Conor Chaplin scored a hat-trick and Matt Penney, Tommy Hughes, Freddie Ladapo and Greg Leigh netted one each as the Blues hammered Needham Market 7-0 in their first pre-season friendly at Bloomfields.

Dom Ball made his first appearance in a Town shirt as part of the XI fielded in the first half of a game played in two 30-minute halves.

Ball was in the centre of midfield alongside Cameron Humphreys with Janoi Donacien at right-back, Penney at left-back and Luke Woolfenden and Corrie Ndaba the centre-halves. Christian Walton was in goal.

Tawanda Chirewa and Kyle Edwards were the widemen with skipper Sone Aluko behind lone striker Joe Pigott.

With Mark Steed, the chief investment officer of Arizona’s Public Safety Personnel Retirement System, the pension fund which owns a 90 per cent stake in Blues owner Gamechanger 20, watching the team live for the first time, Ball won an early corner after his first minute shot from the edge of the box was deflected behind.

In the ninth minute, home keeper Marcus Garnham did well to get down to his right to save Pigott’s low shot from just outside the area after good work from Chirewa.

Three minutes later, skipper Aluko curled a free-kick to Garnham’s left which the keeper may have got his fingertips to before it came back off the post and was cleared.

On 14, a corner was played short to Chirewa on the left and the forward cut inside a defender before hitting a low shot which Garnham palmed into the side-netting.

There was a scare for the Blues a minute later when Needham youngster Seth Chambers momentarily found some space breaking towards the area but Woolfenden came across to block his path.

In the 18th minute Town finally took the lead. Edwards brought the ball into the area on the right and having stumbled laid it across to Penney on the other side of the box, who stroked past Garnham.

Two minutes later, the former Sheffield Wednesday man almost had a second, Edwards again having done well on the right and cut across.

Edwards created another opportunity on 25, cutting back from the right to Pigott, who scuffed his effort to Garnham.

In the 27th minute Aluko skipped his way through a number of defenders on his way into the area before hitting a low shot across Garnham but beyond the post.

That was the last action of the first 30 minutes in which Town had unsurprisingly dominated and had created numerous chances, despite scoring the one goal with Edwards having been the standout performer.

In the second half, Vaclav Hladky was in goal with Cameron Burgess joined by Rekeem Harper at the centre of the defence. Idris El Mizouni was at right-back, a role he operated in as an academy player, with new signing Leigh on the left.

Lee Evans and captain Sam Morsy were in the centre of midfield with Hughes, Chaplin and Kane Vincent-Young the three behind lone striker Freddie Ladapo, who was making his first appearance in a Town shirt.

Recent loan signing from Arsenal Tyreece John-Jules was absent along with Wes Burns and Elkan Baggott, who have been given additional time away having been on international duty and Kayden Jackson and George Edmundson, who aren’t yet ready to return after their injuries at the end of last season.

Just over a minute after the restart, Tommy Hughes blazed over after exchanging passes with Leigh on the left.

Less than a minute later, Hughes was on target, Vincent-Young cut back from the right and Hughes hit a low shot through Garnham and into the net.

On 37, Ladapo was unable to get enough on Vincent-Young’s cross from the left and the ball flew wide.

El Mizouni wasn’t far away from Town’s third in the 41st minute, the Tunisia international hitting a 25-yard strike towards the top corner which Garnham did well to palm over the bar.

Six minutes later, Ladapo exchanged passes with Hughes before shooting wide from a promising position under pressure.

A minute later, Chaplin made it 3-0 when he fired his first home from eight yards after Morsy had helped on a Leigh cross from the left.

Immediately after the kick-off Town made it four, Ladapo deftly chipping the Needham sub keeper to claim his first goal for the Blues.

Evans made way after playing 22 minutes in what looked to be a planned substitution. Albie Armin took over, going to centre-half with Harper moving into midfield.

In the 54th minute it was five, Hughes from the right and Chaplin headed home his second of the afternoon.

After a low Morsy shot had been deflected wide, Leigh made it 6-0 when he tapped home at the far post from El Mizouni’s right-sided cross.

In injury time, Chaplin made it seven with his third of the game, the ball clipping the wall on its way into the net.

Seconds later, the referee’s whistle ended a comfortable victory for the Blues who dominated Needham, who started pre-season training this week and have lost a number of last season’s regulars, from start to finish of both halves.

Chaplin will be pleased with his hat-trick and Ladapo, Leigh and youngster Hughes will be particularly pleased to have got their pre-seasons off to a goalscoring start, while Edwards and Vincent-Young respectively were an ever-present danger on the right.

The game was followed by penalty shoot-outs simultaneously at both ends before a signing session with the Blues players.

Town first half XI: Walton, Donacien, Woolfenden, Ndaba, Penney, Ball, Humphreys, Chirewa, Aluko (c), Edwards, Pigott.

Town second half: Hladky, El Mizouni, Leigh, Harper, Burgess, Morsy (c), Evans (Armin 22), Vincent-Young, Chaplin, Hughes, Ladapo.

