Striker Zak Brown was shown a straight red card as a young Town XI drew 0-0 at Coggeshall Town in a pre-season friendly on Tuesday evening, while another youthful Blues XI were defeated 2-0 at Needham Market.
At Coggeshall, the Blues fielded a trialist keeper, Bert White, who was formerly with AFC Wimbledon's U18s, and the glovesman got down well midway through the half to parry a Joe Claridge shot from the edge of the box away from danger, before Matt Price shot straight at the keeper from close range a few minutes later.
As the half-hour mark approached, Zak Brown broke away and just as he was bearing down on Jake Jessup in the home goal, a Coggeshall defender made a fine sliding tackle to deny the Blues attacker.
However Brown (pictured) then had words with referee Aaron Farmer - well-known among Town supporters having been the linesman who controversially ruled out Luke Chambers’s goal against Wycombe last season - who showed a straight red card and ordered Brown from the pitch, leaving the side coached by Gerard Nash and Terry Butcher to play the remaining hour with ten men.
Despite the setback, the Blues came close to opening the scoring before the break and only some last-ditch defending from the hosts denied Tyreece Simpson and then Tawanda Chirewa at the near post following some good play down the right side.
Former Blues schoolboy Tevan Allen - who captained the Essex side - then dragged his shot into the side-netting at the other end following a deep corner which found him in space at the back post.
On 54 Town's keeper again did well when he tipped ex-Blues' academy scholar Jack Simmons's effort wide, shortly before the home defence presented Simpson with a fine opportunity courtesy of a weak backpass which put the striker through on goal, but Jessup narrowed the angle well and made a good block to keep the scores level.
Coggeshall made numerous substitutions during the second half but they remained pretty much camped in Town's half, with the Blues' backline soaking up a lot of pressure from the home side, who had pop star and regular Soccer Aid player Olly Murs in their dugout.
In the 72nd minute, the Blues introduced two more trialists, 17-year-old striker Cian Kavanagh, who is currently with Hearts having joined them from Dublin side St Patrick's Athletic last summer, and full-back Zak Bradshaw, who is currently with Ware and also played in the U18s friendly against Cambridge United at the weekend.
Town had trialist keeper White to thank late on though when, with just two minutes remaining, he dived full length to push a left-foot shot from Kieran Bailey onto his far post before gathering the loose ball.
Central defensive duo Brooklyn Kabongolo and Albie Armin won most aerial battles and will have benefited from 90 minutes up against a physical but a good footballing side.
Town's keeper made a number of important saves but also spilled a couple of fairly routine crosses and was rather fortunate that the ball didn't fall kindly to a home attacker.
In truth, the hosts probably created enough chances to think they should have won the game and particularly after the break, the Blues rarely threatened - although their cause wasn't helped by Brown needlessly getting himself sent-off in the first half.
Meanwhile, another Town XI were beaten 2-0 by Needham Market at Bloomfields, Ben Fowkes netting a brace for the Marketmen.
Town XI at Coggeshall: White, Wyss, Humphreys (Bradshaw 72), Siziba, Kabongolo, Armin, Chirewa (Kavanagh 72), Z Brown, Crane, Gibbs, Simpson (Bareck 83).
Town XI at Needham Market: Bort, Crowe (H
Barbrook 68), O’Reilly, Knock, Cotter (c), Trialist (Bello 65, Oppong 80), Healy, Oppong (Trialist 46), Viral, Alexander (H Barbrook 72), Bello (Manly 46).