Town’s pre-season friendly at Fortuna Düsseldorf ended in an entertaining 4-3 victory to the hosts. Fortuna went in front via a dubious Michael Liendl penalty before Freddie Sears equalised for Town. Joel Pohjanpalo restored the German side’s lead prior to the break, but goals from Brett Pitman and Ainsley Maitland-Niles briefly put the Blues in front before Christian Strohdiek and Sercan Sararer sealed Fortuna’s win.

Town boss Mick McCarthy started a team which was a mixture of regular first-teamers, fringe players and youngsters against a Fortuna Dusseldorf XI not far away from the XI which starts their Bundesliga 2 season next week against Union Berlin.

Earlier, representatives of the 600 travelling Blues, who helped make up a 5,700 sell-out crowd, won a fans’ match 7-4, before teams made up of Fortuna legends and supporters - including four of the Town fans - played a game on the main pitch.

Despite the oppressive heat, the match proper started energetically, Fortuna keeper Lars Unnarstall saving an early looping effort from Town skipper Luke Chambers.

At the other end, Bartosz Bialkowski blocked from close range, first from Sararer and then from Pohjanpalo.

Fortuna might have gone in front in the 11th minute when Liendl sent over a deep cross from the left but Didier Ya Konan tripped over his own feet as he sought to bring the ball down when in the clear. A minute later Sararer struck a low effort wide.

Myles Kenlock did well to clear from inside the six-yard area in the 14th minute after Lukas Schmitz had diverted a cross from the left towards goal.

The home side, much further through pre-season, were unsurprisingly looking the stronger side and on 17 Pohjanpalo beat Kenlock and sent over a low cross which was stabbed behind ahead of Sararer. From the corner, Karim Haggui headed powerfully just over.

Fortuna ought to have taken the lead on 20 when Ya Konan was again sent through on goal but Bialkowski was ought quickly to block.

The German team continued to control the game and on 28 Mathias Bolly shot over from the edge of the box.

Just before the half hour, Ya Konan turned Schmitz’s cross from the left past Bialkowski, but having strayed offside.

In the 33rd minute Fortuna were awarded a very generous penalty when Schmitz’s cross struck Kyle Hammond’s arm. Liendl sent Bialkowski the wrong way from the spot.

The home side could have added to their lead immediately but Bialkowski saved from Schmitz and almost immediately, the Blues levelled.

Freddie Sears chased an Adam McDonnell ball forward to the right. Unnarstall rather needlessly came well off his line and the ex-West Ham man delicately chipped into the net from the edge of the box.

Fortuna should have restored their lead within seconds when the profligate Ya Konan was found eight yards out but Bialkowski again thwarted the Ivorian. On 40, Town’s Polish keeper once more saved from Ya Konan, this time pushing his long distance effort wide down to his right.

As the half moved into injury time, Fortuna retook the lead when Pohjanpalo swept home Kevin Akpogma’s low cross from the right.

Fortuna - who looked like a team much further through pre-season throughout - deserved their lead at the break and might have been further ahead but for Bialkowski’s saves and Ya Konan’s failure to take his opportunities.

Town’s one significant chance - or perhaps half-chance - was Sears’s opportunity which he took deftly.

As at Shelbourne last week, the Blues switched their entire XI for the second half, while Fortuna continued with the line-up which started, aside from Bolly, who is returning from a long-term injury.

On 57 Schmitz curled a low shot wide with the visitors creating fewer chances since the break.

Four minutes later, the Blues got back on terms when, after good work from Josh Emmanuel and Ryan Fraser on the right, Pitman seized on the loose ball after his initial effort had been blocked, tricked his way beyond the last Fortuna defender before delicately lifting it over Unnerstall to claim his third goal in two pre-season games.

The Blues were suddenly on top and scholar Kundai Benyu saw an effort blocked after Josh Emmanuel had cut the ball back to him from the right.

Julian Koch turned the ball wide for Fortuna on 70 after a drinks break with the game continuing to be played in great heat.

Town took the lead for the first time in the game four minutes later when Bru played in Fraser on the right and the Scotland U21 international cut the ball back to Maitland-Niles, who side-footed into the corner of the net.

The lead didn’t last long, however, and in the 76th minute Christian Strohdiek diverted Liendl’s freekick from midway inside the Blues’ half into the net.

Fortuna weren’t far from nudging back in front in the 81st minute when Schmitz crossed low from the left but Pohjanpalo was just unable to add the final touch at close range.

Three minutes later, the home side did make it 4-3. Sub Julian Schauerte crossed low from the right and Sararer slammed into the roof of the net from close range to claim the win from what had been an entertaining friendly."

Blues boss Mick McCarthy will largely see the match as a fitness exercise and, despite the defeat, will be pleased his team performed so well against a side much further through their pre-season preparations.

First half: Bialkowski, Hammond, Kenlock, Chambers, Clarke, McDonnell, Connolly, Skuse, Sears, Bishop, Henshall.

Second half: Gerken, Emmanuel, Tabb, Smith, Yorwerth, Benyu, Bru, Maitland-Niles, Fraser, Stewart, Pitman. Att: 5,700 (Town: 600).

