Town's reserves got the pre-season fixtures under way with a 9-2 victory over Saffron Walden Town at the Essex side's Catons Way ground. The Blues used a large squad made-up of reserve and Academy players with only Richard Logan and Nabil Abidallah having played for the Town first team, although keeper James Pullen made senior appearances when on loan at Blackpool.

The goalscoring started early, striker Steve Burton being pulled down inside the area in just the fourth minute. Winger Robert Dickinson stepped up to score from the spot.

The second cam only five minutes later, Matt Bloomfield heading home a corner which the home side had failed to scramble away.

Richard Logan, Town's senior man on the night, will count himself fortunate to have scored the Town third on 17. His weak 25-yarder was bundled into the net by the Saffron Walden keeper who ought to have collected with ease.

Logan, who had a loan spell at Torquay last season, would have been happier with his second and Town's fourth. Nabil Abidallah played a defence-splitting ball and the striker ran on and lashed the ball home.

Town went five-up on 39. Abidallah crossed from the right and Beevers headed home unchallenged.

A minute later the home side struck back, Ben Riches profiting from a mix-up between Beevers and Pullen and stabbing the ball into an empty net.

Half-time saw three subs for Town. On came Robinson, Hogg and Smith and off Burton, Dickinson and right-back Okay. The second half was to be punctuated by innumerable substitutions from both sides.

It took a while for the Blues to add to their total, but eventually sub Robinson added another from a ball laid back by Morrow.

Saffron Walden added their second via a Simon King shot through a crowd of players after a corner was half-cleared.

With 12 minutes left on the clock Morrow scored the best goal of the night. He took a long ball over the top on the volley sending it powerfully past the helpless keeper for the seventh.

The eighth saw Robinson make a run through the middle before rounding the keeper and hitting a low shot past defenders on the line.

As time ran out Town's scoring was completed by an own goal from defender Salmon.

Town: Pullen, Okay (Hogg), Richards (Boardley), Westlake (Abidallah), J Miller (Chaffey), Beevers (Bonwick), Abidallah (O'Connor), Bloomfield (Snowdon), Burton (Robinson), Logan (Morrow) and Dickinson (Smith).

Photo: Action Images

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