Town's reserve got their attempt to retain the FA Premier Reserve League (South) title off to a fine start with a 3-0 win at Leicester.

The game was of course a dress rehearsal for the first team match on Sunday - although at Portman Road of course. The match was free to get into at the new Walkers Stadium, just a stone's throw away from the old pit they called Filbert Street. That still stands and looks in a sorry state - as it always did. The new fox-hole is all shiny and blue, with a huge mural of Gary Linekaka outside. It's almost identical to the new Southampton ground, or Derby, or.. Very neat.

Not too many first team regulars in the line-up. Richard Naylor got a run out and I saw more of Ulrich Le Pen than I have done since he joined us. Well, I didn't really recognise him from distance actually, like a few of the others.

So then, across the back in front of Pullen in goal, we had (left to right) Richards, Veno, Miller Jnr, and Artun. The midfield started out as Le Pen, Westlake, Bloomfield and Abidallah. The front men were Naylor and Logan.

From the start, Venus was pretty vocal at the back, shepherding his younger colleagues about and generally being in the right place at the right time. Let's hope it rubs off on them; we'll need some extra bodies in defence by the looks of it. Pullen too, was very commanding, his voice echoing over the pitch and up into the stands.

One side of the ground was open tonight, the rest with just a few ball boys 'n girls. Apparently Leicester were trying to break a record attendance figure for a reserve match, hence the free entry. Not sure it worked, but the open stand was quite full with over 6,000 spectators. I didn't see any Town shirts. Pullen's opposite number was none other than Tim Flowers.

Within a few minutes, Leicester's Martin Reeves forced the ref to get his book out for the first time, apparently for impeding on a free kick. This woke the crowd up briefly, not that the game wasn't interesting, it just lacked a stand-side atmosphere. The free kick came to nothing.

Miller and Artun were linking up well after perhaps a vague start, and both put in some strong challenges and by the end of the match seemed to be communicating well.

Nabil Abidallah was pretty nippy throughout - although a tad too much at one point when the ref booked him for fouling a huge Leicester defender. A bit David and Goliath really. The game was never dirty though, and none of the cautioned players showed any malice on the night.

Town pressed as much as Leicester, and won several corners, but it was a throw-in deep in the Leicester half which almost saw a goal. The ball found its way to Abidallah who crossed and eventually Naylor had an opportunity which he headed just wide. He was to have a better headed chance saved soon afterwards from another corner, this time it went straight at the 'keeper.

It didn't all go our way, the Foxes broke several times and on one particular occasion Veno was at fault, losing the ball which led to a quick cross and scramble in the Town defence. Luckily the shot went wide.

Town went straight up the other end and Logan, who ran onto a neat through ball, attempted to chip the advancing 'keeper but it went wide. Then it was back up to our end, and Trevor Benjamin forced Pullen into a first-class diving save. Pullen was called into action several times, and made some very good clean saves on the night, notably a full stretch diving punch with both hands - I liked that.

Several more chances came and went - Logan missed a golden chance which he merely passed into Flowers' hands. The opener didn't look like it would arrive before half time, but then a looping cross was sent into the Leicester box and a tall defender climbed over Naylor's back (I think) and the penalty was given. Logan stepped up, shot to the 'keeper's right who saved it at full stretch. One of those days.

The deadlock was broken before the whistle though, and it was none other than Veno who got it, from a free kick of course. It was a low drive, and it may have taken a deflection, as I did see the 'keeper dive the wrong way, but they all count. 1-0 at half time.

The restart saw Royce replace Flowers in the Leicester goal, but no changes for the Tractor Boys. Once again, both teams pressed forward. Another Venus free kick this time came to nothing, although the poor soul who it hit in the wall will remember it. The Town changes weren't made until later, Beevers coming on for Logan on 74.

The game saw a spell of corners at both ends. Both defences remained pretty solid despite some frantic stuff. The luckless Benjamin raised the crowd's volume and hopes as he broke into the box, but his shot soared over the cross bar by at least 20ft. "Useless" the guy in front said, "always useless" (He didn't rate Scowcroft either, I discovered later).

The troubles mounted for Leicester when they had Martin Reeves sent off on 78, he got his second yellow for a rash challenge on Bloomfield near the half way line.

The second goal came in the 85th minute and just as we needed it - we looked like we might concede at times and it secured the game. After some good work on the left, Le Pen crossed the ball in beyond the defence for Naylor, who dived in for a dramatic header at the back post. I thought it was John Wark for a second, but the ginger hair was a giveaway. Even the home crowd clapped Naylor's brilliant header.

The Foxes all but gave up, and in extra time, Naylor again made an excellent run through a sleeping defence and slotted the ball into the bottom corner, giving the 'keeper no chance. The result will be just the start Steve McCall's reserves wanted. It was a good match, and I stood up to leave and found a fiver - which was nice.

Tractor Girl's (Claire's) man-of-the-match award went to James Pullen in goal for his outstanding saves, especially when the game was at evens.

Thanks to Blu Ju from www.tractorboys.com for the report.

Photo: Action Images

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