Ipswich Town’s U23s’ eight-game winning run was halted as trialist Tremaine Eastmond’s first-half goal saw Hull City to a 1-0 victory at Portman Road, while forward Armando Dobra made a late return to a Blues shirt as a sub.
The Blues named a strong line-up with Idris El Mizouni in the centre of midfield alongside Cameron Humphreys, while Tyreece Simpson was up front.
Dobra, who is on loan at Colchester but has not been involved for some while and has been training back at Town recently, was among the subs. Players on youth loans are permitted to play for their parent side’s academy teams during their spells.
Former U23s boss Kieron Dyer and former Town academy midfielder Liam Gibbs, now with Norwich, were among those watching from the stands, while Premier League sides including Chelsea, Manchester United, Tottenham, Brighton, the Canaries and Brentford were among those to send representatives.
Manager Kieran McKenna and CEO Mark Ashton were among those watching from the directors' box.
Town went close to the opening goal in the third minute when Simpson was sent away into the area on the right and took the ball past the advanced Harry Fisk in the Hull City goal.
The striker cut across the area towards Tom Hughes, who was unable to get in a shot and it ran to Harry Barbrook behind him but the left wing-back’s shot was blocked.
There was a scare for the Blues in the 12th minute when keeper Nick Hayes rushed off his line and sent Hull number nine Josh Hinds flying a few yards outside the area. Referee Oliver Mackey was quick to brandish his yellow card, which looked the right decision.
The Tigers won a corner following the free-kick, following which they went in front. A low ball was sent across the area from the left and Eastmond, one of two players in the Hull XI on trial from Burnley along with Jack Leckie, turned across Hayes and into the net.
Having gone in front, the visitors enjoyed a spell on top but without threatening Hayes further.
On 23 Hughes picked up a loose pass in the centre circle and drove forward before feeding in Simpson to his left. The strike took it on into the area before hitting a low shot which Fisk saved before pouncing on the loose ball before Hughes could reach it.
Two minutes later, left-sided centre-half Cameron Stewart volleyed into the upper tier of the Sir Alf Ramsey Stand after a Town free-kick from the left had been headed out to him at the back of the box.
From the restart, Will Jarvis made a strong run from inside his own half down the Hull left and into the area before his shot deflected harmlessly through to Hayes.
As the game approached the half-hour mark, Hughes seized on another loose Hull pass, this time five yards outside the Tigers’ box but his chipped effort goalwards looped into Fisk’s arms. On 31, Albie Armin was booked for a foul.
Town were almost made to pay from sloppy passing in the 33rd minute when they lost possession midway inside their half and Will Jarvis was played in on goal. However, Hayes was quickly off his line to divert it the wrong side of the post.
Hayes was forced into another save a minute later when Tigers skipper Tom Nixon shot with power from an angle on the right but straight at the Town keeper, who rejoined the club from Hemel Hempstead in the January transfer window.
Four minutes before the end of the half, Stewart flicked a header wide from a cross from the left following a corner.
In injury time, Baggott nodded a free-kick down and towards goal but the ball was cleared. From the corner, the Indonesian international looked to have an opportunity at the far post but was unable to make contact as the ball bounced across the area.
Town had improved towards the break having been disappointing earlier in the half during which time Hull might have put themselves further in front.
Two minutes after the restart Baggott headed straight at Fisk, then at the other end Blues right wing-back Edwin Agbaje made an important challenge on Jarvis as a loose ball fell to him 10 yards out in the middle of the area.
On 53, Jarvis shot well from distance after Town had lost the ball in their own half, then two minutes later Harry Lovick hit an effort only just over Hayes’s bar from the edge of the box.
Hughes shot wide for the Blues in the 56th minute after a sharp break down the left.
Town began to control the game in the Hull half with Humphreys, likely to have been the reason for some of the top flight scouts making their trip to Suffolk, becoming more and more influential in the centre of midfield.
The Blues, however, were finding their way to goal blocked by a determined Hull defence, while the Tigers were looking a threat on the break.
On 76 Town again almost paid for sloppiness in their own half but Baggott did well to dispossess Jarvis inside the box.
Three minutes later, Town made a double change with Hughes and Chirewa replaced by Dobra and Matt Ward.
The substitutions briefly gave the Blues renewed impetus. Agbaje saw a shot blocked, then the Irish U18 international sent over a cross from the right which Barbrook sent against the bar at the back post with Ward just unable to divert the rebound into the net from a tight angle.
As the game moved into additional time, the Blues were seeing most of the ball but with Hull looking comfortable at the back or stopping Town with the odd tactical foul before they got into the final third.
Ward hit a deflected effort through to Fisk and moments later the referee’s whistle confirmed Town’s first defeat in nine matches following eight wins in a row.
The Blues were never on top of their game but had spells in the second half where they were in charge but were unable to hurt the determined Tigers’ backline.
Dobra made one or two trademark runs at the Hull defence having come on, while Ward made an impact having been introduced late on but overall Town were disappointing in the final third with Simpson rarely having a sight of goal.
The young Blues drop to second in Professional Development League Two South with Bristol City moving ahead of them by a point with a game in hand following a 1-1 draw at home to Watford this afternoon.
Town: Hayes, Agbaje, H Barbrook, Stewart, Armin, Baggott (c), El Mizouni, Humphreys, Simpson, Chirewa (Ward 79), Hughes (Dobra 79). Subs: Bort, Kabongolo, Alexander, Ward, Dobra.
Hull City: Fisk, Nixon (c), Leake (Taylor 80), Lovick, Arthur, Leckie, Snelgrove, Wood, Hinds (Hall 71), Eastmond, Jarvis. Subs: Voase, Wallis, Brown. Referee: Oliver Mackey.