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Felixstowe & Walton United 0-6 Ipswich Town - Match Report - Ipswich Town News

Freddie Ladapo netted twice and Sone Aluko, Kyle Edwards, Kayden Jackson and Panutche Camara once each as Town beat Felixstowe & Walton United 6-0 in their opening pre-season 30-minute each-way friendly at the AGL Arena.

As at Needham Market last year, fielded a different team in each half, while Nathan Broadhead and new signing Jack Taylor weren’t involved as they start pre-season training on Monday having been away with international squads.

In the first half, Christian Walton started in goal behind a backline of Janoi Donacien, Dominic Ball, George Edmundson and Leif Davis.

Skipper Sam Morsy and Cameron Humphreys were in the centre of midfield with Marcus Harness, Aluko and Edwards in a three behind central striker Ladapo.

For Isthmian League North side Felixstowe, ex-Blues academy players Callum Bennett and Zak Brown were in their starting XI but neither Jack Ainsley nor his brother Stuart were in the squad.

Town went ahead in the fifth minute via the first serious chance of the game. Edwards played a low free-kick in from the left, Harness swept a shot goalwards and home keeper James Bradbrook saved. However, Ladapo was on hand to tap home from close range.

Two minutes later, the former Rotherham man netted his second. Harness clipped a ball into the striker, who chested his way beyond a defender before poking past the advancing Bradbrook.

On 16, with Town unsurprisingly dominating, Ladapo was sent away on the left but was flagged offside as be bore down on goal.

Moments later, Harness almost profited from an underhit back-pass, reaching it before Bradbrook but the keeper was able to get enough of a hand on it to prevent the forward from getting past him.

In the 25th minute, the Seasiders had what looked to be a decent shout for a penalty when Humphreys appeared to pull back Brown after the former Town academy striker had got round the outside of him inside the area on the right. However, referee Alan Dale waved away the protests.

Play quickly returned to the other end and Ladapo found space and smashed a low shot from the edge of the area not too far wide.

A minute from half-time, Harness slammed a shot off a defender and wide for a corner and moments into time added on, the Blues made it 3-0.

The ball was worked in from the left and Aluko used his quick feet to find space before shooting past Bradbrook to his right.

And in the third minute of injury time, Town added their fourth, Harness dummying on the edge of the area before Edwards curled into the net.

Aluko curled just over as the Blues went looking for a fifth, then just before the whistle, Harness looped over after the ball had fallen loose in the box.

Town changed their entire XI for the second half with Vaclav Hladky in goal with Harry Clarke, Luke Woolfenden, Elkan Baggott and Greg Leigh in front of him.

Massimo Luongo and Lee Evans were in the centre of midfield with academy scholar Rio Morgan in the three behind lone striker Jackson with Camara and Conor Chaplin.

The home side struck the first shot of the second half, Hladky palming away Andre Hasanally’s effort from an angle on the right.

On 35, Chaplin curled a free-kick over from just outside the area, Jackson having been fouled.

Within a minute, Chaplin teed-up Camara on the edge of the box on the left but the Guinean international’s shot was claimed by Bradbrook at the second attempt.

In the 39th minute, Luongo clipped a ball over the top for Chaplin, who took it down deftly and chipped goalwards but slightly too high.

Two minutes later, Chaplin saw another effort charged down, then Clarke curled a subsequent effort over.

Town made it 5-0 in the 43rd minute after a cross from the right had been poorly dealt with and fell loose to Jackson six yards out from where the striker made no mistake.

A minute later, Northern Ireland U19 international Morgan cut in from the right and hit a low shot which flew not far wide.

Chaplin shot over from distance in the 46th minute, then four minutes later following a long spell of Town possession, last season’s 29-goal top scorer nodded just wide from Leigh’s left-wing cross.

In the 54th minute, Evans looped a cross from the left to the far post when Baggott slid in but sent the ball wide.

Two minutes later, it was 6-0. Chaplin looped a ball from the right into the area and Camara took the ball down on his chest before smashing home.

In the final minute, Town swapped Morgan for fellow youngster Finley Barbrook, who went to right-back with Clarke moving forward.

In injury time, Jackson took the ball past Bradbrook but ran too wide. The ball eventually made its way to Evans, whose effort was deflected wide. From the corner, the ball almost fell to Baggott but Bradbrook somewhat uncomfortably hooked clear.

That was the final action of a game which, as would have been expected, the Blues dominated from start to finish and might have scored more than their six goals. The Seasiders only really threatened twice, the penalty incident in the first half and the effort just after the break.

The game was followed by a penalty shoot-out with third-choice keeper Nick Hayes between the sticks for the Blues.

Ladapo showed his sharpness in front of goal in the first half, while Harness was involved in almost all Town’s attacks before the break.

Chaplin was a live wire in the second period without finding the net and Luongo and Evans ran the game from the centre of midfield.

Wes Burns, who wasn't involved in either half, was at the ground, the Welshman having been suffering with a groin injury over the summer, as was Cameron Burgess, who has also presumably picked up a minor knock.

Overall, it was a good way for the Blues to get their pre-season programme under way in front of a capacity crowd at the AGL Arena.

Town are next in action on Friday when they face another non-league side, Maidenhead United, at Needham Market’s Bloomfields.

Felixstowe & Walton: Bradbrook, Bennett, Blackburn, Kerridge, Bullard (c), C Ottley-Gooch, Brown, Warren, Mayhew, Matthews, Howell. Subs: Ford, Hasanally, Leggett, Santa, De La Paz, Costa.

Ipswich Town First Half: Walton, Donacien, Edmundson, Ball, Davis, Morsyn (c), Humphreys, Harness, Aluko, Edwards, Ladapo.

Second Half: Hladky, Clarke, Woolfenden, Baggott, Leigh, Evans, Luongo, Camara, Morgan (F Barbrook 30), Chaplin, Jackson. Unused: Hayes.

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