Jack Taylor’s goal was enough to see the Blues to an impressive 1-0 victory over Hoffenheim at the Kufstein Arena this afternoon. The midfielder struck just before half-time and also hit the woodwork in the second half along with Wes Burns as the Blues comfortably defeated the German side, who will play in this season’s Europa League.
Omari Hutchinson was named in the XI for his first game of pre-season on the left of the attacking three, having been out with a minor niggle, with Conor Chaplin in the centre and Marcus Harness on the right. Liam Delap was the lone striker.
Skipper Sam Morsy was joined by Taylor in the centre of midfield with Jacob Greaves and Luke Woolfenden the centre-halves, Leif Davis and Ben Johnson the full-backs and Aro Muric in goal.
George Hirst was a notable new absentee, while Burns, who suffered an ankle injury against Fortuna Düsseldorf, was among the subs. Youngsters Ryan Carr, Leon Ayinde and Osman Foyo were also on the bench.
After a heavy pre-match deluge had subsided, the Blues started brightly, Harness playing a ball through for Delap on six which was overhit, then on 10 Morsy wafted a free-kick to the left post but Woolfenden was adjudged to have committed a foul.
Three minutes later, Davis whipped a freekick over from the left and Chaplin headed sharply just over the bar.
On 19, Morsy fouled Tom Bischof on halfway and was probably lucky to escape a card, then Delap annoyed the Hoffenheim fans in the sparse crowd by clattering into the German side’s captain Oliver Baumann as the keeper looked to clear.
Eight minutes later, after Hoffenheim had had a spell in the Town final third but having had a tight move into the area snuffed out, Davis sought to make the most of a Baumann error but shot into the side-netting from a tight angle.
In the 36th minute, with the Blues keeping Hoffenheim pinned back in their final third, Morsy unleashed a 25-yard effort which curled away and just over to Baumann’s left.
As the half moved towards its final five minutes, Johnson broke forward on the right before shooting across the face and wide.
On 42, Delap was thwarted by Baumann after turning his man, taking it towards goal and hitting a shot which the keeper plucked out of the air to his left.
The Blues were looking more threatening and a minute later they took the lead. Davis played a corner on the right short to Hutchinson, who took it inside before playing a low ball which beat Chaplin but found an unmarked Taylor, who slammed into the net from eight yards.
Moments before the end of the scheduled 45 minutes, Town almost scored again via the same route. Davis and Hutchinson played the same corner and this time the former Chelsea man crossed to the far post from where Greaves headed just wide, the ex-Hull City defender clearly annoyed that he’d missed.
There was time for another chance in the one minute of time added-on, Town breaking forward and Harness finding Chaplin on the left of the box but his shot was wide.
Town had ended the half creating chances after a period of few opportunities but with the Blues having been very comfortable and on top throughout, keeper Muric having been a virtual spectator and Hoffenheim not having managed a shot off target let alone one on with their forays into the final third very rare.
Manager Kieran McKenna made five changes at the break with Woolfenden, Greaves, Johnson, Hutchinson and Morsy replaced by George Edmundson, Cameron Burgess, Axel Tuanzebe, making his first appearance of pre-season, Massimo Luongo and Burns, who went to the right with Harness switching to the left. Hoffenheim swapped Kramaric for Florian Grillitsch.
The Bundesliga side were the first to threaten after the restart, Andrej Kramaric flicking a header from a corner on the right towards goal and Ihlas Bebou somehow managed to divert it into Muric’s arms from on the line at the post.
Town went close five minutes into the half. Davis playing a low corner in to Chaplin from the right, the forward taking a touch onto his left foot before smashing a shot across the face of goal and wide.
Four minutes later, they went even closer, Taylor bringing the ball forward on the left before smashing a powerful shot off Baumann’s left post. It ran across the face to Burns, but his low ball to Chaplin was cut out.
Within a minute, Town bit the woodwork again. Harness’s free-kick from the right reached Burns on the left of the box and the Welshman’s shot flew across the face and struck the face of the far post.
On 58, Delap shot into the side-netting after good work from Harness on the edge of the area.
Four minutes later, the Blues introduced last week’s signing Conor Townsend for Davis at left-back and Freddie Ladapo for Delap, who had gone close a couple of times without opening his Town account. The German side swapped Tim Drexler and Bischof for Jacob Bruun Larsen and Lars Strob.
Following the changes, Hoffenheim were seeing most of the ball but without threatening. On 73, Town replaced Taylor with youngster Carr.
Three minutes later, a loose ball fell to Grisha Prömel on the edge of the area after a poor touch from the sub but his shot flew well wide when he should have scored.
Hoffenheim brought on Julian Justvan, Muhammed Damar and Hennes Behrens for Marius Bülter, Pavel Kaderabek and Moersted, then a minute later, Town switched keeper Muric, who had had to make one save all match, for Christian Walton.
The Blues number one was forced into action for the first time in the 82nd minute when Max Moerstedt was played in on the right of the area and hit a shot from a tight angle which the keeper stopped with his feet.
A minute later, Muhammed Damar curled a powerfully struck free-kick which Walton did very well to palm behind to his left.
On 85, Hoffenheim switched Stach, Prömel, Bebou and Kevin Akpoguma for Atilla Szalai, Diadie Samassekou, Florian Micheler and Simon Kalambayi.
A minute later, Town swapped youngsters Osman Foyo and Leon Ayinde for Chaplin and Harness.
As the game moved into injury time, Ladapo was played through on goal and was flagged offside, however replays revealed the striker was well onside when the ball was played.
That was the last action of a game from which Town fully deserved their victory. The Blues were very much the better side during the game before the substitutions saw it lose its shape and momentum.
Taylor’s goal was enough to see them to victory but they had other chances with the former Peterborough man and Burns hitting the woodwork, while Hoffenheim, who finished seventh in the Bundesliga last season, had only a couple of chances with Muric and Walton making one very decent save apiece.
Boss McKenna will be very pleased with the display, the best of pre-season so far with one friendly to go - OGC Nice at Portman Road next Saturday - before the season proper opens in a fortnight against Liverpool.
Town: Muric (Walton 75), Johnson (Tuanzebe 46), Woolfenden (Edmundson 46), Greaves (Burgess 46), Davis (Townsend 62), Morsy (c) (Luongo 46), Taylor (Carr 73), Harness (Ayinde 86), Chaplin (Foyo 86), Hutchinson (Burns 46), Delap (Ladapo 62).
Hoffenheim: Baumann (c), Kaderabek (Damar 76), Drexler (Strobl 62), Prömel (Samassekou 85), Bischof (Bruun Larsen 62), Bebou (Micheler 85), Stach (Szalai 85), Bülter (Justvan 76), Akpoguma (Kalambayi 85), Kramaric (Grillitsch 46), Moerstedt (Behrens 76). Unused: Phillip, Beier.