Stephen Hunt's second-half freekick saw Town's U21s to a 1-1 draw with Sheffield Wednesday at Portman Road on Monday evening.
Free agents Jack Collison and Darren Ambrose started alongside Hunt, Bartosz Bialkowski and Tyrone Mings, a Crystal Palace target earlier in the day.
Manager Mick McCarthy was present to run the rule over Collison and Ambrose, while Hunt continued his comeback after his calf injury.
Youngster Darren McQueen should have hit the target early on but dragged his left-foot shot wide, while visiting keeper Joe Wildsmith parried Alex Henshall's drive to safety later in the first half.
Town keeper Bialkowski was forced into a good save down low to keep Rafa Floro's dangerous freekick out, a save made tricky by the driving rain that engulfed Portman Road during the opening period.
Hunt struck shortly before the hour mark with a fierce left-footed effort after Ambrose had tapped a freekick to him, but Wednesday equalised five minutes later when Mani Dieseruvwe cut in and his shot deflected off Matt Clarke and wrong-footed the stranded Bialkowski.
Town - who lost Mings to a knee injury 14 minutes from the end - continued to press for a winner but a draw was probably a fair result.
Ambrose saw more of the ball than Collison, and although both would have been happy to get valuable match time, they played the full 90 minutes, neither really stood out against a very youthful Owls side.
McQueen's pace in attack was a constant threat, as were Henshall's runs at the Wednesday defence.
U21s: Bialkowski, Robinson, Mings (Kenlock 76), Collison, Sowunmi (Willbye 81), Clarke, Hunt, Ambrose, McQueen, Patterson (McLoughlin 81), Henshall. Unused: Marsden, Galvin.
Sheffield Wednesday: Wildsmith, Young, Floro, Beatson, De Havilland, Sanders, Stobbs, Meadows, Dieseruvwe, Croasdale, Betra. Subs: Tracy, McDonagh, Foster, Law, O'Grady.