Town's penultimate pre-season friendly at Southend remains 0-0 at the break.
Bartosz Bialkowski started in goal with skipper Luke Chambers at right-back, Tyrone Mings on the left and Tommy Smith and Christophe Berra at the heart of the defence.
In central midfield, Cole Skuse partnered Luke Hyam with Jay Tabb back from his minor niggle on the left and Paul Anderson on the right. Frank Nouble and Daryl Murphy began the game up front.
Returning striker David McGoldrick was named on the bench, while trialists Balint Bajner and Kevin Bru were also amongst the subs. Southend, who play QPR tomorrow, included eight trialists in their squad.
Shrimpers legend Freddie Eastwood took the kick-off, having left the club over the summer with his retirement due to ongoing knee problems likely but made way soon afterwards.
Nouble struck the game’s first serious shot in the sixth minute from just inside the box but Southend keeper Paul Smith blocked.
Chances were rare after that with neither side able to carve out a significant opportunity with the ball appearing to get caught in the less than closely cut surface. All too many final balls were under or over-hit at both ends, although Town had the greater share of the ball.
On 25 Kevan Hurst crossed from the Southend right and Lee Barnard flicked a header just over the bar.
A promising 38th minute Town move down the left involving Murphy and Mings ended with a Nouble shot hitting a defender, then soon after Skuse mis-hit a volley wide.
There was a scare for the home side just before the break when keeper Paul Smith hammered a clearance against Nouble but the ball rebounded straight into his arms.
Soon after referee Pat Miller brought a less than inspiring half to an end with neither side particularly looking like breaking the deadlock.
Town had had more of the ball but had threatened only very occasionally, Nouble’s early low shot and late inadvertent effort the best of the chances.
The Blues are set to make the usual numerous substitutions with McGoldrick expected to come on around the 70-minute mark and trialists Bajner and Bru also set to be involved.
Town: Bialkowski, Chambers (c), MIngs, Hyam, Smith, Berra, Anderson, Skuse, Murphy, Nouble,, Tabb. Subs: Gerken, Hewitt, Parr, Clarke, Wordsworth, Bajner, Stewart, Henshall, Taylor, Marriott, Bishop, McGoldrick, Bru.