Photo: Pagepix

chenners17 added 14:27 - Jun 25 good workout for the team. Goals breed confidence in strikers so great for chaplin and ladapo to get a few goals.
12

Saxonblue74 added 14:28 - Jun 25 Sounds pretty convincing!
5

jas0999 added 14:42 - Jun 25 Although they say pre season results don't matter, scoring seven is clearly a good thing and helps build confidence. Great to see the new striker get off the mark and scoring three won't do Chaplin any harm! Overall a good workout.
7

ringwoodblue added 15:03 - Jun 25 Well done Chappers! Great result! Pigott can't even score against this poor opposition so he has no future at the club imho.
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arc added 15:31 - Jun 25 I bet we lost the penalty shoot-out ;-)
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TractorBeezer added 15:35 - Jun 25 Thanks for the prompt report Phil. Sounds promising!
6

algarvefan added 15:38 - Jun 25 Games like these are about getting players ready and easing them back in to playing competitive matches. I'm not going to read much into the result, although it looks good, nice to see no injuries and that the game was treated as a community event on Armed Forces Day. Well done Town, lets keep improving ready for the big push this coming season.
3

chepstowblue added 16:01 - Jun 25 I've said on numerous occasions that the worse thing currently about our club is the arrogant attitude of many of our fans, who think that we only need to turn up to get the points. So I'm slightly ashamed to say that I honestly believe that we'd win the Southern league Premier division Central !
2

Lightningboy added 16:26 - Jun 25 I think Chaplin could be the 25+ goal scorer we're looking for next season - if played as a striker.
5

blues1 added 16:31 - Jun 25 Ringwoodblue. Just the kind of pathetic comment I'd expect from some on here.
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Nobbysnuts added 16:45 - Jun 25 Forget the the 7 nil against this Sunday league rubbish I'm more concerned about edmunson still not ready....... worrying.
-5

Stato added 17:32 - Jun 25 Chaplin is underrated by many fans and the manager who clearly has been recruiting tall players. It wouldn't surprise me if he was sold back to Portsmouth maybe. Hope I'm wrong but I'm not expecting to see him start against Bolton.
-8

Stato added 17:32 - Jun 25 Chaplin is underrated by many fans and the manager who clearly has been recruiting tall players. It wouldn't surprise me if he was sold back to Portsmouth maybe. Hope I'm wrong but I'm not expecting to see him start against Bolton.
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Blue_Moses added 17:56 - Jun 25 Nice run out, bit odd hearing the young town fans behind the goal giving it to the Needham fans who are 99% Ipswich fans but they you go. Also got a lot of stick but the Needham keeper is decent and made some really good saves
1

Blue_Moses added 17:58 - Jun 25 Bossman - Chaplin isn't going anywhere, one of the first names on the teamsheet
3

grinch added 18:16 - Jun 25 Piggot has picked up where he left off last season can't even score against Needham. We need to get rid of him. Good run out for rest of team. Need the announcement of a proper number 9 we will need a 20+ striker this year and currently we don't have that
3

shedboy added 18:21 - Jun 25 I was at the game today and thought it was a brilliant advert for how the new look Ipswich town are once again creating powerful links with the community such a brilliantly well run club in Needham market got the full benefit of a packed house. Supporters got to see some of the new signings and get up close to the town players Who posed for photographs and autographs at the end of the game. The score line was irrelevant and as I was walking back to my car the main feeling was pride for my club and the direction it's heading in and made me feel excited for the season ahead. A big thank you to all of the volunteers at Needham Market for all their efforts to make it such a well run afternoon out.

12

Linkboy13 added 18:38 - Jun 25 I will judge the team when we come up against Millwall and West Ham who we have found it difficult to score against in past friendlies. Anyone who's played the game will know this was no test for the team.
1

RobsonWark added 19:03 - Jun 25 No goals from Pigott again! He was totally useless in every game I saw him play last season.
0

Cadiar added 19:12 - Jun 25 Interesting to see Harper as a central defender. Maybe KM has plans!
0

blues1 added 20:05 - Jun 25 Some of our fans are pathetic. From whst I've read piggott had only one chance to score in his 30 mins. And the keeper made a good save. Its not down to him to create his own chances is it? Wasn't until thdx2ndxgalc we started fo create chances for the strikers. And surprise, surprise, when we created chances for them, they scored. Some of the chances at any rate. Give piggott a run of games and create chances for him, he'll score goals. So try getting behind him instead of constantly slagging him off. Needs to get some confidence. Fans doing to him exactly what they did to keane. And look wgat happened when we got rid of him.

2

ringwoodblue added 21:36 - Jun 25 blues1 - if Pigott isn't scoring for us (based on last season not today's game) then who cares if he goes and scores for someone else? I'm only interested in our players and we can't afford to have even one of our four strikers not scoring.
2

KiwiTractor added 22:04 - Jun 25 No sign of Dobra - is he unavailable or just not getting a look in?
2

blues1 added 08:44 - Jun 26 Ringwoodblue. My point is, give him a run of games, and he'll score goals. No player can getmatch fitness or any confidence if they're playing as infrequently as he did last season. The odd start here and there,,and a few sub appearances or the last 10-15 minutes of games is no use to anyone. The one time he got a run of 5 games at thdxstart of the season, he scored 3 goals. It may be that he's not goals fit in with the way we're gonna play, but fans need to cut the guy some slack. Again my point re keane is fans slagged him off,saying he was rubbish. He goes to Wigan scores 25+ goals. If we'd had him last year, scoring like that we'd likely have got promoted. Do we really wanna risk losing a player who's proven to score goals in this lge. U say u don't care if he scores goals for some1 else? Bet hvwould if he came down here with some1 else and scored a hattrick, and cost us promotion. Certainly if he gets his chance and fails this season then yes, we should get rid. But theres a good player in there. Just needs the opportunity to show it.

1

bbg added 12:18 - Jun 26 Will never understand those who call themselves supporters who abuse their own players. What do they expect that will do for their team or the the confidence of the player. Any player can have a bad run of form. Anyone who had watched Will Keane knew there was a player in there. Likewise Piggott's record shows he has goals in him. If you want your team to do well, support them.

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