen) and Jordan Rhodes saw Town to a 2-0 victory.
Meanwhile, former Blue Garvan, who is also understood to be spending the week with the Blues, isn’t ruling out a return to Town and has confirmed he wants to leave Palace in order to play games. The Irish midfielder could feature at Colchester on Wednesday.
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