Dartford 0-0 Ipswich Town - Half-Time Saturday, 10th Jul 2021 14:03 Town’s first pre-season friendly against Dartford at Princes Park remains 0-0 at half-time. All six of Town’s summer signings - Wes Burns, Lee Evans, Rekeem Harper, Macauley Bonne, Vaclav Hladky and Matt Penney - started the first half as the Blues got their pre-season fixtures under way. Released Town youngster Kai Brown was among the subs for Dartford, who play in National League South. The Blues squad wore black armbands and the game was preceded by a minute’s applause in tribute to Paul Mariner, whose death was announced this morning. Town fans were at an away game for the first time since the visit to Blackpool in early February 2020. With rain falling steadily, Bonne, playing in a front two alongside James Norwood, went close to his first goal for his hometown club in only the second minute, taking the ball on a couple of strides before hitting a powerful shot which struck the top of the bar. The game started at an unusually frantic pace for a pre-season friendly, perhaps due to the atmosphere created by the returning fans. On seven Luke Woolfenden headed wide from a corner on the right off a defender. In the 14th minute, Penney crossed low from the left after good work from Armando Dobra but home keeper Dan Wilks claimed ahead of Norwood. The game continued to played at a pace far higher than a lot of the Blues’ first-team fixtures last season with the new signings very much involved. Evans sprayed a number of passes out to the flanks, while Penney showed his attacking intent with numerous crosses from the left. Harper was very neat and tidy in the centre of midfield, showing quick feet, while Burns showed his pace down the right and Bonne his strength up front, in addition to his early effort at goal. Hladky hadn’t been called into action. On 29 Bonne hit the woodwork again, this time the outside of the left post, after more good work from Dobra, however, the linesman had raised his flag. Two minutes later, the Albanian U21 international felt he should have been awarded a penalty when he drove into the box before being felled. The referee showed no interest. In the final scheduled minute before the break, Burns made a run from inside the Town half before eventually being brought down 25 yards out. Norwood’s free-kick slammed into the gut of one of those in the wall. That was the final action of a lively and unusually competitive half. Bonne had gone closest to a goal with his early strike and it was Town who presented the greater threat throughout, albeit without creating many clear-cut chances. At the other end, Hladky had had a quiet first 45 minutes in goal for the Blues. As expected, Town will change their entire XI ahead of the second half with Tomas Holy the only senior man involved. Town first half: Hladky, Donacien, Nsiala, Woolfenden, Penney, Harper, Evans, Burns, Dobra, Norwood, Bonne. Town second half: Holy, Agbaje, Stewart, Ndaba, Armin, El Mizouni, Chirewa, Humphreys, Nwabueze, Valentine, Buabo.
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