Conor McKendry scored four superb goals and assisted two more as Town’s U23s thrashed 10-man Coventry City 6-0 at Playford Road. The Young Blues were rampant in a first half in which they scored four times - Monty Patterson netting in addition to McKendry’s first three - with Ben Morris adding the fifth and McKendry the sixth in a second period in which the visitors had central defender Reece Ford dismissed for a second bookable offence.
Kick-off was delayed after referee Ian Fissenden deemed Town’s blue and white home kit to be clashing with the visitors’ traditional sky blue. Gerard Nash’s side returned to the dressing room to change into three seasons ago's all-orange away kit.
McKendry wasn’t too far away from opening the scoring in the fifth minute when he curled a 25-yard freekick beyond the Coventry wall which keeper Tom Bilson did well to palm away from goal down to his left. A minute later, the Northern Irishman hit another effort not too far wide.
And it was the Town number 11 who was to open the scoring in the 10th minute with a stunning strike, cutting in from the left before smashing a shot which never deviated before hitting the top corner of the net.
A minute later it was 2-0 with McKendry this time supplying the pass. The 19-year-old played a brilliant ball in behind the Coventry defence for Monty Patterson to chase and the New Zealand international confidently stroked past the advancing Bilson.
Town almost made it 3-0 in the 13th minute when McKendry deftly volleyed a Bailey Clements cross from the left past Bilson but off the inside of the post, the Sky Blues’ keeper gratefully grabbing hold of the loose ball on his line.
The Blues continued to look the most likely scorers, Ben Folami hitting a low shot which was deflected just past the post.
Town threatened again on 23 when a cross from the left was diverted just behind Folami, the loose ball just failing to fall for McKendry.
The Blues were looking like adding to their lead every time they went forward and a minute later Folami shot not too far over from distance.
âš½ï¸ McKendry 10'
âš½ï¸ Patterson 11'
âš½ï¸ McKendry 34'
âš½ï¸ McKendry 44'
âš½ï¸ Morris 64'
âš½ï¸ McKendry 83'
Watch as Town's U23s put six past Coventry City without reply at Playford Road earlier today... #itfc pic.twitter.com/OdhpoDDe2C– Ipswich Town FC (@Official_ITFC) December 18, 2017
On 33 Thompson was booked for a foul on Folami, then following the freekick McKendry looked to be fouled by Reece Ford inside the box but referee Fissenden waved the appeals away. After the official had turned his back Ford shoved the Town winger over.
However, Ford only had to wait another minute to get his name in the ref’s book and McKendry just a little longer for his second goal of the game.
The Coventry centre-half was booked for a foul on Folami just outside the area to the right and McKendry curled an inch-perfect freekick between Bilson diving to his left and the inside of the post.
Coventry almost pulled a goal back from a rare foray forward on 37, but Billy Stedman headed wide at the far post from a cross from the left.
A minute before the break, McKendry completed his excellent first-half hat-trick. Folami was fouled by Thompson on the edge of the box to the left and the Northern Irishman delicately curled his second freekick of the afternoon and his third goal of the game past Bilson to his right.
The Town youngsters could be well pleased with their 45 minutes’ work having dominated virtually from start to finish in front of the watching Mick McCarthy and Terry Connor, who didn’t return for the second half with the first team squad in for training this afternoon.
Coventry swapped Luke Rowe for Lewis Green ahead of the restart and had the second period’s first chance in the 53rd minute after Morris had been penalised and booked for a foul not far outside the box to the right. However, Chris Camwell curled the freekick well over.
Blues keeper Nick Hayes was forced into his first serious save in the 62nd minute, advancing quickly off his line to block Kyle Finn’s strike at goal from the left of the area.
But two minutes later, the Blues made it 5-0. Downes brought the ball forward from deep and rode a number of tackles - Dion Kelly-Evans subsequently picking up a booking for his cynical but unsuccessful attempt at a trip - before feeding McKendry to his right who played in to Morris, who whipped a shot across Bilson right-footed and into the net.
The dominant Downes was immediately replaced by Shane McLoughlin, who took up his central midfield role and grabbed the captain’s armband.
Folami struck a low shot which Bilson palmed wide, before the Australian striker was replaced by Declan Daniels and Luke Woolfenden by Corrie Ndaba for the final 20 minutes.
Coventry were reduced to 10 men in the 74th minute when Ford was shown his second yellow card of the afternoon and then a red for a foul on Morris midway inside the Sky Blues’ half on the left.
With 10 minutes remaining Patterson shot over after a quick Town break from a visitors’ corner, then Clements poked a loose ball over the bar from the edge of the box before Hayes saved sharply from Jack Burroughs at the other end.
In the 84th minute McKendry added to the visitors’ misery when he scored his fourth of the afternoon, rifling a low left-footed 25-yard strike past Bilson and into the corner of the net.
There were no further goals in the final six minutes and the final whistle was greeted by applause from the small Playford Road crowd.
McKendry will deservedly grab all the headlines for his four brilliant strikes and two assists. The Northern Irishman might even have scored more having gone close when he hit the post in the first half.
But it was a fine team display throughout from Nash’s men, who started the game one place and two points behind the Sky Blues.
They were thoroughly outclassed once Town had netted their quick-fire first and second goals in the 10th and 11th minutes and the margin of victory might have been even wider.
U23s: Hayes, D Crowe, Clements, Downes (c) (McLoughlin 65), Woolfenden (Ndaba 70), Webber, Morris, Blanchfield, Folami (Daniels 70), Patterson, McKendry. Unused: Wright, Dobra.
Coventry: Bilson, Kelly-Evans, Camwell, Hickman, Thompson, Ford, Stedman, Burroughs (Johnson 84), Finn, Sayoud (S Green 77), L Green (Rowe 46). Unused: White.