Ipswich Town U16s fell to a 3-0 defeat to Norwich City in the first staging of the revived Hospital Cup at Portman Road this evening. Glenn Middleton opened the scoring on 10 before Benny Ashley-Seal netted a goal in either half to seal the Canaries’ victory.
Norwich started strongly and came close to pulling in front, but Nick Hayes was alert enough to push Callum Ellesley’s header away from danger following a corner.
Bu the Canaries early pressure paid off, and they went ahead in the 10th minute after Middleton beat Tristan Nydam and delivered a cross into the box.
The ball reached a Norwich player who scuffed his shot back across goal for Middleton to tap in from what looked like an offside position at the back-post.
Hayes, who spent the early part of this week at an England goalkeepers camp at St George’s Park, in the Ipswich goal was called upon again to come out and push away a long ball that was being chased by Ashley-Seal.
The Blues grew into the game and came close to drawing level when Flynn Downes crossed to Ben Morris in the box, but the striker’s shot being diverted wide of the right post by an excellent challenge.
Despite some encouraging attacks Ipswich conceded again in the 23rd minute. Norwich broke away from an Ipswich corner and the ball came to Ashley-Seal in the box, who turned his man before firing a left-footed shot into the bottom left corner of the goal.
Ross Meldrum came close to pulling a goal back for Blues, but his long-ranged effort flashed past Fergal Hale-Brown’s left post.
Ipswich continued to threaten and almost pulled a goal back when Andre Dozzell’s freekick was pushed back into the box, however, no one in a blue shirt could take advantage of the melee that followed.
Norwich midfielder Devante Aransibia almost extended the visitors’ lead further, but Luke Woolfenden cleared the ball off of the line to prevent a third Canaries goal.
The young Blues had one last opportunity just before the end of the half, but Hale-Brown got down well to push Connor McKendry’s effort from outside the box round the post.
Ipswich started the second half brightly and almost halved the score line through Morris after substitute Callum Fullwood played him through on goal with a well-measured pass.
The striker made a powerful run into the box whilst holding off his marker, but the resulting shot went wide of the left post.
Ashley-Seal continued to impress and scored his second of the game five minutes into the second half, applying a cool finish to cap off another Canaries counter-attack.
Chances were few and far between in the remainder of the period with Ipswich creating their first opportunity of the half in the 78th minute when Charlie Brown crossed for Fullwood, but the ball was just to high for the striker to make a decent connection.
Town U16s: Hayes (Wright 46), Colclough, Nydam, Downes, Cathline, Woolfenden, McKendry (Hanson 46), Dozzell (McKendry 80), Morris (Muamba 75), Muamba (Fullwood 27), Meldrum (Brown 55). Unused: Hanson, Murrell, Lankester.
Norwich City: Hale-Brown (Dickerson, Sambu, Syme, Pollock, Wallis, Ellesley (Odusina 69), Da Costa (Fleming 76), Aransibia (Payne 69), Ashley-Seal (Dodden 81), McIntosh, Middleton (Da Costa 84). Attendance: 1,091.