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Stevenage 2-1 Ipswich Town - Match Report
Saturday, 22nd Jul 2023 17:23

George Hirst netted his second goal in two games but the Blues fell to their second friendly defeat of the afternoon as Stevenage ran out 2-1 winners at the Lamex Stadium. Jamie Reid gave the League One side the lead in the fifth minute, then Ben Thompson made it 2-0 four minutes after the restart prior to sub Hirst pulling one back on 68.

Christian Walton was in goal with Dominic Ball again at right-back with Greg Leigh on the left and George Edmundson, back after an ankle problem, and Elkan Baggott the centre-halves.

In central midfield, skipper Sam Morsy was joined by Jack Taylor with Kayden Jackson, Sone Aluko and Kyle Edwards behind Nathan Broadhead, the central striker.

Hirst was among the subs although not listed on the teamsheet, but Wes Burns (calf), Janoi Donacien (tendon) and Harry Clarke (tendon) weren’t involved in either of this afternoon’s matches. Cameron Humphreys missed out having suffered a concussion at Preston on Wednesday.

League One Stevenage included former Town forward Jordan Roberts in their starting line-up.

The game kicked-off in heavy rain on a fast, wet pitch. Due to the conditions, keeper Walton struggled to claim an early high ball following a corner but will have been relieved to have been given a fairly generous free-kick by referee Will Finnie.

Boro had started brightly and in the fifth minute they went in front. The ball was played in from the right by Alex MacDonald and Reid turned and hit a shot through Edmundson and then through the unsighted Walton.

Town gradually began to adjust to the conditions and on 14 Taylor smashed a shot from the edge of the box which deflected wide.

With Stevenage still having had more of the game, Edwards let fly from 25 yards in the 24th minute but saw the ball land well into the empty stand behind the goal.

Three minutes later, Town old boy Roberts robbed Baggott just outside the box to the right and took the ball on before curling a low cross-shot which Walton gathered at a stretch.


As the game moved to the half hour mark, Aluko played a superb ball through for Edwards to chase but home keeper Kristian Hegyi was quickly off his line to block on the edge of the area.

As the half drew to a close, the Blues were seeing more of the ball but still without looking particularly convincing and were still a goal down when the whistle blew.

Town had started slowly and gave away what manager Kieran McKenna will feel was a disappointing early goal.

From there, the Blues never really got going in the sodden conditions with Aluko’s through ball for Edwards the highlight of a not overly enthralling and scruffy half from a Town perspective.

Having shown little threat in the first half, the Blues introduced Hirst for Edwards at the break with Broadhead moving back.

A minute after the restart, the Welshman lost the ball a long way inside the Stevenage half and Roberts was sent away towards goal and was only halted when Morsy tripped him on the edge of the area.

And from the resultant free-kick, Boro doubled their lead. Alex MacDonald’s free-kick flew under the jumping wall, it hit the post and Ben Thompson headed into the net.

On 66, the previously subdued Town support behind the goal made themselves heard after Broadhead had been bodychecked as he burst towards the area but with referee Finnie seeing no foul.

Three minutes later, the Blues pulled a goal back. After Hirst had been fouled, Morsy clipped the free-kick to the far post and eventually the ball fell to the Blues’ half-time sub, who stabbed home his second goal in two games in front of the Town support.

A minute later, the Blues had another free-kick in virtually the same position, but this time Broadhead’s flicked header was too close to Stevenage sub keeper Taye Ashby-Hammond.

In the 82nd minute, Morsy exchanged passes with Aluko on the right before eventually hitting a shot from the edge of the box which left Ben Thompson in a crumpled heap and requiring treatment.

Two minutes later, Reid cut in from the left and curled a shot towards the far top corner which wasn’t too far away.

As Walton prepared to take the goal-kick, Town swapped Walton, Taylor, Aluko and Baggott were replaced by recently signed keeper Cieran Slicker and youngsters Osman Foyo, Nico Valentine and Zak Bradshaw.

Bradshaw almost marked his first appearance for the senior side with an own goal when he passed back to Slicker but with the keeper already well out of his goal and the centre-half, who spent time on loan at Bromley and Braintree last season, was fortunate to see the ball roll just beyond the post.

There were no further opportunities at either end and referee Finnie’s whistle confirmed Town’s second defeat of the afternoon.

The Blues were better in the second half in terms of control but were still under par and created very little aside from Hirst’s predatory finish.

Town struggled to get to grips with the conditions more than the home side and may have been feeling the effects of what’s already been a very busy pre-season schedule.

The Blues are next in action against Premier League opposition on Tuesday when they take on Luton Town at Colchester United’s Jobserve Community Stadium, before they end their pre-season fixtures with two 60-minute games against Bundesliga sides RB Leipzig and Werder Bremen at the Innsbruck Cup in Austria.x

Stevenage: Hegyi (Ashby-Hammond 63), James-Wildin, Butler, N Thompson, Piergianni (Skyers 90), MacDonald (March 74), Roberts (Alexandrou 89), Smith (Freeman 49), Reid, L Thompson, B Thompson (Hicks 86). Unused, Trialist.

