Town got their pre-season programme off to a winning start as Burton were defeated 3-0 at the Pirelli Stadium. Matt Richards opened the scoring on 17 with Alan Lee netting soon afterwards and then from the penalty spot 10 minutes before the break.

Richards's goal came from an O'Callaghan cut-back, the left-sided midfielder beating Burton keeper Kevin Poole with a low drive into the net.

The home side went close to scoring soon afterwards but failed to convert and the Blues broke quickly. Poole saved Jon Walters's shot but Alan Lee followed up to chip the ball into the net from just inside the area.

Town's goalscoring was complete on 35 after the referee awarded a soft penalty for a push from a corner. Lee took the kick and sent the keeper the wrong way.

The Blues made wholesale changes at the break and introduced manager Jim Magilton just after the hour mark. His Burton counterpart Nigel Clough joined him in the action soon afterwards.

Jordan Rhodes, playing his first game for the senior side other than the recent training matches with Woodbridge and Leiston, had a couple of chances but failed to open his account, while midfielder Liam Trotter also one or two early second half opportunities.

Billy Clarke came close to a goal late on but shot wide, while Burton's Danny Holmes saw a shot cannon off the bar with Lewis Price beaten.

The home side had started the game well and played some tidy if largely unthreatening football, but Town gradually took control and put in a solid performance above the usual pre-season friendly standard, although the second half was rather disrupted by all the substitutions.

Dan Harding and Matt Richards — the only Town man to play the whole game - combined well down the left, while George O'Callaghan was also amongst Town's more impressive players. Owen Garvan played the first 45 minutes and showed few signs of his apparent recent upset.

Town: Supple (Price 46), Wright (Moore 46), Harding (Synnott 46), De Vos (Miller 46), Bruce (Casement 46), Sito (Magilton 63), Garvan (Trotter 46), O'Callaghan (Rhodes 63), Lee (Haynes 46), Walters (Clarke 46), Richards. Att: 935.

Thanks to the ITFC North of the England Supporters for the report.

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