Town’s pre-season friendly against Le Havre remains 0-0 at half-time.

New signings Daizen Maeda and Emersonn both started in the first half with the Blues playing a different XI in each half.

The team which started was a mix-and-match side featuring Alex Palmer in goal, Kasey McAteer at right-back, Leif Davis at left-back and skipper Dara O’Shea and Cedric Kipre at centre-half.

Cameron Humphreys and Marcelino Nunez were the central midfielders behind Tudor Mendel - making his first start for the senior side - on the right, Anis Mehmeti the number 10 and Maeda on the left. Emersonn was the lone striker.

The early stages of the game were played entirely in the Le Havre half but without any threat until the 13th minute when Nunez whipped in a free-kick from the right and O’Shea might have done better to flick a header towards goal when stooping.

Town continued to dominate and should have gone ahead as the match reached the 10-minute mark, Emersonn seizing on an error in the Le Havre backline before feeding Mendel in space to his right.

The youngster’s first touch let him down, but he crossed deep to Maeda, who knocked down to Emersonn, who tapped back to Mehmeti, who blazed deep into the empty upper tier of the Sir Alf Ramsey Stand.

On 24, a Kipre pass was cut out by Amir Richardson, who brought the ball forward from midway inside the Town half before shooting across goal and wide.

Seven minutes before half-time, Nunez sent over a dangerous low free-kick from the right after Mendel had drawn a foul with a tricky run inside. However, no one was able to get a touch as the ball flashed across the area.

That was the last action of a not overly enthralling half of few chances but one which the Blues controlled throughout.

The best of the few chances was Mehmeti’s shot from Emersonn’s lay-off, the Brazilian having shown a few nice touches, which the Albanian international will feel he ought to have made more of.

Town boss O’Neil is expected to change their entire XI ahead of the second half.

Town First Half: Palmer, McAteer, O’Shea (c), Kipre, Davis, Nunez, Humphreys, Mendel, Mehmeti, Maeda, Emersonn. Subs: Williamson, Van Oevelen, Diop, Walle Egeli, Hirst, Johnson, Furlong, Ogbene, Fatawu, Greaves, Akpom, Compton, Barbrook, Fletcher, Runham, J Clarke.

Le Havre: Mpasi, G Gomis, Pembele, Sasso, Zouaoui, Ebonog, Mwanga, Ndiaye (c), Richardson, Seko, Tincres. Subs: Teixeira, Mizuta, Bodmer, Koffi, Dongopandji, Bentoumi, Ouziad, Bouneb, Diaw. Referee: Gavin Ward (Surrey).

Photo: Matchday Images