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Ipswich Town 2-1 Charlton Athletic - Match Report
Tuesday, 29th Jul 2025 21:44

Jack Clarke and Ali Al-Hamadi were on target as the Blues beat Charlton Athletic 2-1 in their penultimate friendly of the summer at Colchester United’s JobServe Community Stadium. Town were on top throughout with all the goals coming in the second half, while Ashley Young made his first appearance for the club as a sub alongside Omari Hutchinson, back after his England U21s heroics over the summer.

Manager Kieran McKenna said on Friday that the XI which came on after 65 minutes at Aberdeen would start this evening and that was essentially the case but with three changes.

Christian Walton was in goal with Ben Johnson, who started at Pittodrie, at right-back and Conor Townsend on the left. Luke Woolfenden was at right centre-half with Cedric Kipre to his left.

In central midfield, Cameron Humphreys was joined by Finley Barbrook, an unused sub on Friday, with Chieo Ogbene on the right, Conor Chaplin in the middle and Jack Clarke, another starter at Aberdeen, on the left having been used on the right so far in pre-season. Ali Al-Hamadi was the lone striker.

Young and Hutchinson, who are behind on their pre-seasons, were named on the bench for the Blues along with Elkan Baggott, a second-half sub at Aberdeen, Dara O’Shea, Leif Davis, Jack Taylor, Sammie Szmodics, Jaden Philogene, George Hirst, David Button and Aro Muric.

Harry Clarke and Nathan Broadhead, who is strongly linked with a move to Wrexham, were absent from the squad, as were Azor Matusiwa, Alex Palmer and Jacob Greaves with a Town side largely made up of U21s having played Colchester United in a friendly this afternoon, the U’s winning 1-0.

Charlton included two trialists in their XI, one-time Middlesbrough and Aston Villa left-back Joe Bennett and Dexter Lembikisa, a 21-year-old right-back from Wolves.

There was little action of note until the 16th minute when Ogbene did well down the right and his low cross was deflected behind. From the corner, the ball reached Chaplin beyond the far post but the linesman raised his flag as the diminutive forward, wearing the captain’s armband, nodded back into the danger zone.

Town began to control things and on 20 determined pressing from Clarke led to the Addicks right-back losing the ball and finding Al-Hamadi on the left of the box. The Iraq international cut back to Chaplin but his effort was blocked.

In the 27th minute, Clarke was fouled just outside the area. The ball was tapped to the ex-Sunderland man, whose shot deflected off the wall through to Al-Hamadi, who missed his back-heel, then wafted at it a second time it sent it wide.

Three minutes later, with Town well in control, Humphreys sent the ball wide to Ogbene, who crossed low to Al-Hamadi, who with his back to goal laid it off to Humphreys breaking into the area but his shot was blocked by keeper Thomas Kaminski.

On 33, following a corner taken short on the left, Clarke teed-up Barbrook on the edge of the box, the midfielder, who wasn’t looking out of place in the senior side, took a touch before hitting a well-struck shot which caught a defender and looped over.


Six minutes later, Kipre cut out an attempted Charlton break on halfway and eventually Chaplin cleverly turned his man on the edge of the box and fed through Al-Hamadi but the former AFC Wimbledon man staggered as he hit a low shot straight at Kaminski.

That was the last action of a half which the Blues had largely controlled and from which they ought to have claimed the lead.

Town had created three decent chances, Al-Hamadi having been unable to take two of them and Humphreys’ effort from the Iraq international’s lay-back having been stopped by the visitors’ keeper. Barbrook, who had again impressed, wasn’t too far away with his strike which deflected over.

At the other end, Walton in the Blues goal had been untested with the Town backline having been comfortable.

Walton didn’t return for the second half with Aro Muric, whose 2024/25 ended in March due to a shoulder injury which required surgery, taking over. Other than that, it was the same XI for Town with Charlton making two, Zach Mitchell and Ibrahim Fullah taking over from Kayne Ramsay and Joe Rankin-Costello.

Town finally took the lead in the 51st minute. Humphreys picked up a loose pass a third of the way into the Charlton half to the left and fed Clarke ahead of him. The ex-Sunderland man brought it forward and inside across a number of defenders before smashing a shot across Kaminski and into the net from not far inside the area towards the right.

The Blues’ lead lasted only four minutes. Following a corner, the ball was cross from the left, it was headed towards the far post, then diverted against the bar by an outstretched Charlton boot and the rebound was slammed in by Tanto Olaofe.

