Town and Burnley played out an entertaining 0-0 Premier League 2 draw at Portman Road, neither side able to find the net despite creating plenty of chances, Blues keeper George Barrett saving a first-half penalty.

The young Blues were without a number of players out on loan as well as Elkan Baggott, who is away with Indonesia, and fellow central defenders Walker Shabazz-Edwards and Corbin Mthunzi, who are with the senior Guyana and Zimbabwe squads for the first time respectively. Left-back Somto Boniface is with the England U20s and keeper Woody Williamson the Scotland U21s.

Burnley striker Vernon Masara might have done better with the game’s first chance in the sixth minute, setting the tone for the evening, when he burst away into the right of the area and shot across the face and wide of Town keeper Barrett’s right post.

On 11, Charlie Compton tried his luck from distance but his effort lacked any power and Clarets keeper Oisin Cooney gathered comfortably.

Town began to take in control and in the 18th minute went close to going in front, Tudor Mendel nodding back across the area and Sid Eldred sending the ball towards the far corner but finding the bar.

Blues keeper Barrett made his first serious save of the game in the 22nd minute, Masara hitting a powerful strike from an angle on the right which the former Walsall man batted behind. After the corner was cleared, Charlie Veevers blazed well over.

A minute later, Barrett conceded a penalty when the keeper was caught in possession playing out from the back, pulling down Masara as the striker took the ball past him on the left of the Town box.

Masara took the kick himself but Barrett made amends for his mistake by saving the kick and then reacting quickly to stop Ellis Clark’s rebound with a third effort scraped wide.

On 28, Mendel brought the ball forward and towards the left from halfway before feeding left-back Josh Lewis, whose low shot was turned wide at the near post by Cooney.

From the resultant corner, the ball was cleared to Isaac Boakye-King just outside the area and the right-back, a regular in the U18s, struck an effort which dipped onto Cooney’s left post.

In the 36th minute, Burnley’s danger man Masara cut into the area on the left before hitting a shot across the face and well wide.

Three minutes later, Luca Fletcher was sent away on the right breaking into the box but the on-loan Manchester City forward shot into the side-netting from what was a very difficult angle. On 42, Fletcher was booked for a foul.

Burnley almost took the lead in the 44th minute when Clark brought the ball forward unchallenged to the edge of the area before hitting a shot which Barrett tipped onto the bar and over, the referee awarding a goal-kick having not spotted the save.

The Clarets thought they’d gone in front a minute later when Charlie Veevers cleverly played in Clark, who looped the ball over the advancing Barrett but Harvey Duggins hooked it away off the line with the visitors adamant it had crossed.

Burnley were still claiming they had scored as Town broke away down the left through Fletcher, whose low shot was saved by Cooney but fell to Sid Eldred, who seemed certain to score until Logan Pye just managed to do enough to cause the Northern Irish U17 international to scuff his effort to the keeper.

That was the last action of a half which was surprisingly goalless, both sides having had opportunities and hit the woodwork, twice in Town’s case, with the two defences looking shaky.

Masara’s penalty was the biggest chance but Barrett did very well to redeem his error to concede the spot-kick, saving both the first effort and perhaps more impressively the rebound.

Within seconds of the restart, the Blues went close to going in front. Fletcher was sent away down the left and crossed low for Mendel, who just couldn’t reach it on the slide.

On 48, Eldred headed wide at the far post from a deep Frankie Runham cross from the left as Town began the second half strongly.

A minute later, Mendel superbly fed in Fletcher but Cooney did well to come off his line to block.

Burnley weren’t far away from grabbing the lead in the 52nd minute, Veevers curling a free-kick from just outside the box just past Barrett’s right post.

Two minutes later, Town went close again, Eldred stooping to head another deep Runham cross from the left across the face and wide at the far post when he looked to have had the time to take it down and pick his spot.

Runham, who had been a peripheral figure in the first half, played a very well-weighted pass for Lewis on 55, the full-back cutting in and hitting a shot against a defender.

Burnley immediately broke up the other end, Brandon Pouani hitting a strike from an angle on the left which Barrett was able to divert behind. From the corner, Roman Egan-Riley looped a header well wide when he should have done better.

Just before the hour, Veevers was booked for a cynical foul as Boakye-King counter-attacked on the right.

Moments later, Runham, on loan from Chelsea with the deal set to become a permanent switch in the summer, brought the ball in from the left before hitting a shot wide.

Town made their first changes on 62, Fletcher and Steven Turner making way for Jamie Mauge and Tommy Taylor.

Three minutes later, Masara was sent away on goal behind the Blues’ backline but Barrett was equal to it and pushed the striker’s effort wide. Masara got to the loose ball, however, could only bundle it into the side-netting.

Soon after, Duggins was booked for a foul on Masara 30 yards out and from the free-kick Veevers hit a well-struck shot which Barrett had to do well to turn over. The keeper then caught the resultant corner.

On 73, sub Mauge was sent away and worked the ball away from a couple of defenders before shooting straight at Cooney from the edge of the area.

Within a minute at the other end, the ball fell to Masara in space 15 yards out but the striker shot well over when he really should have done much better.

As the game moved into its final 15 minutes, the Blues won a succession of corners, a powerful Runham shot leading to the last of them. On 78, Town switched Eldred for Charlie Wood.

Mendel, quiet in the second half, shot wide in the 82nd minute, then Veevers hit an effort which was blocked following a free-kick.

Mendel was swapped for Afi Adebayo with four minutes left on the clock, then on 88 Oli Pimlott was booked for a foul on Taylor.

In the first of four additional minutes, Masara should have won it for the visitors. The number nine was found in space on the left of the area, Barrett caught in two minds whether to come for it or not. With the keeper opting to stay, Masara shot across the face but wide, summing up his night overall.

Seconds later, Town had a chance to win it themselves when Taylor played the ball wide to Adebayo on the right of the box from where the sub hit a powerful strike which Cooney batted away down to his right.

After Town had won a final-seconds corner, the referee ended a game of plenty of chances at both ends but no goals.

Either team could make a strong case for deserving the victory but with poor finishing and some good goalkeeping leading to the stalemate.

The game is the Blues’ last home match of the regular season but with Town set for the Premier league 2 play-offs.

U21s: Barrett, Boakye-King, Lewis, Duggins, Onuchukwu, Turner (c) (T Taylor 62), Mendel (Adebayo 86), Compton, L Fletcher (Mauge 62), Eldred (Wood 78), Runham. Unused: Bentley.

Photo: Action Images via Reuters