A Town U18 side beat Haverhill Rovers 1-0 at the New Croft in their latest pre-season friendly on Tuesday evening with striker Jamie Mauge netting a second-half winner.

Olly Lee's side came close to going ahead early on but although Revin Domi's clever free-kick was hooked across goal, Charlie Compton couldn't quite stretch enough to knock the ball into the net from close range.

The hosts, who started their Thurlow Nunn First Division North league fixtures on Saturday just gone, winning 3-2 away against Gorleston reserves, received two yellow cards in the opening 20 minutes following a number of robust challenges as they looked to make the most of their experience and their physical advantage.

Shortly after the half-hour mark, a fine diagonal ball forward from Luke Towler was well taken down by Domi but home keeper Alex Archer was out quickly and made a good block down low, before Nelson Eze curled his follow-up effort over the bar.

Town's youngsters started the second half brightly with Usisya Longwe - who played for Haverhill Rovers in the Eastern Junior Alliance leagues prior to joining the Blues - and sub Jackson Nsofor both testing Rovers' second-half keeper Liam Foreman.

On 53 Foreman drew applause from most in the crowd with a sublime block to keep the scores level. Longwe released Nsofor down the Town right and his square ball found Mauge in the box, who looked all set to score but the stopper got across and just about kept the ball out.

At the other end Kai Nicholls blazed well over following a corner, but then Mauge scored what proved to be the winner on 66. The impressive Nsofor played an excellent through ball to release the second-year striker and he cut back inside before finding the net with a low finish that gave Foreman no chance.

The Blues continued to push forward and Noah Rastrick saw two shots blocked in quick succession from Domi's corner before Compton headed the loose ball over.

Compton then played a neat pass to Mauge but his snapshot only found the outside of the side netting at the near post, while Luke Lindsay battled well on the hosts' left side and flashed a cross-shot across the face of the Town goal but nobody was there to level the scores.

On 77, Milo Holmes robbed Compton in midfield and - spotting Fleischer off his line - attempted an audacious lob which was dropping just under the bar, but Town's keeper back-pedalled well and managed to tip the ball just over his bar.

A few minutes later Ethan Murphy intercepted a loose ball from the Blues’ backline and burst forward before firing his shot over, moments before Domi's drive grazed the woodwork at the other end.

And in what proved to be the last goalmouth action, Lindsay nipped in between a hesitant Town defence and latched onto a long ball forward. He poked the ball goalwards, but Fleischer was equal to it and the keeper then watched on as Shaun Avis lifted his follow-up effort well over.

It was a good.workout for Town's first and second-year scholars, with Fleischer making a number of important saves and Nsofor catching the eye with a lively performance on the right wing in the second half.

U18s: Fleischer, Sains, James (Rastrick 64), Towler, Brouwers (Elliott 72), Longwe, Unadike (Nsofor 46), Compton, Mauge, Eze, Domi. Unused: Fletcher. Att: 284.

Photo: Matchday Images

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