Three second-half goals saw Ipswich Town to what in the end was a comfortable victory over Bracknell Town at Bottom Meadow. The Southern League Premier Division side had given the Blues a game in the first half but Town’s pedigree began to show the longer the match wore on and they went ahead via an own goal from home skipper Dan Bayliss on 66, Freddie Ladapo added the second seven minutes later and Panutche Camara completed the victory with his first goal for the club in the 81st minute to set up a home second round tie with Buxton.
Boss Kieran McKenna named a strong side with Vaclav Hladky is in goal with Janoi Donacien, who was making his 100th appearance for the club, Richard Keogh and Cameron Burgess, making his first start since his facial surgery, at the back.
Kane Vincent-Young was on the left with skipper Sam Morsy and Dom Ball in the centre of the midfield.
Cameron Humphreys was in the centre ahead of them with Kyle Edwards on the left and Kayden Jackson on the right behind lone central striker Ladapo.
Clubs can name nine subs in the FA Cup, using five, with the Blues including youngsters Edwin Agbaje and Gerrard Buabo, as well as two sub keepers, Christian Walton and new signing Joel Coleman.
Camara, George Edmundson, Leif Davis, Wes Burns and Conor Chaplin were also among the replacements.
Following the Last Post and a minute’s silence ahead of Remembrance Sunday, Town unsurprisingly started on the front foot and in the third minute Edwards cut in from the left but blazed well over.
In windy conditions and with the pitch sodden following heavy rain over the last couple of days, the home side won a couple of throws which were sent into the box and then a corner, Keogh heading away twice and then referee Charles Breakspear awarding a free-kick from the flag-kick.
Having started passing the ball around confidently, Town were finding it tougher going with the Robins giving them little time in possession.
Bracknell's Jack Dean was shown the first yellow card of the game in the 24th minute for a late tackle on Jackson with the Blues continuing to struggle to find a way through the home side, who were sticking diligently to their task.
Town had managed to get a few crosses in, however, Jackson getting to the byline on the right on 27, but without finding a blue shirt.
In the 32nd minute, Ladapo exchanged passes with Vincent-Young on the edge of the area before hitting a shot which home keeper Michael Eacott palmed away to his right. Jackson played the ball back in from the right and Humphreys bundled it wide under pressure at the near post.
Three minutes later, Ladapo was played in on the left and cut across to Vincent-Young, but keeper Eacott saved with his foot. The ball was half-cleared then returned to Morsy on the edge of the area but the Egypt international scraped his shot wide.
Town should have gone in front in the 40th minute when Edwards burst into the area on the left and cut back to Ladapo, who shot across goal and wide as a challenge came in.
Moments before the whistle, the Blues had a very good shout for a penalty when Donacien crossed from the right and found Humphreys, who took a touch and then had his heel clipped by George Knight as he shot, the midfielder appearing to have lost his footing as he chased back. However, referee Breakspear wasn’t interested.
Bracknell will have gone off the field at half-time the happier of the two sides having kept the Blues at bay for much of the half.
However, in the latter stages, Town had begun to show their superiority and Ladapo and Vincent-Young really should have given them the lead, while Humphreys might well have scored had he not been caught by Knight.
At the other end, Bracknell sent a few balls into the box from set pieces but with Keogh dealing with everything and with Hladky unthreatened.
Five minutes after the restart, Vincent-Young was played in inside the box but home skipper Bayliss, a delivery driver for Waitrose in his day job, slid in to block.
The Robins struck their first shot on goal of the evening in the 57th minute as they broke following a Town attack, but Gary Abisogun’s effort from 20 yards gave Hladky little trouble.
Five minutes later, Humphreys, who had found more space and had become more influential in the second half, played in Ladapo on the right of the box but keeper Eacott was out quickly to block. The Town striker again probably should have done better.
Bracknell made their first change on 64 with Mickel Platt replacing top scorer Jordan Esprit.
In the 65th minute, there was a scare for the Blues when Town failed to clear their lines and after a Platt effort was blocked by Keogh, Bayliss hooked not far wide.
Within a minute the home skipper inadvertently put the Blues in front. Edwards played in Vincent-Young on the left and the former Colchester man cut across and Bayliss turned into the net as he sought to put the ball wide ahead of Jackson.
Town swapped Ball and Jackson for Chaplin and Burns on 72 and a minute later the Blues doubled their lead.
Humphreys, now having dropped in alongside Morsy, played in Vincent-Young on the left and the full-back crossed for Ladapo, who stroked back across Eacott and into the corner of the net.
A minute after the second goal, Town thought they’d scored a third when Vincent-Young was played in on the left and put the keeper on his backside before finding the net, however, the linesman’s flag was raised.
Town swapped Morsy for Camara on 79 and two minutes later the former Plymouth man scored his first goal for the club.
Edwards sent Burns away on the left as the Blues counter-attacked following a Bracknell corner and the Wales international cut across goal when in the clear to Camara, who tapped into the empty net.
With three minutes left, youngsters Agbaje and Buabo took over from Donacien and Ladapo.
Town continued to look for further goals in the final minutes but without creating a serious chance from which the score their fourth.
After Bracknell had made the first half tough, the Blues showed why they play their football four divisions above the Robins in the second half and had had a number of chances before Bayliss’s own goal.
Ladapo’s second all but sealed it and Camara’s third added some gloss to a professional display with the Blues never in any trouble at any point.
The win sees Town, who have now recorded back to back TV victories, through to the second round where they will face National League North Buxton at Portman Road later on this month.
Bracknell: Eacott, Dean, Burden, Cheshire, Bayliss (c), Knight, Abisogun (Sanders 78), Lodge, Esprit (Platt 64), English, Herbert (Grant 79). Unused: Grant, Cook, Penton, Rees, Moore, Osu.
Town: Hladky, Donacien (Agbaje 87), Keogh, Burgess, Vincent-Young, Ball (Chaplin 72), Morsy (c) (Camara 79), Jackson (Burns 72), Humphreys, Edwards, Ladapo (Buabo 87). Unused: Walton, Coleman, Edmundson, Davis. Referee: Charles Breakspear (Surrey).