Two goals from Leif Davis and his first for the club from Emersonn have given the Blues a 3-0 half-time lead over Rayo Vallecano at Portman Road in their penultimate friendly of the summer.

New signings Kjell Scherpen and Florentino Luis made their first appearances for the Blues.

Keeper Scherpen, signed from Royale Union Saint-Gilloise last month, was behind a back four with skipper Dara O’Shea at right-back, Issa Diop and Jacob Greaves in the centre with Leif Davis on the left.

In midfield, Florentino, signed from Burnley earlier in the week, was joined by Marcelino Nunez, with Abdul Fatawu on the right, Sindre Walle Egeli in the middle and Daizen Maeda on the left behind Emersonn up front

Absent from the squad were Alex Palmer, understood to be a target of Wrexham but who was sitting with his teammates behind the dugout, Harry Clarke, who is believed to be closing in on a move to Bristol City, and Ali Al-Hamadi, whose move to Polish side Raków Częstochowa broke down earlier in the week.

Azor Matusiwa and Jack Taylor are continuing their recoveries from surgery at the end of last season, while Christian Walton and Jaden Philogene have picked up injuries in pre-season with the winger also the subject of speculation regarding his future.

Sasa Lukic, whose move from Fulham was confirmed earlier today, wasn’t involved as his visa isn’t expected until Monday.

Town came close to scoring in the third minute when Vallecano captain Oscar Valentin played a no-look pass on the edge of his own area to Nunez, who took it on to the edge of the box before hitting a shot which struck the top of the bar. The loose ball reached Fatawu, but the Blues were unable to make anything further out of the situation.

Town continued to have the best of it and in the 12th minute they went in front. Walle Egeli and Nunez battled for the ball in midfield, the Norwegian taking it and moving it forward for Emersonn, who played into the path of Davis bursting into the area to his left and the full-back hit a low shot which visiting keeper Augusto Batalla bundled into his own net at his near post.

Five minutes later, it was 2-0 via the same goalscorer. Emersonn brought the ball to the edge of the area, defenders standing off him, before playing inside to Walle Egeli, who played to his left to Davis, who shot low into the net from a similar position to his first.

The former Leeds man went looking for a hat-trick in the 19th minute, cutting in from the left and hitting a right-foot shot against a defender when finding a teammate might have been a better option. But none were complaining given his previous two successes.

The La Liga side created their first opening in the 23rd minute after the Blues had lost possession after playing out from the back. Alvaro Garcia crossed low from the left and Randy Nteka turned goalwards but straight at man-mountain keeper Scherpen, who is set to become the Premier League’s tallest ever player at 6ft 9in tall.

Two minutes later, Scherpen almost gifted the Spanish side a goal when he dallied on the ball on his penalty spot and Nteka stabbed it away from him. However, the Dutchman was able to save his own blushes by diving towards the ball and claiming it with his long arms at full stretch ahead of the attacker.

There was another moment of concern for the keeper on 27 when his opposition number Batalla launched the ball down the field for Garcia towards the left. Scherpen came out of his box to clear but realised he wasn’t going to get to it, leaving the goal open momentarily, but Diop did well to get across to block.

Within a minute, the Blues had created a chance at the other end, Maeda getting down the left but his low cross-shot was too close to Batalla.

As the half-hour approached, the Japanese international again did well on the left and teed-up Walle Egeli inside him on the edge of the area but Batalla was able to paw away the Norwegian’s shot to his left for a corner.

Town probably should have had a third goal in the 33rd minute. Walle Egeli did well chasing a ball down the middle with two defenders and hooked it to Maeda to his left. The former Celtic man’s feint left Batalla on the floor but the ball was stabbed away from him. It ran loose to Nunez, who blazed over with a number of players in better positions.

But the Town support didn’t have to wait too much longer for another goal. A minute later, new midfielder Florentino brought the ball forward from his own half towards the right, before lifting a superb ball over two Vallecano defenders to Emersonn, who headed his first goal in a Blues shirt across the keeper and into the net.

In the 39th minute, the visitors might have done better when a corner from the left flicked off Emersonn’s head and reached Jorge De Frutos, who bundled wide at the far post having been unable to react quickly enough to divert goalwards.

Just before the break, there was a scare for the Blues when Isi Palazon was allowed the bring the ball along way forward in space to the edge of the box but O’Shea got across well from right-back to slide in and block.

Overall, a hugely promising half from Town with Emersonn having made a very big impression as the number nine, not just with his well-taken goal but his role in Davis’s two strikes and his all-round game, battling with Vallecano defenders.

Florentino had also caught the eye in the centre of midfield with his most notable contribution his cross for Emersonn’s goal.

Town had been a little ragged at times at the back and a better side than Vallecano might have made more of their opportunities, but a very decent half and three goals, the Blues having not made their dominance of their previous two matches against Wycombe and Le Havre show in the margin of victory.

Town: Scherpen, O’Shea (c), Diop, Greaves, Fatawu, Nunez, Florentino, Davis, Walle Egeli, Maeda, Emersonn. Subs: Button, Van Oevelen, Kipre, Hirst, Johnson, Furlong, McAteer, Ogbene, Akpom, Humphreys, Mehmeti, J Clarke.

Rayo Vallecano: Batalla, Ratiu, Palazon, Lopez, Nteka, Garcia, De Frutos, Balliu, Fernandez, Valentin (c), Lejeune. Subs: Cardenas, Diaz, Alemao, El Hahaoui, Alonso, Perez, De Las Sias, Roman, Lozano, Vertrouwd. Referee: Tom Bramall (Sheffield).

Photo: Matchday Images