A strong Town U21 side comfortably beat their Colchester United counterparts 2-0 at Playford Road on Monday afternoon. Chris Wood and Cameron Stewart got the goals for Mark Kennedy's team.
Town included Stephen Hunt at left-back with Alex Henshall on the left and Stewart on the right side of Teddy Bishop and Kundai Benyu in midfield.
Dylan Connolly played in a support role behind Wood, who led the line on his own.
The visitors included Jack Marriott, currently on loan from Town, up front and former Blues youngster Byron Lawrence in midfield.
Wood opened the scoring on 21 with a good header back across keeper James Bransgrove after Henshall's cross from the left.
Town keeper Michael Crowe did well to prevent Marriott equalising with a close range effort moments later before Bransgrove denied Bishop from a quickly taken freekick as half time approached.
Marriott squandered another chance shortly after the restart when he volleyed wide following a quick break from the visitors.
Town then doubled their lead on 57 when Stewart broke away from Lawrence's challenge and fired the ball into the bottom left corner from 25 yards.
Stewart - who is still to make his league debut for the Blues - netted his strike in front of watching first team boss Mick McCarthy and his assistant Terry Connor.
Connolly could have added to Town's lead with two great chances from one-on-one situations but he was foiled by Bransgrove.
Hunt, who has been out with a hamstring injury, and recent loan signing Wood will have been pleased to get 90 minutes under their belts, while Connolly looked dangerous throughout and was more than willing to take on his opponent with the ball at his feet.
Stewart and Henshall both drifted in and out of the game but worked hard to get themselves into good positions. Benyu and Bishop both did well and controlled the majority of the game from central midfield.
Trialist Reiss Greenidge was comfortable at centre-back but was rarely troubled with Town controlling large parts of the game.
U21s: Crowe, Hammond, Hunt, Bishop, Greenidge, Clarke, Stewart, Benyu (Guldbrandsen 77), Wood, Connolly (Patterson 81), Henshall (McQueen 83). Unused: McDermid, Wyatt.
Photo: ITFC