Town’s friendly against Charlton Athletic at Colchester United’s JobServe Community Stadium remains 0-0 at the break with the Blues having had first-half chances to go in front.
Manager Kieran McKenna said on Friday that the XI which came on after 65 minutes at Aberdeen would start this evening and that was essentially the case but with three changes.
Christian Walton was in goal with Ben Johnson, who started at Pittodrie, at right-back and Conor Townsend on the left. Luke Woolfenden was at right centre-half with Cedric Kipre to his left.
In central midfield, Cameron Humphreys was joined by Finley Barbrook, an unused sub on Friday, with Chieo Ogbene on the right, Conor Chaplin in the middle and Jack Clarke, another starter at Aberdeen, on the left having been used on the right so far in pre-season. Ali Al-Hamadi was the lone striker.
Ashley Young and Omari Hutchinson, who are behind on their pre-seasons, were named on the bench for the Blues along with Elkan Baggott, a second-half sub at Aberdeen, Dara O’Shea, Leif Davis, Jack Taylor, Sammie Szmodics, Jaden Philogene, George Hirst, David Button and Aro Muric.
Harry Clarke and Nathan Broadhead, who is strongly linked with a move to Wrexham, were absent from the squad, as were Azor Matusiwa, Alex Palmer and Jacob Greaves with a Town side largely made up of U21s having played Colchester United in a friendly this afternoon, the U’s winning 1-0.
There was little action of note until the 16th minute when Ogbene did well down the right and his low cross was deflected behind. From the corner, the ball reached Chaplin beyond the far post but the linesman raised his flag as the diminutive forward, wearing the captain’s armband, nodded back into the danger zone.
Town began to control things and on 20 determined pressing from Clarke led to the Addicks right-back losing the ball and finding Al-Hamadi on the left of the box. The Iraq international cut back to Chaplin but his effort was blocked.
In the 27th minute, Clarke was fouled just outside the area. The ball was tapped to the ex-Sunderland man, whose shot deflected off the wall through to Al-Hamadi, who missed his back-heel, then wafted at it a second time it sent it wide.
Three minutes later, with Town well in control, Humphreys sent the ball wide to Ogbene, who crossed low to Al-Hamadi, who with his back to goal laid it off to Humphreys breaking into the area but his shot was blocked by keeper Thomas Kaminski.
On 33, following a corner taken short on the left, Clarke teed-up Barbrook on the edge of the box, the midfielder, who wasn’t looking out of place in the senior side, took a touch before hitting a well-struck shot which caught a defender and looped over.
Six minutes later, Kipre cut out an attempted Charlton break on halfway and eventually Chaplin cleverly turned his man on the edge of the box and fed through Al-Hamadi but the former AFC Wimbledon man staggered as he hit a low shot straight at Kaminski.
That was the last action of a half which the Blues had largely controlled and from which they ought to have claimed the lead.
Town had created three decent chances, Al-Hamadi having been unable to take two of them and Humphreys’ effort from the Iraq international’s lay-back having been stopped by the visitors’ keeper. Barbrook, who had again impressed, wasn’t too far away with his strike which deflected over.
At the other end, Walton in the Blues goal had been untested with the Town backline having been comfortable.
Town: Walton, Johnson, Woolfenden, Kipre, Townsend, Barbrook, Humphreys, Ogbene, Chaplin (c), J Clarke, Al-Hamadi. Subs: Button, Young, O’Shea, Baggott, Davis, Taylor, Hutchinson, Szmodics, Philogene, Hirst, Muric.
Charlton: Kaminski, Ramsay, A Mitchell, Gillesphey, Trialist A, Rankin-Costello, Anderson, Carey, Trialist B, Kanu, Olaofe. Subs: Maynard-Brewer, Jones, Bell, Z Mitchell, Edwards, Fullah, Coventry, Docherty, Apter, Campbell, Ahadme, Mbick, Kelman.