Leon Best netted his third goal in three U23s games as Gerard Nash’s side thrashed Leeds 4-0 at Portman Road. Best added the second after the break, sub Ben Morris - who had replaced the injured Luke Varney - having put the Blues in front in the first half, Josh Emmanuel scored a third soon after Best’s goal before Morris netted his second of the game to complete the scoring.
Strike pair Best and Varney and keeper Dean Gerken all started with Andre Dozzell also in an XI which lined-up in the same 4-4-1-1 system employed by the first team on Saturday.
The visitors, backed by a small but noisy travelling army, started the stronger and in the fifth minute Jack Vann was prevented from getting in a clear header from a corner by Paul Digby, again lining up in the centre of midfield.
On nine Mallik Wilks should have put the Whites in front but blazed over after Jack McKay had knocked down Tom Pearce’s left-wing cross.
The Blues began to get into the game and on 20 Andre Dozzell almost found Best with a clever through ball but a defender’s toe intervened. A minute later James Blanchfield was booked for a late tackle on Billy Whitehouse.
In the 25th minute Varney was replaced by Morris having picked up an injury. No problem was obviously evident, although the one-time Leeds frontman, who went straight down the tunnel, had stretched for an overhit cross from the right moments earlier.
Five minutes after coming on sub Morris put the Blues in front. Best used his strength to hold off a number of Leeds players before threading in the England U18 international who confidently placed the ball past the advancing keeper and into the net for his second U23s goal of the season.
The visitors weren’t far away from getting on terms in the 34th minute when Ewan Mulhern burst through a crowd of players on the right before cutting in and hitting a shot with the outside of his right boot beyond the far post.
The scoreline remained the same at the break with the Blues perhaps fortunate to be in front having scored with their only real chance, the visitors having had the better of the opportunities.
Other than creating the goal Best had been largely a peripheral figure, while Varney had been unable to make much of an impression before being replaced.
Leeds continued to look the more dangerous side in the opening 10 minutes of the second half and Town manager Mick McCarthy made his way to the front of the directors’ box to offer some instruction to U23s coach Gerard Nash.
Blanchfield, booked early on and having been spoken to by the referee after a subsequent transgression, was replaced by Kundai Benyu on 63.
Best was coming more into the game, playing Emmanuel in on the right in the 65th minute after exchanging a one-two with Dozzell, then two minutes later he doubled Town’s lead.
The Irish international dispossessed Vann midway inside the Leeds half on the Town left and brought the ball in on goal. Whites keeper Bailey Peacock-Farrell pawed down Best’s initial chip but the ball fell back to the striker, who volleyed home his third goal for the U23s.
Good 4-0 win against Leeds and happy to score 2 🔵⚽︖ Ben Morris (@BenMorris99) September 19, 2016
Two minutes later it was 3-0. Emmanuel picked up a half-cleared ball on the right, made a couple of step-overs before hitting a shot which deflected past Peacock-Farrell.
While the teams lined up Best, who had been more influential in period up to the goal and will have benefited from getting 70 minutes under his belt as he works towards full fitness, was withdrawn having created one and scored one. Monty Patterson took over.
By the final 10 minutes Leeds were very much looking like a beaten side and with five minutes left on the clock Morris made it 4-0, robbing Mike Taylor on the left of the area and again very confidently beating Peacock-Farrell.
Patterson was booked for pulling back a Leeds player as the visitors broke in the closing stages and Dozzell cut in from the right before seeing his shot blocked, before the referee blew his final whistle.
Despite having taken the lead in a first half, the Blues didn’t really get on top until the period just prior to Best scoring the second goal.
Emmanuel’s third a couple of minutes later sealed the U23s’ second win of the season and Morris’s second goal of the game added some gloss.
U23s: Gerken, Emmanuel, Kenlock, Digby, Fowler, C Smith, Blanchfield (Benyu 63), Dozzell, Best (Patterson 70), Varney (Morris 25), McLoughlin. Unused: Crowe, Webber.
Leeds: Peacock-Farrell, Whitehouse, Vann, M Taylor, Pearce, Oduor, Shaughnessy, Stokes, J McKay, Mulhern, Wilks. Subs: Huffer, Shackleton, Vieira, Haidara, Wollerton.