A Town side packed with first-team experience lost 4-2 to Crystal Palace today in a behind-closed-doors friendly at the Eagles’ training ground in Beckenham.
The Premier League side, featuring first-team stars Marc Guehi, Eberechi Eze, Jeffrey Schlupp, Christian Benteke and Wilfried Zaha, strolled into a 4-0 lead with rising star Luke Plange claiming a hat-trick and Benteke also on target before Dominic Ball and Sone Aluko both netted towards the end.
Palace seized early control and were two goals ahead inside the opening 11 minutes, thanks in no small part to some embarrassing defending from the visitors, who were slow to settle.
Town did create an opening in the seventh minute when Cameron Humphreys met a right-wing centre from Wes Burns but the youngster’s effort on the half volley flew well over.
The Blues were looking to retain possession but were forced back by the home side’s pressing and when they conceded a throw-in it paved the way for Palace’s first goal in the ninth minute.
New recruit Ball lost the ball just outside his own penalty area and Palace were quick to take advantage as the Town defence struggled to keep them out.
Experienced striker Benteke’s pass to Plange enabled the former Derby County youngster to stroke the ball past the helpless Vaclav Hladky.
Within two minutes Palace strengthened their grip on proceedings with a second goal and once again the Town defence opened up to leave the keeper stranded.
Benteke was again the architect with a straightforward pass that allowed the unmarked Plange, an England U20 international, to stroke the ball home.
There was another scare for Town when Palace broke through but on this occasion Benteke failed to get the ball over to Plange in the middle.
Home keeper Owen Goodman was eventually forced into his first save in the 19th minute when he flew to his left and gathered Rekeem Harper’s 20-yard drive.
Harper had another effort blocked before Wes Burns was guilty of over-hitting a cross and then, on the half-hour mark, Town’s leading scorer last season was way off target with a shot that cleared the bar with plenty to spare.
Aluko, who had created a brief opportunity with an earlier corner, saw a free-kick slide just past before a good run and shot by Humphreys saw the highly regarded teenager brush an upright.
Eight minutes before the break Kayden Jackson cut back on to his right foot and let fly with a shot from the edge of the area that he felt the keeper had diverted over the bar, but his appeal for a penalty went ignored by the referee.
Palace thought they were close to a third goal when Jeffrey Schlupp’s shot crashed back off the far post but the lineman’s flag went up for offside, although Palace didn’t have long to wait for their next goal.
It was 3-0 in the 42nd minute, Benteke running on to a simple ball over the top of the Town defence and easily converting past Hladky. The visitors did their best to claw a goal back before the break but Ball had a shot tipped over and Matt Penney saw his effort blocked.
The Blues made a promising start to the second period when Humphreys dispossessed David Boateng on the left but from his cross Burns headed over the bar.
Plange completed his hat-trick 10 minutes later with yet another simple finish past Hladky. The classy Zaha chipped the ball into the danger zone and once Corrie Ndaba failed to get his head to the ball it dropped for the young striker to control it on his chest before slotting home.
Town went to the other end and Ball only narrowly failed to make contact at the far post before Burns sent in a cross from which Penney fired across the goal and wide.
Ball did, however, reduce the leeway in the 71st minute when he climbed highest in a crowded goalmouth to glance Aluko’s free-kick beyond the reach of sub keeper Joe Whitworth, an England youth international.
Whitworth was beaten again seven minutes later when Palace failed to clear properly. When the ball arrived at his feet just outside the area Aluko expertly curled his shot high into the far corner.
That gave the scoreline a more respectable look and Palace, who made a glut of second-half substitutions, ran out winners in a game that will have left Town manager Kieran McKenna with plenty to ponder before making his way to AFC Wimbledon for another pre-season friendly.
Ipswich: Hladky (Hayes 88), Donacien, Edmundson (Alexander 88), Ndaba, Penney, Ball, Harper, Burns, Humphreys (Chirewa), Aluko, Jackson (Buabo).