Town beat Colchester United 4-3 on penalties after a 0-0 draw to go through to the knockout phase of the Papa John’s Trophy. Joe Pigott came closest to scoring in the 90 minutes when he hit the bar with the Blues eventually winning the shoot-out after U’s sub Chay Cooper found the post with his side’s final spot-kick.
Blues boss Paul Cook made nine changes with only Kane Vincent-Young and Cameron Burgess remaining from the team which drew 1-1 with Oldham in the FA Cup on Saturday.
Vaclav Hladky was in goal with former Colchester man Vincent-Young at right-back, Myles Kenlock making his second appearance of the season at left-back and Burgess and Luke Woolfenden the centre-halves.
Rekeem Harper and Scott Fraser were the midfield pair with Louie Barry and Sone Aluko, who captains for the first time, the widemen and Joe Pigott the lone striker.
For Colchester, ex-Blues defender Tom Eastman skippered alongside former Town captain Luke Chambers at the centre of the defence.
Ex-Blues forwards Frank Nouble and Freddie Sears also both started, while Dean Gerken was on the bench but there was no place for Cole Skuse, who suffered a knock at Sudbury on Friday, and Alan Judge.
On-loan Blues forward Armando Dobra was ineligible and in any case is away with Albania’s U21s, while Tommy Smith is with New Zealand.
Ahead of kick-off both sides took a knee to applause from the Town support and it was the visitors who would have the first chance of the game in the fifth minute.
Burgess tried to see the ball out of play on the far side but allowed Sears to gain possession and the former Blues striker sent over a low cross which Vincent-Young did well to turn wide at the far post.
Two minutes later at the other end, Fraser fed Pigott on the edge of the box from where the former AFC Wimbledon man hit a shot which U’s keeper Jake Turner batted away to safety.
Town thought they’d gone ahead in the 13th minute when Pigott headed a chipped Chaplin cross past Turner, however, the linesman’s flag had been raised.
There was a scare for the Blues at the other end two minutes later when Sears got behind Burgess and took the ball in on goal. Hladky came off his line and while under pressure from Burgess, Sears fell as he tried to take the ball past the keeper.
Town quickly went up the other end and Pigott saw a cross from the left cleared before Kenlock sent over a ball from the same flank which Vincent-Young out-fought Charlie Daniels to reach but slammed wide.
The Blues went even closer in the 18th minute when Pigott was found inside the area. After working his way some space on the right of the box, the striker shot off the bar and Barry scraped the rebound wide.
On 20, Burgess played a long ball down the left for Barry to chase. The on-loan Aston Villa man out-paced his man but shot at Turner’s near post and the keeper saved.
The Blues continued to create chances, Aluko playing in Vincent-Young on the right of the box but the ball somehow evaded Pigott and Barry. On 22 Luke Hannant shot well wide for the U’s.
Two minutes later, Chaplin looked to have been fouled just inside the Town half but after no whistle came Colchester broke forward. Noah Chilvers squared to Hannant in space but the midfielder’s shot was blocked by Burgess.
In the 27th minute Barry, who had swapped roles with Chaplin, sent Aluko away down the right and the Nigerian international burst past his man but saw his low cross cut out.
The Town chances continued to come. On 32 Aluko showed his skills on the right of the box before hitting a low ball which Barry just failed to reach.
Colchester thought they’d come very close to going in front in the 34th minute when a Junior Tchamadeu cross from the right reached Nouble at the far post from where the one-time Town striker steered the ball wide, however, the linesman’s flag was raised.
Harper blazed over from distance two minutes later for Town then, following a long spell of Blues possession, Fraser smashed a 25-yard strike against Brendan Wiredu.
In the penultimate minute, Nouble shot from a tight angle on the left by Hladky, who moments earlier had had a shaky moment dealing with a weak header back from Fraser which he almost juggled into the path of Sears, saved comfortably.
Meanwhile, Vincent-Young, who had suffered a knock in an earlier challenge, went to ground and received attention as the fourth official’s board signalled two additional minutes.
The only surprise at the break was that the game remained goalless. Town had created plenty of opportunities to go in front but without taking any - aside from Pigott’s disallowed goal - with Turner not having been over-worked.
