Town's three-game tour of Scandinavia came to a winning end as the Blues beat a Trelleborg combination side 5-0. A Darren Bent penalty started things off before Pablo Couñago, Martijn Reuser, Marcus Bent and Fabian Wilnis added more goals.

The host side was made up of players from Trelleborg FF (Division One, beat Blackburn in the UEFA Cup nine years ago), IFK Trelleborg (Division Three) and BK Ymor (Division Five).

The match was preceded by national anthems, introductions to the players from both sides and interviews with the two bosses over the Tannoy.

The Blues started in a less than impressive fashion with misplaced passes common and few really penetrating moves. Darren Bent hit one shot well over the bar and also came close when put through by a fine Marcus Bent ball, the keeper doing well to save.

On 26 the elder Bent had a header cleared off the line from a corner but Town were still looking less than their usual selves.

They were handed a piece of luck on the half hour, the referee deeming a challenge on Darren Bent a foul inside the penalty area. It looked a harsh decision, but Bent wasn't going to turn down the chance to score his first senior spotkick for the Blues. He missed his first two last season.

The half contained little other goalmouth action and would not have impressed Joe Royle. At the break he brought off Darren Bent and Ian Westlake, Dean Bowditch and Nabil Abidallah taking over. Early in the first half Antonio Murray had made way for Martijn Reuser.

The second half was a much more fluid display from Town and in the 50th minute a well-worked move involving Fabian Wilnis, Marcus Bent and Pablo Couñago ended with the Spaniard deftly lifting the ball over the home keeper from ten yards.

Thirteen minutes later Town were three-up, Dean Bowditch making a strong run down the right before laying the ball across to Martijn Reuser on the 18-yard line, the Dutchman hitting a shot in off the post.

Soon after Marcus Bent made it four. Martijn Reuser played a fine ball wide to Alun Armstrong on the left. His deep cross was headed back by Dean Bowditch and Bent applied the finishing touch from close in.

On 68 youngster Gerard Nash, who had only been on the field for two minutes, was involved in a nasty clash of heads which saw him depart with a cut to the head and Aidan Collins make a swift return to the field.

Alun Armstrong had a header well saved before Fabian Wilnis wrapped up the scoring with a deflected shot in the 77th minute.

A decent second half performance from Town after a less than high quality first period. Martijn Reuser had his best game of pre-season and got an important goal, something that Dean Bowditch and Alun Armstrong both require.

In goal Lewis Price had little to do but did everything required efficiently and without fuss. His kicking will especially been noted by Joe Royle.

Drissa Diallo won virtually everything in the air while Georges Santos had a poor first period but improved as the game went along. Marcus Bent was lively and spent much of the first half in a deeper role as Town once again employed a 4-3-3 formation.

Town: Price, Wilnis, Makin, Collins (Nash 66 (Collins 68)), Diallo, Santos, Murray (Reuser 21), Westlake (Abidallah 55), Couñago (Armstrong 55), M Bent, D Bent (Bowditch 55).

Photo: Action Images

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