Two goals from Kayden Jackson have given Town a 2-0 half-time lead at home to Arsenal U21s in the Papa John’s Trophy.
Town boss Paul Cook made XI changes with Vaclav Hladky starting in goal, Kane Vincent-Young at right-back, Matt Penney on the left and Luke Woolfenden and Cameron Burgess, who skippered, the centre-halves.
In midfield, Tom Carroll, playing his first game since the end of September following a hip flexor problem, was the deepest of the central three with Idris El Mizouni ahead of the former QPR man to his left and Rekeem Harper to his right. Kyle Edwards was on the left and Kayden Jackson on the right with Joe Pigott up front.
The Blues also named a strong bench with no youngsters featuring, despite a number of them missing yesterday’s U23s game. On-loan Aston Villa striker Louie Barry was also absent from the squad.
Former England international Jack Wilshere, who has been training with his old club in recent weeks, travelled as part of the Arsenal U21s’ coaching staff, who were led by former Barnsley and Wycombe striker Kevin Betsy.
After the very sparse Portman Road crowd had applauded both teams taking a knee, the visitors struck the game’s first shot from a 25-yard free-kick but the strike was little trouble for Hladky.
Town first threatened in the fifth minute when Pigott was sent away down the right by Woolfenden’s clearance. The striker took the ball away from his man and spotted a gap to Ovie Ejeheri’s left but the keeper was able to claim comfortably to his left.
Omari Hutchinson hit the game’s next shot at goal wide from 25 yards with the Blues subsequently starting to see most of the ball.
On 16 Vincent-Young sent over a dangerous-looking cross from the right towards Pigott which was headed out for a corner.
Four minutes later, Carroll crossed from the left following a long spell of Town possession and El Mizouni smashed a shot against Joel Lopez from the edge of the box.
Town continued to dominate with Arsenal only seeing anything of the ball after a rare misplaced Blues pass. On 25 Vincent-Young crossed from the right and Omar Rekik just got in ahead of Pigott as he sought to head goalwards.
Harper poked a weak effort through to Ejeheri on 28 from Edwards’s pass in from the left.
Three minutes later, the Blues went in front. Having perhaps been overly intricate in their approach play up to that point, Jackson decided to take matters into his own hands after picking up a loose ball 25 yards out to the right, from where he smashed a low shot which caught the first defender before going under Ejeheri’s left arm.
The strike was Jackson’s first goal of the season and his first since the 2-1 win at Plymouth on December 5th, four days short of a year ago.
Charlie Patino became the first player to get his name in referee Brett Huxtable’s book on 34 for a foul on Vincent-Young midway inside the Town half.
Arsenal went close to levelling the scores in the 40th minute when Lopez’s header from a cross from the right looped on to the top of the bar before Hladky claimed.
Having waited almost a year for a goal, Jackson’s second came only 12 minutes after his first. Penney whipped over a ball from the angle of the area on the left and the striker turned past Ejeheri from eight yards.
Moments before the half-time whistle, Gunners skipper Flo Balogun, a scorer in the visitors’ 2-1 win in the same competition last season, shot across the face and wide from the left of the area.
Town were worthy of their lead at the break having been in control for most of the half and with Jackson having taken his opportunities with confidence belying his long spell without a first-team goal.
Arsenal’s youngsters showed typical composure on the ball and threatened occasionally with Lopez’s header the closest they came to a goal.
But from this position, the Blues ought to have little trouble in confirming their place in round three.
Town: Hladky, Vincent-Young, Woolfenden, Burgess (c), Penney, El Mizouni, Carroll, Edwards, Harper, Jackson, Pigott. Subs: Holy, Evans, Fraser, Chaplin, Kenlock, Celina, Donacien.
Arsenal U21s: Ejeheri, Norton-Cuffy, Rekik, Ogungbo, Lopez, Patino, Akinola, Swanson, Hutchinson, Balogun (c), Biereth. Mitchell, Alebiosu, Olayinka, Oulad-M'Hand, Taylor-Hart, Cozier-Duberry, Ideho. Referee: Brett Huxtable (Devon). Att: 4,065 (Arsenal: 244).