While the Blues had seen most of the ball, Colchester had had chances on the break, most notably through Sears, who had caused Burgess problems, particularly in the early stages.
Town made two changes ahead of the second half with Bailey Clements replacing Kenlock at left-back and Burns taking over from Vincent-Young, following his knock late in the half, on the right.
Three minutes after the restart, Chaplin flicked a Fraser corner from the left across the face of goal as Town started the half strongly. On 51 Pigott headed a flag-kick from the other flank over.
The U’s threatened for the first time since the restart in the 55th minute when Sears escaped into the area on the right after Burgess slipped. The one-time West Ham youngster hit a shot from an angle which Hladky stopped but couldn’t hold and Burgess cleared.
Chaplin forced Turner into his first save of the second half in the 57th minute, the keeper getting down sharply to save the forward’s well-struck shot from inside the area on the left. From the resultant corner, the ball fell the Barry but his strike was deflected behind.
Town went close yet again in the 62nd minute when Fraser exchanged passes with Chaplin before hitting a shot across Turner which the keeper again did well to save. Space was starting to open up with Blues chances coming more regularly.
Hladky claimed a low cross from Colchester sub Chay Cooper on 65 with the U’s still looking a threat when breaking into the Town area.
Barry had what looked a very decent claim for a penalty in the 70th minute when a defender slid in and appeared to get nothing of the ball. Referee Paul Howard showed no interest. Moments later, the Villa loanee was swapped for Bersant Celina having put in probably his liveliest performance for the Blues.
The Kosovan international, who had been due to meet up with the Kosovo squad but will now be remaining with the Blues, forced Turner into a save with a shot from the edge of the box on 72 which the keeper claimed despite a bobble on the way through.
A minute later, Celina found Burns with a cross-field pass but the Welshman chipped well over the bar.
Too many of Town’s final balls were failing to find their man but on 77 Pigott smashed a shot from the edge of the box which Turner helped over.
A minute later, Aluko blazed over from the edge of the box after Turner had palmed away a Clements cross from the left. On 80, Fraser was booked for a foul on Hannant.
The Blues continued to push but without testing Turner further, then as the game moved into its final scheduled minute - ahead of four added on - Cameron Coxe was booked for a foul on Celina.
In the closing moments, Colchester nearly won it when Hladky, who had had a shaky night all round, cleared straight to Cooper, who shot just wide of the empty net from 35 yards out.
Chaplin won a free-kick in a dangerous position moments later but it was taken quickly and Clements fired wide.
The final whistle confirmed that the game would go to Portman Road’s first penalty shoot-out since the League Cup tie with Chelsea in 1997/98.
Pigott took Town’s first spot-kick and saw his shot low to keeper Turner’s left saved by the keeper. Sears stepped up first for the U’s and Hladky saved his kick down to his right.
Chaplin took the Blues’ second and sent Turner the wrong way, the ball beating the keeper to his left. But Chilvers made it 1-1 with his kick straight down the middle.
Harper was next for Town and lashed into the top corner to Turner’s right to make it 2-1 to the Blues. However, Hannant hit Colchester’s second down the middle to level again.
Celina stroked in the Blues’ third to Turner’s left with the keeper having already gone the wrong way before Coxe made it 3-3 by finding the same corner of the net.
Aluko made it 4-3 to the Blues having hit the top corner to Turner’s left before U’s sub Cooper hit Hladky’s post with the final kick to see the Blues through.
Town had more than enough chances to go through in the 90 minutes but failed to take them with the final ball lacking on so many occasions.
The Blues finish second in the group behind West Ham’s U21s and go through to the knock-out stages of the competition for the second time in three years.
Town: Hladky, Vincent-Young (Burns 46), Woolfenden, Burgess, Kenlock (Clements 46), Harper, Aluko (c), Chaplin, Fraser, Barry (Celina 71), Pigott. Unused: Holy, Donacien, Evans, Jackson.
Colchester: Turner, Chambers, Wiredu, Hannant, Nouble, Sears, Chilvers, Eastman (c), Kennedy (Cooper 68), Tchamadeu (Welch-Hayes 67), Daniels (Coxe 84). Unused: Gerken, McCoulsky, Thomas, Tovide. Referee: Paul Howard (London). Att 8,100 (Colchester: 566).