Photo: Action Images

shaunkingitfc added 19:29 - Jul 17 Not a bad result happy with new players scored goals with not best defiance on to next game coyb
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shaunkingitfc added 19:31 - Jul 17 Not a bad result happy with new players scored goals with not best defiance on to next game coyb
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SohoBlue added 19:31 - Jul 17 Decent work-out and good to see youngsters getting a look-in. The fans will get a good night Putin Düsseldorf, too! Fine local beer!
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SohoBlue added 19:32 - Jul 17 Haha. Putin? Out in. Easily mistaken....
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topguy added 19:35 - Jul 17 Maitland Niles on wing second half with pace and some trickery and took his goal well, I can see a star in the making there.
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SouperJim added 19:37 - Jul 17 Refreshing to watch us play passing football for 90 minutes with not a hoof in sight. Some of our forward play was great, Fraser and Maitland-Niles certainly caught the eye 2nd half. We looked poor at the back with only 1 senior defender each half though.
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titanicclown added 19:37 - Jul 17 Thought Emmanuel looked good. I can see him getting in the squad at some point this season. Pitman looked very classy and Maitland-Niles is clearly a player. Lots to look fwd to especially if we can recruit a couple of top defenders.
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topguy added 19:47 - Jul 17 And a goal from midfield what more can we ask, with one each from sears and pitman, we are showing the goals are the get the defence more balanced and that will come, shows promise this year, we can do it.
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TractorBoy666 added 19:48 - Jul 17 A lot of positives to take from this even though we didn't defend particulary well (with 8 different defenders who have hardly played a game with each other that can be accepted!) Pitman seems a very clinical striker and with 3 good strikers already our forward line is looking good, with wingers Maitland, Fraser and Henshall coming on well. Feel we maybe need a defender and a creative midfielder and we're looking fairly decent ahead of the new season! Got tickets for a lot of the upcoming friendlies, looking forward to it.

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hucks216 added 20:03 - Jul 17 If pre-season so far is anything to go by our strike force next season is going to be incredible regardless of who starts or comes off the bench.
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topguy added 20:14 - Jul 17 I couldn't go but saw a live video feed, and even with all the young players there seemed a hunger to get it forward and with the pace that fraser and niles showed us looked exciting, and playing the ball out successfully last season would have never been seen so to me its a look at where MM wants to go its a new style and take some time but that's what preseasons about, Lots to look forward too.

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blueboy1981 added 20:42 - Jul 17 ........ so what we lost - many of the 'happy chappies' will be full of excuses, and more than happy with that. Because that's good enough - strange - but true ...... !!! ... and you think I'm joking ??
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bluepirate added 21:41 - Jul 17 Not bad, considering we only played 10 players in the first half?
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algarvefan added 23:43 - Jul 17 Nothing more than a workout, fringe players tried out, nothing to get worked up about. It's summer time, so chill folks ;)
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harlingblue added 00:08 - Jul 18 Funny that one troll can take so much of our time and divert us from giving our opinion of the match. A good workout for all the players that were there, sounds like fine entertainment for all supporters, new style of play with new players, now that is what early pre season matches are all about?
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blueblood_soldier added 00:10 - Jul 18 Was at the game and took more positives than negatives. Back line will never be the same in a competitive match so no need to worry. Going forward we looked strong, lots of work on the wings, and pitman and sears finishes were class! Would liked to have seen 20mins of a strong side though to really gauge where we are as they played there strongest team for 85 minutes. Well done town, looking forward to Brentford!

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Sospiri added 06:06 - Jul 18 The anticipation for the season is the highest its been for years. Exciting times. Expect us to start slowly, but get better and better as the new players bed in.
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LowstBlue added 06:10 - Jul 18 I wasn't at the game and so read the report with interest. Looking at the line ups at the bottom of the match report, I feel Town must have done well to only be 2-1 down at half-time, as they only fielded 10 players........lol
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KiwiTractor added 07:22 - Jul 18 Come on guys this is killing me ........ who was the 11th player?
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kozmik added 09:11 - Jul 18 Im guessing Henshall?
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jas0999 added 11:47 - Jul 18 I know this won't be popular, but how some people can claim a 4-3 defeat is 'not a bad result' is beyond me. Is that what it has come to, people accepting and pleAsed with a defeat? Strange in my opinion. The result is not really important however, although for me any defeat it disappointing, it's not the end of the world. For me, it's a good work out against opposition further advanced in terms of pre season. Also an apportunity for the youngsters to impress Mick, and for Mick to assess whether they are ready for a Champinship season. Out of the nine, I suspect one or two are, which still leaves us looking very short and weak of numbers at the back. I still think we need to add a couple of defenders. We have four - excluding Clarke who is not yet an experienced player. With Berra suspended, Parr known to miss a few games through injury we need more and now. Having had an entire pre season, £8M in the bank, it's not unreasonable to expect us to field four experienced defenders at Brentford. They are a good attacking team, it's not reasonable to rely on a youngster or two in that first game. A new signing please Mick.conceding four yesterday demonstrates the need.

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chenners17 added 16:22 - Jul 18 After watching the game, I was pleased with how we kept the ball on the floor and were playing some decent stuff. Was so nice to see us with wingers who run at the defence with pace and power! Maitland Niles looks a player alright!! will he start though being only 17 yrs old?
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runningout added 21:14 - Jul 18 I'm pessimistic as usual, I expect victory every game, whoever whenever we play... I must be odd... Maybe it's a case of ''Those were the days''
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BerlinBlue added 21:59 - Jul 18 I didn't know Didier Ya Konan was at Fortuna now. I remember him a few seasons back at Hannover 96 in the 1. Bundesliga. Very tasty striker. No disrespect to the German second division, but I think he may be somewhat underchallenged there. Just checked up on him and found he's not the youngest at 31, but reckon he could do a good job in our division. Pity!
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GavTWTD added 05:32 - Jul 19 Apologies. I've had to remove all Callis' comments and some real comments have been swept away as a result.
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