Town: Walton (Slicker 84), Ball, Edmundson, Baggott (Bradshaw 84), Leigh, Morsy (c), Taylor (Foyo 84), Aluko (Valentine 84), Edwards (Hirst 46), Broadhead, Jackson. Unused: Slicker, Bradshaw, Foyo, Valentine. Referee: Will Finnie (Luton). Att: 1,826 (Town: 788).


Photo: Matchday Images



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Barty added 17:24 - Jul 22
Bad day all round - best forgotton
-3

Help added 17:26 - Jul 22
It Dont matter it is only a friendly
5

Nobbysnuts added 17:27 - Jul 22
More rubbish
-17

cressi added 17:31 - Jul 22
It does matter winning is a habit.
Yes I know the squad was split.
Personally irrespective of results I believe we are 2/3,quality better than we have players short to challenge.
2

Tractor_Boy_Tommy added 17:31 - Jul 22
Tough tough season coming up not the best results today
1

Nobbysnuts added 17:34 - Jul 22
Never mind...the 'don't worry its only a friendly ' brigade will be posting soon....
-19

Nomore4 added 17:37 - Jul 22
Can never understand the mentality of it’s only a friendly it’s not important…..
At what stage of pre season does important start?
-5

1960H added 17:42 - Jul 22
Today's results must be taken in context, they were both friendlies and used as build up for the new season. What they do show is that if we don't put a strong side against these lesser teams we are not capable of beating them, as happens every season in the early stages of the league (Carabao) cup
6

jas0999 added 17:47 - Jul 22
Winning breeds confidence. One defeat in a day is careless, two is unacceptable. Lots for KM to do. Luckily the results don’t matter.
-1

TractorfactorSteve added 17:58 - Jul 22
All the best, TWTD managers.
6

itfcskayman added 18:07 - Jul 22
These results don’t affect how much I’m looking forward to the new season. If we’re going to make mistakes then these are the games to do them in. McKenna will learn more about the side after these defeats than he will have done with two victories. This is what preseason is for.
7

blueboy1981 added 18:08 - Jul 22
No such thing as a ‘don’t matter result’ - if that’s the attitude - Why bother ?
All Competition is with the objective of WINNING !!
-6

Broganonthewing added 18:10 - Jul 22
To all you ‘remoaners’ you must actually want us to fail? I remember preseason 1972/3. We lost every pre-season friendly. All was doom and gloom. I was at the first game of the season, Man U at Old Trafford. Beattie made his debut, won 2 1, totally dominated them, finished 4th that season, the start of the glory years.
Let’s get behind the team and keep an open mind!
17

Pezzer added 18:12 - Jul 22
Not sure why we are not playing the first 11 and then a second 11 match, rather than mix and match approach to friendlies.
-1

Fat_Boy_Tim added 18:12 - Jul 22
Nice that you put a kiss at the end of your match report, classy.
4

BartonBluee added 18:22 - Jul 22
Blueboy1981 spot on… all competition is with the objective of winning. Hence why these are called friendlies…

It gives the manager a chance to try new tactics, field new players, see what’s working and what’s not.

I always remember Newcastle losing 6-1 in a friendly the season they got promoted to the prem with over 100 points! The results today win, lose or draw still equal zero points. So untwist them knickers everyone!
19

Marinersnose added 18:22 - Jul 22
Pre season is about building stamina to achieve match fitness. It’s always nice to win but it’s not something KMK will be getting worried about. Personally feel we need a left sided centre back or we could struggle in that area. The Championship is quicker and there’s no room for a poor touch. We’ll be firing come our visit to Sunderland
3

blueboy1981 added 18:23 - Jul 22
Two Poor Results today against ‘so called’ and expected inferior opposition - End of … !
-7

chepstowblue added 18:34 - Jul 22
Friendlies only seem to matter when we've won! Whilst I shan't lose any sleep over the results, it matters to me that several players have made horrendous errors today. That is something that we can't afford to do defensively when its already by far the weakest department of the team. These players have to retain the habit of doing even the basics well or we'll be in for several tonkings this season. We won't get away with it at championship level. Time to switch on.
8

Nomore4 added 18:36 - Jul 22
Hopefully a more settled approach we will now take against 3 top level opponents going into the “important” 1st match V Sunderland.
1

churchmans added 18:42 - Jul 22
Change the subject has anybody received there season ticket yet as I have not!
1

Nomore4 added 18:42 - Jul 22
Cadiar No need to call posters names who post an opinion you don’t agree with.
5

DaGremloid added 18:45 - Jul 22
Cadiar - some of us don't like losing, especially to inferior teams, whether the games are friendlies or not. Just deal with that, there's a good boy.
-1

BlueBlueBlood added 19:03 - Jul 22
The manager said the results and performances weren't the objective today, it was about minutes in legs. I for one know a lot lot less than KMc, so I'm not going to say anything other than good to see players playing and onto this next part of the pre-season programme
5

Dissboyitfc added 19:04 - Jul 22
anybody else remember the west ham friendly, Paul Hurst s first game in charge? we looked really good and i for one had high hopes for the season ahead following that performance! We all know who happened we started the season off with a terrible run and awful performances to boot, and Hurst was sacked!

i will happily accept losing friendlies, the results are meaningless its what happens when the season starts.

Pointless putting any value on the results!
10


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