Town wrapped up their Austrian training camp with a hard-fought 2-2 draw at 2.Liga side Flyeralarm Admira. A fraught five-minute spell at the end of the first half saw Admira go in 2-1 ahead having scored either side of a Freddie Ladapo goal, before Conor Chaplin levelled for the Blues during a much-improved second-half spell.
Kieran McKenna made wholesale changes from the morning’s 2-1 victory over Slovakian side Spartak Trnava with Christian Walton starting in goal and a back four of Harry Clarke, Cameron Burgess, Greg Leigh and Dominic Ball.
Sam Morsy skippered the side alongside new signing Jack Taylor in midfield. Wes Burns, Chaplin and Kyle Edwards made up the attacking front three behind lone striker Ladapo.
Kicking off the 40-minutes-a-half game, Admira threatened early on, forcing a corner in the opening few minutes which was headed narrowly over by centre half Thomas Ebner.
Town came back into the game on the ten-minute mark with skipper Morsy stinging the gloves of Admira goalkeeper Christoph Haas from the edge of the area before Chaplin blazed over from close range from the resulting corner.
The home side continued to cause Town trouble, pouncing on a mistake from Wes Burns before being snuffed out by the defence. It would be Burns’s last act of the game as he hobbled off to be replaced by youngster Leon Ayinde, who had made his first senior appearance for the Blues in the earlier friendly as a late sub.
The Blues went close again in the 21st minute with Edwards meeting a Clarke cross at the back post but could only fire over. Town soon had the ball in the net but striker Ladapo was harshly judged to have fouled Admira centre-half Patrick Puchegger on the edge of the area.
Despite their lowly standings, the 2.Liga Austrian side, whose season begins next weekend in the Austrian Cup, frustrated Town for long periods, playing an energetic pressing game in the sapping heat and stifling the visitors to limited opportunities.
They went close again in the 33rd minute via an acrobatic effort from Reinhard Young from 20 yards out which whistled over Christian Walton’s goal.
Town responded well and should have taken the lead after Edwards pounced on a spilled ball from a parried Ladapo effort but was denied by a last ditch Wilhelm Vorsager block.
Moments later, it was Admira to curse their luck as a loose ball was pounced upon by Ebner who’s side-footed effort was scrambled off the line by Walton’s trailing foot.
The home side did break the deadlock from the resulting corner in the 38th minute when defender Nicolas Keckeisen got a run on his marker to nod home at the near post. Town responded immediately as Edwards, charging down the left wing, fed Ladapo who turned his man in the six-yard box and prodded home past keeper Haas.
In a chaotic five-minute spell, Admira were back in front through a Young header following a breakaway. A cross from the right hand side allowed the pacy forward to get in front of Clarke and beat Walton coming out to claim the cross.
Boss McKenna kept the same side for the second half and Town were almost level within seconds of the restart. A threaded ball from Clarke down the right wing was fed into the box and met by Ayinde, whose effort was blocked on the line.
The visitors started the second half with much more purpose but Morsy picked up a yellow card following a crunching challenge on George Davies.
The Blues continued to press for an equaliser and a sensational move started by new signing Taylor was almost rewarded with a goal. The Irish midfielder turned beautifully on his own 18-yard line before racing up the field, playing it down the left-hand side to Leigh, whose low cross was met by Edwards, only to be denied again by keeper Haas.
Admira grew into the half with a series of corners on the hour mark which were well dealt with by the Town defence.
A mistake by Walton almost handed the home side a third goal when a misplaced pass was picked up by substitute Jakob Tranziska, who fired a low shot at goal but the Town got down well to recover and push it for a corner.
Youngster Ayinde continued to cause problems down the right hand side, linking well with Chaplin to force a corner which was cleared. On 69, Morsy had another sighter from the edge of the area following good hold up work from Ladapo but Haas comfortably gathered the shot.
Town made changes for the last 10 minutes, bringing on Ryan Carr and Harry Barbrook for Leigh and Clarke respectively. While recent signing Cieran Slicker got his first chance to impress in a Town shirt between the sticks, replacing Walton.
It only took Carr a couple of seconds to make an impact forcing a corner which, following a melee in the box, fell to Chaplin who was able to lash in from six yards out, levelling the score.
Edwards almost claimed a magical winner as he weaved through three Admira defenders before seeing his shot saved by substitute keeper Dominik Sulzer.
Town continued to push for a winner in the closing minutes but weren’t able to break down a stubborn Admira defence.
The home side could have won it in the final stages thanks to a fierce shot from Tranziska that was well saved by Slicker.
Town head back to England to face Preston North End on Wednesday before trips to Cambridge United, Stevenage and Luton Town in the coming weeks.
The Blues return to Austria on July 28th to round-off their pre-season preparations with games against German sides RB Leipzig and Werder Bremen in the Innsbruck Cup.
Town: Walton (Slicker 70), Clarke (H Barbrook 70), Ball, Burgess, Leigh (Carr 70), Morsy, Taylor, Burns (Ayinde 17), Chaplin, Edwards, Ladapo.