Goals from Monty Patterson, back after seven months out injured, Myles Kenlock, Conor McKendry and schoolboy striker Charlie Brown saw Town’s U21s to a 4-2 victory over Crewe Alexandra at Playford Road this afternoon.
The Blues’ side included no senior players with many of them at the club’s golf day along with manager Mick McCarthy and assistant Terry Connor.
The Town boss had hinted that David McGoldrick would continue his comeback from his hamstring injury by playing in today’s game but instead opted to leave the striker out, perhaps as he may be more likely to be involved in the 18 at Wolves on Saturday with Daryl Murphy having picked up a calf injury while away with Ireland.
There was no suggestion that the striker, who played the full 90 minutes for the U21s against his former club Nottingham Forest last week, had suffered a fitness setback.
In windy conditions, the Blues went close in the fifth minute when McKendry fed Shane McLoughlin, whose shot from an angle on the right was blocked. Following a scramble which came from the resultant corner, Northern Ireland U17 international McKendry shot wide.
The visitors, however, made the brighter start with George Cooper forcing a save from Blues keeper Jacob Marsden in the eighth minute.
Cooper then shot powerfully wide, before Marsden saved another of his strikes, this time from wide on the left, the keeper receiving a kick from the subsequently apologetic Daniel Udoh as he claimed the loose ball.
On 12 Patterson, who had been out of action since suffering a serious ankle injury at Leeds in August, seized on an error at the back and found McLoughlin but Alex keeper David Richards came off his line quickly to divert the ball wide.
A minute later Irish U18s international McLoughlin hooked over from close range after the ball had fallen to him following a corner.
But Town didn’t have to wait too much longer before going in front. On the quarter hour Kenlock brought the ball forward before playing in returning New Zealand U20 and U23 international Patterson, who netted off the keeper’s hand.
McLoughlin’s clever flick almost played in Patterson on 29, then three minutes later the Blues added to their lead.
After a long spell of Town pressure, Josh Emmanuel’s cross from the right found Kenlock deep on the left of the area and the full-back smashed a shot through a crowd of players and into the net.
Five minutes before the break Kundai Benyu, playing only his second U21s game after four months out with a knee injury, shot over.
The Blues made it 3-0 a minute into the second half with the goal of the game. James Blanchfield lifted a ball into the box from midway inside the Crewe half on the left and McKendry superbly hooked past the keeper and into the roof of the net on the volley.
The Railwaymen gradually began to get more into the game and just before the hour Jamie Morgan cut in from the right and found space but his shot was blocked.
Patterson, who will be pleased with his comeback performance and goal, was replaced by Felixstowe Academy schoolboy Charlie Brown in the 63rd minute to applause from his team-mates and club staff on the sidelines. Six minutes later, Flynn Downes took over from Benyu, who looked to have suffered a knock.
Buzzing to have scored on my first game back after 7 months out 👊ðŸ¼âš½ï¸– Monty Patterson (@PattersonMonty) March 30, 2016
Crewe pulled a goal back in the 76th minute when the ball ricocheted into the net off Udoh from close range after Marsden had saved the striker’s initial effort.
Two minutes later, Alex keeper Richards quickly came off his line to clear ahead of McLoughlin as the Irishman chased a wind-assisted Marsden kick down field.
Crewe had had the better of the second half and with 10 minutes remaining they pulled back a second goal, sub Liam O’Neill running on to Udoh’s flick before beating Marsden.
Ronaldo Jones took over from McKendry for what was looking like a nervous last eight minutes for the young Blues.
Cooper sent a dangerous ball from the left across the face of the Town goal, but on 85 sub Brown sealed the three points for Mark Kennedy’s men when he netted Town's fourth.
The schoolboy beat the Crewe offside trap and chased Emmanuel’s ball over the top before slotting past the advancing keeper with great confidence.
The visitors protested at length regarding the lack of a flag and, after sub Jones had seen a strike blocked after more good work down the right from Emmanuel, deep into injury time the referee showed Perry Ng a straight red card for dissent.
There was still time for McLoughlin to see a shot blocked by what looked suspiciously like a Crewe hand and Cooper to get his name added to the referee’s book for further dissent.
A deserved victory for the young Blues, who were well on top until midway through the second half when Crewe staged a comeback, Town perhaps suffering from Benyu and Patterson having made way.
All four of the goalscorers will have been delighted with their goals for different reasons, Kenlock and McKendry simply with their brilliant strikes, Brown with his first for the U21s but perhaps Patterson more than the rest given his lengthy spell out injured.
U21s: Marsden, Emmanuel, Kenlock, McDonnell, Fowler, C Smith, Blanchfield, Benyu (Downes 69), Patterson (Brown 63), McLoughlin, McKendry (Jones 82). Unused: Hayes, Cole.