But parity lasted only another four minutes with the Blues retaking the lead in the 58th minute. After a throw-in on the right, Johnson pumped a ball over the top for Al-Hamadi between the sleeping Charlton central defenders and the one-time Wycombe man shot low past the advancing Kaminski. Addicks manager Nathan Jones’s frustration with his players was clear.

Just before the hour, after an Al-Hamadi drag-back on halfway had drawn cheers from the crowd, Clarke burst into the area, was stopped in his tracks but regained the ball and appeared to be fouled, but the referee waved away Blues’ protests.

In the 62nd minute, Young, making his first appearance for Town since signing last week, and Hutchinson, playing his first game of pre-season, replaced Johnson and Ogbene to a warm ovation from the Blues’ support. The Addicks swapped keeper Kaminski and trialist Bennett for Ashley Maynard-Brewer and Josh Edwards.

The change took place ahead of a free-kick awarded after Chaplin had been pulled but the captain-on-the-night curled his effort over.

Three minutes later, Barbrook and Young exchanged passes and the academy product hit a volley on the half-turn which struck a defender and went behind for a corner with the fans behind the goal claiming a penalty. From the flag-kick, Kipre bundled the ball wide at the far post.

Charlton made seven more subs in the 72nd minute Lloyd Jones, Amari'i Bell, Conor Coventry, Greg Docherty, Rob Apter, Tyreece Campbell and Charlie Kelman replacing Alex Mitchell, Macaulay Gillesphey, Lembikisa, Karoy Anderson, Sonny Carey, Daniel Kanu, goalscorer Olaofe

Moments after the changes, Young sent Hutchinson away on the right, the forward feinting one way and then the other before hitting a defender with his shot.

Town made four changes of their own on 74, Szmodics, Baggott, Hirst, who took the armband, Taylor and Philogene coming on for Chaplin, Woolfenden, Al-Hamadi, Barbrook and Clarke.

Five minutes later, keeper Muric made a superb stop to keep the Blues in front. Coventry took a short corner to Campbell, who crossed towards Jones, whose top-corner-bound header was brilliantly tipped past the corner of post and bar by the Kosovo international.

As the game moved towards its final five minutes, Hutchinson laid the ball back to Taylor on the right, the midfielder drifting over a cross which Baggott headed only just over.

Almost immediately at the other end, a Charlton shot flew across the face of Muric’s goal and wide from the left.

In the 89th minute, Szmodics, back at his hometown club where he started his career, almost added to Town’s lead. Hirst flicked a header into the former Colchester man’s path on the right and the Irish international took it into the area and across a number of defenders before hitting a shot which deflected over.

That was the last action of a friendly which the Blues deservedly won and had chances to have done so more comfortably.

Town were the better side in the first half but without making it tell but Clarke’s excellently taken goal after the break got their noses in front before the South Londoners got back on terms with their first shot on goal.

But the Blues made the most of some shambolic Charlton defending to score the second, Al-Hamadi taking the opportunity clinically.

From there, Town ought to have scored more with Baggott going close with a header and Hutchinson, who quickly forged a relationship with Young down the right, and Szmodics having efforts blocked inside the box.

The Blues end what’s been an impressive pre-season campaign away against French Ligue 1 AJ Auxerre on Saturday.

Town: Walton (Muric 46), Johnson (Young 62), Woolfenden (Baggott 74), Kipre, Townsend, Barbrook (Taylor 74), Humphreys, Ogbene (Hutchinson 62), Chaplin (c) (Szmodics 74), J Clarke (Philogene 74), Al-Hamadi (Hirst 74). Unused: Button, O’Shea, Davis.

Charlton: Kaminski (Maynard-Brewer 63), Ramsay (Z Mitchell 46), A Mitchell (Jones 72), Gillesphey (Bell 72), Lembikisa (Coventry 72), Rankin-Costello (Fullah 46), Anderson (Docherty 72), Carey (Apter 72), Bennett (Edwards 63), Kanu (Campbell 72), Olaofe (Kelman 72). Unused: Ahadme, Mbick.


Photo: Matchday Images



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MVBlue added 21:46 - Jul 29
Get in there Towen. Up the Blues!!!
1

runningout added 21:48 - Jul 29
this was a good game that highlighted what most of us know
1

TimmyH added 21:50 - Jul 29
Al-Hamadi strikes! :) good little pre season work out not to be taken too seriously as long as there are no injuries picked up.
2

blueboy1981 added 21:56 - Jul 29
Well Done Al Hamadi - another one for his knockers !
6

Broadbent23 added 22:00 - Jul 29
AH can definitely be our third striker. This game feels like a training game with loads of team changes. Result positive but the French game is more important. COYB.
2

londonben added 22:09 - Jul 29
Good to see Muric doing well. He’s still young for a keeper and I think there’s a top player in there somewhere…
9

Gforce added 22:10 - Jul 29
Where has Ali's hair gone ?
0

oioihardy added 22:16 - Jul 29
Thought ali played really well ! Congratulations to him he deserved that goal . He gets too much hate . Think he would be a good 2nd or 3rd choice for us this season .

