Joe Garner continued his fine pre-season form with a brace as Ipswich Town beat Peterborough United 3-1 in an epic four-quarter encounter.
Town quickly recovered from going behind to old boy Jack Marriott to impose their upper league pedigree at the ABAX Stadium.
David McGoldrick grabbed an equaliser before Garner grabbed two more — his fifth in three friendlies — as he finished decisively following mistakes in the home defence.
An impressive Town following got their first glimpse of new signings Bersant Celina and Dominic Iorfa during the 120-minute match although Bartosz Bialkowski was a surprise and late omission — after falling ill today.
Ipswich zipped the ball around early on but it was Peterborough who had the first shot at goal after Michael Doughty closed down Flynn Downes but Junior Morias’s 20-yard shot was too close to Dean Gerken.
In the 15th minute, Peterborough took the lead from a familiar source to Ipswich fans.
Gwion Edwards’s low cross was devilishly whipped across Gerken’s goal and Jack Marriott slid in to open the scoring against his old employers.
It could — and probably should — have been two in the 20th minute when Luke Chambers was guilty of spurning possession but the pacy Morias’s run into the area failed to materialise into a shot for either him or Marriott.
GOALS | Joe Garner grabbed a double as Town defeated Peterborough United 3-1 at the ABAX Stadium this evening #itfc pic.twitter.com/hZehTWxM4V– Ipswich Town FC (@Official_ITFC) July 18, 2017
It was slightly harsh on the hosts that they conceded an equaliser in the 23rd minute — though the footwork shown by Jordan Spence on the right-hand side deserved the eventual finish, McGoldrick turning in Joe Garner’s low cross-shot.
The first 30 minutes ended with a quick water break and a changing of ends before play resumed in the four-quarter match.
Two minutes into the second quarter, Ipswich went within a whisker of taking the lead when Bersant Celina, making his first start in the friendlies, rolled the ball across to Downes who teed up Kevin Bru to curl a decent effort just over Jonathan Bond’s goal.
Ipswich were looking more of a threat in the final third and the onrushing Danny Rowe chipped a ball just beyond both McGoldrick and the far post after the winger was released by Garner’s header.
Town were on top but Marriott came within a whisker of doubling his tally, and restoring Posh’s lead, when he cut in from the left and released a right footed drive that whistled past the far post.
The third goal duly arrived, and for Ipswich, in the 41st minute when Rowe’s corner was powerfully met by the unmarked Garner who comfortably headed home to make It 2-1.
The two frontmen almost linked up with a third after Garner’s powerful first-time cross was headed over by the stretching McGoldrick.
Ipswich did make it 3-1 in the 47th minute when a horrendous clearance from Bond fell to the feet of Celina who opted to pass to Garner rather than shooting.
Garner returned the favour inside the area but Celina opted to give the final back to Garner for a tap-in following the quick interchange of passing.
An entertaining second quarter ended with Morais’s close range overhead being held by Gerken before Marriott glanced a header wide of the far post — before both frontmen went agonisingly close to reducing the arrears for the hosts.
A perfectly executed through ball from Danny Lloyd released Morias who was denied by a brilliant save by Gerken before Marriott fired the rebound goalwards but Spence did superbly to block on the line.
At the other end, Celina got the better of Chris Forrester but this time he opted to shoot, rather than feed McGoldrick, and his angled shot was pushed wide by Bond.
The end of the second quarter, or half time depending on your persuasion, saw both sides change all 11 players with Town fans getting their first look at Dominic Iorfa.
The extended break in play predictably resulted in a slower start with the likes of Grant Ward and Freddie Sears looking lively but failing to trouble Daniel Tibbetts in the Posh goal.
It was Ward who almost added a fourth in the 76th minute after a lovely assured piece of skill from Cole Skuse - and a through ball to match - sent the right winger clear but his shot was blocked by the onrushing Tibbetts.
Chances were few and far between with Ward continuing to look dangerous down the flank, another dangerous low cross just missing Conor McKendry at the far post.
Two minutes into the fourth quarter, or the 92nd minute, saw the best chance of the ‘second match’ when Ward released Sears down the right and his deep cross was headed goalwards by McKendry but Tibbetts did well to push the ball away at his near post.
Marcus Maddison fired a shot wide of Michael Crowe’s near post while at the other end, Town centre back Chris Smith, last season’s under-23s captain, headed a deep Grant Ward corner wide.
A fine run at the heart of the home defence by the impressive McKendry ended with a free kick on the edge of the area but Sears narrowly missed the far post with a powerful effort.
The chances continued to come for Ipswich and, midway through the fourth quarter, Sears fired into the side netting after fine work from Teddy Bishop.
Sears remained the second match dangerman, once again going close from inside the area before almost teeing up McKendry for a tap-in but Peterborough just about cleared the danger.
Monty Patterson, who replaced Ward after the winger limped off, almost twice grabbed a deserved fourth goal — denied by the legs of Tibbetts before screwing a shot just wide.
It was the last of the chances in a game where Ipswich put in a professional shift, showing glimpses of good football with Garner continuing to show his eye for goal.
First half team: Gerken, Spence, Chambers (c), Knudsen, Nydam, Rowe, Bru, Downes, Celina, Garner, McGoldrick.
Second half team: Crowe, Iorfa (Fowler 101), C Smith, T Smith, Kenlock, Ward (Patterson 113), Skuse (c), Bishop, McKendry, Sears, Morris (McLoughlin 101). Unused: Folami, Daniels, McGavin, McDonnell.