Second-half goals from Marcus Harness and Freddie Ladapo saw Town to a 2-1 friendly victory over National League Maidenhead United at Needham Market’s Bloomfields, former Colchester forward Shawn McCoulsky netting for the Magpies, who frustrated the Blues for long periods, between the two Town goals.
Nathan Broadhead, Wes Burns and Cameron Burgess were among those starting in the first half with the Blues fielding different teams in each half.
Broadhead started training on Monday having been given additional time off having been away with Wales, while Burns and Burgess missed the 6-0 win at Felixstowe & Walton on Saturday having had groin and ankle injuries over the summer.
Vaclav Hladky was in goal with Harry Clarke at right-back, Greg Leigh on the left and Dominic Ball and Burgess the centre-halves.
Lee Evans, who was skippering, was in the centre of midfield with Cameron Humphreys with Burns wide on the right and Conor Chaplin and Broadhead behind lone central striker Kayden Jackson.
Town went close to going in front in the fourth minute and Jackson chased a ball in behind and shot across keeper Craig Ross, who saved and the ball was cleared away ahead of Burns as the Welshman looked to tap in the rebound.
The Blues dominated as would be expected against the National League team and in the 10th minute Chaplin hit an effort from the edge of the area which deflected over after a deft nod down by Clarke. From the resultant corner, Burns shot over.
Two minutes later, Chaplin tried an audacious effort from the edge of the centre circle which looped over the Magpies’ keeper, who was well beaten, but struck the post.
On 21, Chaplin struck an effort from distance which deflected wide off a defender with Maidenhead providing determined, if limited, opposition. From the corner, Burns flicked a header across the face and wide.
Five minutes later, Burgess looped a header well over from another Blues corner on the left.
Just after the half hour, Clarke was on the receiving end of a challenge which was more aggressive than might have been expected in a friendly. Evans’s free-kick was overhit.
Soon after the game, played in very warm evening conditions, was held up due to a Maidenhead injury and for a drinks break.
In the 41st minute, Chaplin latched onto a Burgess ball over the top on the right of the box but his low shot was dragged across the area and the ball was cleared.
The half-time whistle confirmed that the visitors from Berkshire had frustrated Town with few real chances created with Jackson’s early effort the best.
The Blues had been a little ragged with one or two players showing that frustration in the latter stages against National League opposition who had sought to make it difficult for them throughout.
In the second half, Christian Walton was in goal behind a back four of Janoi Donacien, Luke Woolfenden, George Edmundson and Leif Davis, who moved into more central positions during the game rather than staying out wide as was usually the case last season.
New signing Jack Taylor made his first appearance in a Town shirt in the middle of midfield alongside Massimo Luongo with Kyle Edwards, Marcus Harness and Sone Aluko behind striker Freddie Ladapo.
Youngsters Rio Morgan and Ryan Carr were on the bench with skipper Sam Morsy, Elkan Baggott, Panutche Camara and Joe Pigott all absent.
Town almost broke the deadlock in the opening seconds, Harness cutting back from the right to Ladapo, who shot not too far wide.
On 54, a Davis corner from the right reached Taylor at the far post but the midfielder sent the ball well over.
A minute later, Ladapo created space in the box before being dispossessed, then Aluko following up saw a strike blocked.
Moments later, Harness seized on a poor clearance on the edge of the box, took the ball to his right inside the box before hitting a shot across Ross and into the corner of the net.
But Town’s lead lasted only two minutes. McCoulsky reacted quickly to nip in between Davis and the advancing Walton and chipped a looping finish into the corner of the net.
On 64, Maidenhead’s number seven shot not too far wide from distance with the Magpies showing more attacking intent and seeing much more of the ball since the break.
Two minutes later, McCoulsky scraped a strike wide from the right of the box, then almost immediately, their number seven struck an effort from a tight angle on the left which Walton did well to tip over the bar.
In the 73rd minute, Edwards won the ball on the right, Ladapo cut inside to Harness, who shot over.
Four minutes later, the Blues retook the lead. Donacien was sent away on the right and crossed for Ladapo, who turned his third goal of pre-season into the corner of the net on the volley.
On 83, Ladapo cut back from the byline on the right to Donacien, who teed-up Edwards, who hit a powerful shot against the outside of the post.
Just before the whistle, Edmundson blazed into the trees behind the goals from distance.
Town never really hit their usual heights in either half. In the first, the visitors frustrated them and the Blues were unable to make much headway from an attacking perspective and gave the ball away cheaply too often.
In the second, Town weren’t always as in control as was customary last season with Maidenhead seeing a surprising amount of the ball and scoring a goal which was the result of defensive indecision.
However, it's early in pre-season and the Blues are bedding in new man Taylor, who showed some good moments as he finds his feet in a new team, and with a number of players short on pre-season training at this stage, while tactical tweaks such as Davis's more central role are being integrated.
The Blues travel to Austria on Sunday for their pre-season training camp with games against Slovakian side Spartak Trnava and Flyeralarm Admira next Saturday.
First-half team: Hladky, Clarke, Ball, Burgess, Leigh, Humphreys, Burns, Evans (c), Chaplin, Broadhead, Jackson.
Second-half team: Walton, Donacien, Woolfenden, Edmundson, Davis, Luongo, Taylor, Edwards, Aluko, Harness, Ladapo. Subs: Morgan, Carr.