Town's reserves fell to a deserved 3-1 defeat at home to table-toppers Derby County. The Rams, who included Craig Burley in their side, went ahead in the third minute and rarely looked in trouble against the Blues' second string.

Keeper James Pullen was beaten for the first time while many of the 500 crowd were still taking their seats. Town centre-half Lee Chaffey clumsily put Adam Murray on the turf inside the area and referee Mike Thorpe pointed straight to the spot. Izale McCloud, who made his senior debut at Portman Road earlier in the season, beat Pullen from 12 yards.

The early stages were all Derby and a Rams' rout looked on the cards. However, as the game progressed Dean Bowditch saw a shot deflected over from 12 yards and Reuser headed wide when well-placed. Bowditch came close again when he headed a right-wing cross from Bloomfield to Lee Camp in the Derby goal.

Alun Armstrong also headed wide with 20 minutes on the clock, but the second goal of the game was to go to Derby. Left-back Christopher Palmer sent in a fine cross for Marcus Tudgay who headed past Pullen, the rest of the half was mainly Derby.

James Pullen was not having the game he was looking for with Joe Royle appearing undecided about which keeper to choose for the Norwich match on Sunday. Aside form the goals, which he had little chance of stopping, his kicking was inconsistent and at one point he was lucky to get away with a punch which appeared to be on its way into his own net.

Just before the break Alun Armstrong appeared to collide with a post when heading the ball back across goal. The striker underwent treatment off the pitch before walking back to the dressing room well before the referee's half-time whistle.

Despite a somewhat lengthy half-time break of around 20 minutes, Town sub Sam Morrow was not ready at the kick-off, so the Blues started the half down to ten men. A couple of minutes in Morrow got himself shirted and ready for action, alongside Bowditch in the attack.

On 48 James Pullen made a fine save from Christopher Deans but the third Derby goal was not far away. Lee Holmes, an England U18s team-mate of Chris Hogg, crossed from the left and Izale McCloud headed in unmarked from six yards.

There appeared to be no way back for the Blues but with 20 minutes left Dean Bowditch, recently training with the first team, got a consolation goal. The youngster held off defender Pablo Mills, who had a firm grip of his shirt, to break into the area and beat Camp in goal.

Sub Aiden Collins, a central defender, was making his reserves debut and ten minutes from the end he almost marked it with a goal, his header flashing just wide of the post. Three minutes before the end Derby sub Lewis Hunt should have made it 4-1 but headed wide from an almost impossible angle just a couple of yards out.

Joe Royle is unlikely to have been won over by James Pullen's performance while Alun Armstrong had another quiet game before being replaced at the break, as has happened in the last three home reserve games.

Martijn Reuser as usual showed flashes of his ability but without the work-rate required to play in a central midfield three and was largely out-shone by youngsters Ian Westlake and Antonio Murray.

Matt Richards will probably have set Royle thinking more than any of the other players likely to be in his line-up on Sunday. The left wing-back looked solid at the back and got forward well.

Up front young Dean Bowditch took one of the few chances he had on a night when the Blues current lack of strength in depth was very evident.

Town reserves: Pullen, Bloomfield, Richards, Hogg (Collins 60), Chaffey, Mitchell, Hogg, Murray, Westlake, Armstrong (Morrow 48), Bowditch (Robinson 84) and Reuser.

Photo: Action Images

Ipswich Town Polls