Leon Best and Shane McLoughlin (pictured) were on target as Town's U23s defeated Millwall 2-1 at Playford Road this afternoon, their first win of the season. Best, who made way at half-time having suffered an ankle knock, netted just before the break with his replacement McLoughlin adding the second on 74 before Noel Leighton pulled one back for the Lions with 11 minutes remaining.
Best was one of a number of senior players starting for Gerard Nash’s side with Teddy Bishop, Luke Varney and Conor Grant, who had recovered from his groin injury, all in the XI.
Paul Digby lined-up in a holding midfield role rather than the central defensive position he has usually occupied since joining Town.
Varney had the ball in the net in the sixth minute after Adam McDonnell - named in the starting line-up as a late replacement for Kundai Benyu who has an ankle injury - crossed from the left but the linesman’s flag had gone up some moments beforehand.
The visitors first threatened on eight when striker Harry Smith’s looping effort was nodded off the line by Blues centre-half Chris Smith.
Best should have put the Blues in front in the 13th minute when keeper Jacob Marsden’s long kick evaded the Millwall backline and put the striker through on goal. The Irish international slipped the ball past keeper Tim Brown but scuffed his effort and the Lions were able to clear.
Despite that opportunity, the visitors had had the better of the first third of the game but without seriously threatening, although Eze Ebuzorme shot just over from distance on 28.
A minute later, Best was sent through one-on-one with Brown again, this time a fortunate ricochet deflecting him through, but the keeper stood his ground and blocked.
On 34 Varney headed a Grant freekick from the right wide, then three minutes later Blues striker Best underwent treatment after hurting his ankle in a challenge.
In the 40th minute Marsden did well to tip Lewis White’s shot from a tight angle on the right over the bar, then a minute later, after initially failing to claim Kyron Farrell cross from the left, the Town keeper did well to block a subsequent effort as the Lions sought to profit.
Play quickly moved to the other end of the field and the Blues took the lead. Grant found Best on the right of the area and the 29-year-old striker held off his man before smashing a powerful low drive between Brown and his near post to claim his second goal for the U23s.
The striker almost created another goal right on the stroke of half-time, crossing from the right to Varney, whose overhead kick flew only just wide of Brown’s left post.
Best was clearly still being hampered by his injury, although it didn’t appear to be anything too serious, and at half-time he was replaced by McLoughlin.
Despite their lead the Blues hadn’t particularly shone in the first half, despite fielding a much more experienced XI.
However, they looked a better proposition in the second period and in the 50th minute Bishop did well to play in Varney to his right and the former Crewe and Derby man hit a low effort which Brown claimed.
A minute later, Grant mis-hit a volley through to the keeper, then Bishop saw a cross deflect over.
Just after the hour Lions defender Dan McNamara was yellow-carded for a somewhat cynical trip on Bishop as the midfielder broke forwards.
On 63 McDonnell fouled McNamara on the edge of the Town box and joined the Millwall man in referee Neil West’s book, although the Blues midfielder was adamant he had won the ball.
The freekick was wasted but the visitors went much nearer with a subsequent set piece on 66. Kyren Mundle-Smith’s freekick struck the Town wall and wrong-footed Marsden, who was grateful to see the ball hit his left post and bounce to safety.
The Blues increased their lead in the 74th minute when Digby drilled a cross from deep on the left and found McLoughlin, who took the ball down with a deft first touch and then smashed home. Moments later, James Blanchfield and Monty Patterson replaced Grant and Varney.
With 11 minutes remaining Millwall pulled a goal back. Marsden did well to tip onto the bar from Mundle-Smith but the ball fell to Leighton, whose follow-up struck the underside of the woodwork and was adjudged to have crossed the line.
The visitors pushed for an equaliser in the remaining minutes and came closest when Marsden somehow managed to paw 6ft 5in tall former Folkestone striker Smith’s header off the line.
Mundle-Smith shot wide from the left of the area with four minutes left, then in injury time, after Digby had been booked for a foul, Farrell blasted a freekick from just outside the box over.
Town deserved their first win of the season on the balance of the second half, although they might have been more than a goal in front at half-time had Best taken his two other chances. The goal he did score, however, was finished clinically.
Was just taken off as a precautionary measure, will review again tomorrow but hoping he will be fine #itfc https://t.co/J74FhRq7tL
— Ipswich Town FC (@Official_ITFC) September 5, 2016
Whether his injury will keep him out of Friday’s first-team game at Reading remains to be seen, but the former Rotherham and Newcastle frontman would have been an unlikely starter in any case given his lack of match fitness and with Brett Pitman having impressed in the 1-0 victory over Preston last time out.
Bishop will be pleased to get a full 90 minutes under his belt and, along with Grant, made more of an impact after the break.
U23s: Marsden, Emmanuel, Digby, C Smith, Fowler, Webber, McDonnell, Grant (Blanchfield 75), Varney (Patterson 76), Bishop, Best (McLoughlin 46). Subs: Wright.