Kipri played really well thought he he was a beast
So did the number 25 for us

Charlton didn't have too much about them

Hutchinson and young link up looking good already
4

ArnieM added 22:17 - Jul 29
Young Barbrook seems to be laying down his marker doesnt he . Good lad!
5

blues1 added 22:31 - Jul 29
Blueboy1981. As always, have to make a crap comment. Muric didn't put a foot wrong tonight. And made azgreat save too. Just a shame the crap,fans are still here. Booing him when he came on, jeering every time the ball was played back to him. Just the type of fans we don't need. Do I think he'll still be here during the season? Maybe not. If he is, would expect him to play much? Maybe not. But if he does, treating him like that achieves nothing., other than knocking his confidence.
8

baxterbasics added 22:36 - Jul 29
Man there are going to be some blubbers here when Muric starts v Brum.
4

BobbyBell added 22:42 - Jul 29
Bluearmy 81 You need to look up the word libel before posting such comments.
0

BobbyBell added 22:42 - Jul 29
Bluearmy 81 You need to look up the word libel before posting such comments.
1

WhoisJimmyJuan added 22:55 - Jul 29
Agreed BobbyBell. Totally disgraceful remark by BlueBarmy81. Worth reporting tbh
1

d77sgw added 22:56 - Jul 29
Barbrook solid throughout tonight - really mature performance. Humphries caught the eye first half - but faded. Kipre outstanding - but could be be challenged by real pace. Jack Clarke the real quality on the pitch - always looking to make things happen.
4

Bert added 23:11 - Jul 29
Some very good football played by Town with everyone looking sharp. Appalled and disgusted by the idiots who loudly jeered Muric. They do not represent the values of ITFC.
4

Edmundo added 23:15 - Jul 29
Booing any of our players is totally out of order. Especially pre season.
Hope the players rally round and tell the boo boys they're not welcome back at PR.
5

Linkboy13 added 23:29 - Jul 29
Don't make judgements on players in preseason kick abouts but it was nice to see Hutch's head hasn't been turned by all the transfer talk could have easily downed tools. Anybody know what the attendance was looked about 3,000.
0

EdwardF added 23:38 - Jul 29
@Bluearmy1981, just be clear are you claiming that Muric has deliberately 'thrown a match' due to corruption? Most site users would be absolutely delighted if Muric were to issue Libel proceedings against you.
You never know, somebody might even bring your accusation to the attention of Muric ...............................
3

algarvefan added 00:01 - Jul 30
Could Muric be the surprise player of the season after an unfortunate season in the Prem???? Stranger things have happened!
1

PhuketPete added 02:39 - Jul 30
I presume someone deleted the offending comment cos nothing here now and I didn’t see it earlier. But sounds appalling. As were the boos for Muric.

Come Birmingham, KM has a huge decision to make regarding the starting GK…. I also don’t write off Muric making a return but he’ll need thick skin and visible support from the defenders. One mistake and the boo army will be after him.

But there is a further dilemma emerging. We have five GK’s. If nobody wants to take Aro and Cieran can’t find a loan, we will have to “not register” two of the five. Button will be one but who else? Can’t register four as we’re short of outfield slots.
3

delias_cheesy_flaps added 04:56 - Jul 30
Phil...was this a rehashed AI generated report...wondering about all references to former clubs of Town players. Please drop it.
1

Rozeeboy74 added 08:46 - Jul 30
I think a lot of the issues with Muric are also his off-field antics. There is a good keeper in there somewhere but the Bruce Grobbelaar style is not for me. I personally feel Palmer is a better all round keeper and instills more confidence in the back line. There is nothing worse that looking back to find your keeper is out at the corner flag trying to make a tackle. Perhaps David button will calm him down a bit.
0

billlm added 09:18 - Jul 30
Muric should be starting all the kid needs is an arm around him best keeper at the club,
0

cpaz97 added 11:44 - Jul 30
Only 25 minutes worth of the two, but I thought the link up play between Young and Hutchinson was as if they had been playing together for years.

Really is baffling that Young is 40 as he is in such good condition!

Barbrook held his own in midfield (didn't realise how tall he is)

Kipre did not put a foot (or header) wrong all game. Mountain of a man!
0


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