Jonny Williams played the first 45 minutes as Town's U23s were comfortably beaten 3-0 by Liverpool at Portman Road on Sunday afternoon in their first Premier League Cup game of the season with Danny Ings scoring all three goals for the visitors.
In addition to Williams, Town fielded trialist Jordan Spence at right-back, with Paul Digby, Andre Dozzell and Conor Grant also in the starting XI.
The former Burnley striker opened the scoring for the Reds after just four minutes when he turned in the box and fired the ball across Michael Crowe and into the far bottom corner of the net.
Harry Wilson's trickery on the right as the half-hour approached resulted in Ings lobbing the ball over Crowe, but the ball rebounded off the bar. Trent Alexander-Arnold's follow-up header was somehow cleared off the line by George Fowler.
The dangerous Wilson forced Crowe to make a good block at his near post, before Williams had Town's first meaningful effort three minutes before the interval. The diminutive Welshman hit a low effort from 25 yards which was pushed round a post by Caoimhin Kelleher in the visitors' goal.
There was still time for Pedro Chirvella to test Crowe with a swerving drive from long range, which the Town stopper did well to parry away from danger.
Williams was on the receiving end of numerous fouls during the opening period and he was replaced by Kundai Benyu at the break, with Town fans hoping it was a pre-planned change as opposed to another potential injury.
On Thursday, Town boss Mick McCarthy said he was planning to organise an U23s friendly for midweek in which he hoped Williams would also play.
Ten minutes after the restart Dozzell burst forward and teed up Shane McLoughlin, but Kelleher was equal to the Irishman's effort and got down well to push the ball away for a corner.
At the other end Crowe made another impressive save when he blocked Ovie Ejaria's close range effort at the back post.
On 78 Ings grabbed his second with a good finish from close range, shortly before sub Cameron Brannagan crashed an effort off Crowe's near post.
With a minute of normal time remaining, one-time England cap Ings completed his hat-trick with another cool finish following Ejaria's switch of play.
Town struggled to create many clear-cut chances with Mamadou Sakho looking comfortable at the back for the Reds.
Crowe kept the Blues in the game with a number of good saves, although trialist right-back Spence held his own against a dangerous Liverpool outfit and will be hoping to be rewarded with some sort of contract offer from watching first-team boss Mick McCarthy.
Ings's quality in front of goal was clear for all to see though and Town can have few complaints with the final scoreline.
U23s: Crowe, Spence, Kenlock, C Smith, Fowler, Digby, Dozzell, Grant, Morris (Folami 89), McLoughlin, Williams (Benyu 46). Unused: Woolfenden, Wright, Blanchfield. Att: 1,330.