Kurt Zouma’s 31st-minute goal has given West Ham United a 1-0 first-half lead over the Blues in this evening’s friendly at Portman Road.
New signings Dominic Ball and Freddie Ladapo were in Town’s first-half XI with the former QPR man lining up in the centre of midfield alongside skipper Sam Morsy in front of a back three of Janoi Donacien, Luke Woolfenden and Cameron Burgess with Wes Burns and Matt Penney the wing-backs. Christian Walton was in goal.
Sone Aluko and Conor Chaplin were behind lone out-and-out striker Ladapo, who joined after leaving Rotherham earlier in the summer.
Among the 11 Town subs were George Edmundson, Kayden Jackson and Arsenal loanee Tyreece John-Jules, all involved in their first pre-season fixture following injuries at the end of last season.
Absent were Joe Pigott, who is understood to be closing in on a loan move to Portsmouth, and Kyle Edwards.
For West Ham, Flynn Downes made his first appearance in a Hammers shirt, while their other former Blue Aaron Cresswell skippered.
Downes was on the end of some early boos from his old fans after clipping Aluko’s heels after the Nigerian international had turned him and was skipping away on halfway.
Town had an early spell in charge but the Premier League side soon took over, keeping the ball competently but without threatening.
On 12, Aluko inspired a spell of Town possession which ended with Chaplin curling a deflected shot wide.
The Blues should have gone in front in the 16th minute. After a poor Downes touch on the edge of the Town box, Morsy dispossessed him and sent Ladapo away on goal in the clear from halfway.
The striker looked to have dallied too long as defenders closed in but beat keeper Lukasz Fabianski with his low effort but saw the ball strike the outside of the Pole’s left post.
However, it was West Ham seeing most of the ball but still without threatening until the 26th minute when Michail Antonio was found on the right of the box and hit a shot from a tight angle which struck the outside of Walton’s left post.
Before Town could take the goal-kick, referee Keith Stroud signalled a drinks break in front of the new dugouts.
It didn’t take too long for the Hammers to take the lead following the restart. Following a 31st-minute corner, Antonio crossed from the left to Kurt Zouma, who had lost his marker. Walton saved the defender’s first effort but the French international smashed the rebound into the roof of the net with the keeper grounded.
Neither side threatened again before the half-time whistle. Unsurprisingly the Premier League side had seen most of the ball with the Blues back in their own half for the most part but with few threats on Walton’s goal.
The Blues did have spells on the ball, however, with Aluko showing his cleverness in possession, while Ball showed what he’ll add to the Town side, putting a foot in when required, keeping it simple and having a presence in the middle of the park.
Town’s only real chance was Ladapo’s one-on-one which he will know he should have taken and the Rotherham man showed his pace on a couple of other occasions.
Aside from their goal, West Ham’s only other opportunity in a not overly-enthralling half was Antonio’s shot off the outside of the post.
Town: Walton, Donacien, Penney, Ball, Woolfenden, Burns, Ladapo, Morsy (c), Chaplin, Aluko, Burgess. Subs: Hladky, Edmundson, Evans, John-Jules, Harper, El Mizouni, Ndaba, Leigh, Jackson, Humphreys, Vincent-Young.
West Ham: Fabianski, Cresswell (c), Zouma, Fornals, Antonio, Downes, Coventry, Oko-flex, Alese, Ashby, Chesters. Subs: Hegyi, Casey, Earthy, Forbes, Woods. Referee: Keith Stroud (Hampshire).