Town's reserves got their pre-season off to a winning start by thrashing Gorleston 8-0 at their Emerald Park ground. Ed Upson and trialist Shane O'Connor netted twice, while David Cawley, Ronan Murray, Reggie Lambe and a Gorleston defender scored once.

Midfielder Cawley put the Blues in front in the 13th minute when he beat a player 22 yards out and lashed a shot into the top corner.

Three minutes later, Upson threaded the ball through to released Liverpool academy striker O'Connor and the trialist flicked it over the keeper.

The goals kept coming and on 19 Upson pulled the ball back from the byline to Ronan Murray, who beat the keeper from six yards.

Almost immediately, Reggie Lambe added the fourth, tapping in Murray's cross from three yards. On 24 Jack Ainsley crossed and Upson rifled home.

It took the Blues another 20 minutes to add the sixth, the final goal of the first half, O'Connor inexplicably beating the keeper from 30 yards.

Upson scored his second of the game from a precisely placed 25-yard freekick on 56, then two minutes later O'Connor's header from a corner was diverted into the net by a defender to complete the scoring.

Town dominated from start to finish and should have scored significantly more goals. Ed Upson looked a class above anyone else on the pitch, controlling the game from left midfield in the first half and a central role in the second.

New signing Troy Brown had few chances to show his defensive skills given the lack of Gorleston attacks and the same went for trialist Niall McArdle, let go by Sunderland at the end of the season, and academy recruit Rory McKeown.

Tow-goal Shane O'Connor put in an impressive display and can't have done his hopes of joining Town any harm with his performance.

Reserves: McLoughlin, Ainsley (Meekings 64), Dunbar (McKeown 64), Hyam, Brown (Jones 69), McArdle (Eastman 56), Lambe (Griffiths 56), Cawley, Murray (Clark 69), Upson, O'Connor (Carson 59).

Photo: Action Images

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