Town finished fourth at the Interwetten Cup after losing 3-1 in a penalty shoot-out to hosts SV Meppen following a goalless draw. But more of a concern for the Blues than the defeat was the loss of Teddy Bishop to a knee injury.
German third tier side Meppen had been beaten 5-4 on penalties by FC Utrecht after a 0-0 draw in the afternoon’s second match.
The Blues fielded a different XI from the one which started against Fortuna in their opening game, which ended 4-1 to the Bundesliga side.
Short-term injury absentees Gwion Edwards, Jon Nolan and Alan Judge, new signing Luke Garbutt, keepers Harry Wright and Adam Przybek, and Freddie Sears, who is out until November, all missed out on involvement in both games.
The Blues, in a 4-2-3-1 system with Kayden Jackson the lone striker, created the game’s first opening on 10. Skipper Luke Chambers regained possession after a corner had been cleared, then played it back to Teddy Bishop, whose cross eventually dropped to Jordan Roberts but the former Crawley man’s shot was blocked.
Moments later, Myles Kenlock made a strong run from left-back and won another flag-kick from which Roberts headed high and wide at the far post.
On 17 Jackson had the ball in the from a cross from left winger Roberts but the referee’s whistle had already blown for offside.
But the Blues were on top and in the 25th minute went within a whisker of going in front. Dozzell won the ball on halfway and fed Danny Rowe on the right. The winger played the ball ahead for Jackson, who took it past keeper Erik Domaschke but wide and hit his low shot against the outside of the post.
There was a concern for Town in the 33rd minute when Bishop required treatment on his right knee after twisting awkwardly as he came out of a challenge, looking in some discomfort. The midfielder was replaced by Bailey Clements for his second sub appearance of the afternoon.
Meppen began to get more into the game and keeper Tomas Holy used his height when punching away a corner. On 39 left-back Myles Kenlock and Marius Kleinsorge were both booked, the former for throwing the Meppen man judo style after he had pulled him back.
A minute later, Town had another chance, Roberts sending Jackson away towards goal. The ex-Accrington man rounded the keeper but a Meppen defender got back to block the striker's shot at goal. His subsequent effort was also blocked and looped up into the keeper’s arms.
Roberts was booked for a late challenge in the 43rd minute, then a minute later Jovan Vidovic joined him for a foul on Rowe.
There was no further action before the referee’s whistle signalled the end of a goalless 45 minutes and a penalty shoot-out.
Jackson slammed Town’s first penalty into the net to the keeper’s left, before Vidovic’s spot-kick for the home side just slipped through Holy’s grasp and into the net.
Dozzell’s second Blues penalty was also sent to the keeper’s left but was saved, then the German team went ahead with Marco Komenda sending Holy the wrong way.
Skipper Chambers hit his penalty low to the keeper’s right but again the spot-kick was saved and Hilal El-Helwe made it 3-1 by again sending Holy one way and the ball the other.
Roberts’s fourth Blues penalty was also hit to Domeschke’s right and was saved to hand Meppen third place in the tournament with Town finishing fourth.
The Blues had been the better team during the 45 minutes, creating the only chances with Jackson’s effort against the post the best.
But a bigger concern than the result was Bishop’s injury, the midfielder, who was among Town’s best performers, having finally appeared to be getting over his fitness problems.
Toto Nsiala's apparent hamstring injury earlier in the afternoon means it may have been a costly afternoon for the Blues fitness-wise.
SV Meppen: Domaschke, Jesgarzewski, Osee, Vidovic, Komenda, Tankulic, Egerer, Kleinsorge, Andermatt, Duker, El-Helwe.
Town: Holy, Emmanuel, Chambers (c), Ndaba, Kenlock, Downes, Dozzell, Bishop (Clements 34), Rowe, Roberts, Jackson.