Teddy Bishop, Alex Henshall and Cameron Stewart were on target as Town’s U21s beat Brentford 3-2 in a tight game at a cold Playford Road this afternoon.
The kick-off was delayed by a quarter of an hour after Brentford had arrived late having been caught in traffic on the M25.
The Blues threatened first in the seventh minute, Henshall crossing from the left but Darren McQueen couldn’t add the final touch.
On 12 Balint Bajner sent over a dangerous cross from the right which was headed behind at the far post and from the resultant corner the Blues went in front.
Henshall played the ball low to Bishop a few yards outside the penalty area and the midfielder struck a low half-volley which found the net off the inside of Brentford keeper Richard Lee’s right post.
Town went close again in the 17th minute when first-year scholar Kundai Benyu forced Lee to parry his effort from distance.
Five minutes later, Henshall hit a cross-shot which Lee tipped over with the Blues continuing to have much the better of it.
There was a scare for Lee moments later when he slipped as James Tarkowski played the ball back to him but recovered to avoid an embarrassing own goal.
On the half hour, Stewart seized on a defensive error and brought the ball in from the right before hitting a shot which Lee did well to save.
As the half moved into its final 15 minutes the Bees began to threaten, Montell Moore taking the ball into the area past a number of defenders before hitting a shot which Gerken did well to save.
And on 32 the visitors got back on terms. Following a corner on the left, Moore played the ball into the area to Louis Hutton who was in space and fired home off the bar from 10 yards.
The Bees were the stronger side in the remaining minutes of the half and continued where they had left off after the restart.
Jermaine Udumaga shot high and wide, then central defender Tarkowski made a superb run through a number of challenges and into the area before scooping his shot well over.
Udumaga saw another effort blocked by Sean St Ledger in the 52nd minute, then shortly afterwards Raphael Calvert headed wide from a corner.
Brentford finally grabbed the goal which they had been threatening to score on the hour mark. Calvert crossed from the right and Tyrell Miller Rodney flicked a header past Dean Gerken from close range. The keeper might feel he could have come for the cross.
Bishop came close to his second goal of the game a minute later when he dribbled his way past a number of Bees defenders on the right before hitting a low shot across Lee, which the keeper did well to save.
Three minutes later, the Blues restored parity. Stewart played the ball out to Henshall, who was by now operating on the right. The former Manchester City winger whipped over what looked to be a cross which looped over keeper Lee and struck the post before hitting the net.
Town, who had been very much second best since the break, found themselves in front in the 67th minute when Bajner sent sub Monty Patterson away down the right. The New Zealand U20 international cut the ball across behind another sub Victor Guldbrandsen but Stewart was at the far post to tap home.
Moore shot wide for the Bees, then on 82 Bajner should have made it 4-2 when the ball was gifted to him on the edge of the box but the Hungarian chipped wide with Lee out of his ground.
Brentford sub Tony Guppy forced a late sharp save from Gerken when Matt Clarke’s header landed at his feet a few yards out but Mark Kennedy’s men were not to be denied victory.
Overall, there wasn’t much in a keenly contested game with the Blues’ second-half goals having come against the run of play, Town having had the edge for most of the opening period.
Bishop, whose well-taken goal was the game’s highlight, and Stewart, who will be relieved not to have picked up yet another injury, both impressed when Town were going forward, while St Ledger had a largely untroubled game at the back.
Youngsters Clarke and Benyu again caught the eye with manager Mick McCarthy and his assistant Terry Connor amongst those watching from the touchline.
U21s: Gerken, Emmanuel, Wyatt, Bishop (Patterson 65), St Ledger, Clarke, Stewart, Benyu, McQueen (Guldbrandsen 58), Bajner, Henshall. Unused: Crowe, Robinson, Galvin.