Ipswich Town started their pre-season campaign with a 6-0 win at Felixstowe & Walton United this afternoon.
Freddie Ladapo (2), Sone Aluko and Kyle Edwards all scored in the opening half, with Kayden Jackson and Panucthe Camara adding to the scoreline after the break.
Two notable absentees from Kieran McKenna’s squad were new £1.5m midfield signing Jack Taylor and attackers Nathan Broadhead. Those two will return to pre-season training on Monday having been given extra time off following recent international camps with the Republic of Ireland and Wales respectively.
Wes Burns, who couldn't join up with Wales recently due to illness, was also not part of the squad. Both Broadhead and Burns were in attendance, however, as players mixed with supporters at the AGL Arena.
A team of established first-teamers was named for the opening 30-minute half. Christian Walton was in goal behind a back four of Janoi Donacien, Dominic Ball, George Edmundson and Leif Davis. Sam Morsy partnered Cameron Humphreys in midfield, with the trio of Sone Aluko, Marcus Harness and Kyle Edwards in support of striker Freddie Ladapo.
Felixstowe & Walton United play at Step 4 of the non-league pyramid (Isthmian League North Division) and manager Stuart Boardley was without several players due to injuries and holidays. Among those unavailable were brothers Stuart and Jack Ainsley – both former Town youngsters.
It took Town just five minutes to break the deadlock. Edwards squared a free-kick from the left, Harness’ shot was saved and Ladapo gobbled up the rebound.
Two minutes later, Ladapo added another. This time, following Harness’ clipped ball forwards, the Blues front man took the ball on his chest before poking beyond the on-rushing keeper.
Harness almost got on the end of a short back pass and a couple of dangerous deliveries into the box were cut out just ahead of hat-trick chasing Ladapo.
In a rare home attack, Felixstowe had penalty shouts turned down when former Town youngster Zak Brown burst along the byline under the attentions of Humphreys.
Ladapo went close from the edge of the box before Town added two more goals in first half stoppage-time.
Aluko’s neat spin and rifled finish made it 3-0 before Edwards curled home a fine shot following Harness’ clever dummy.
McKenna changed his entire team at the break, with Vaclav Hladky, Harry Clarke, Luke Woolfenden, Elkan Baggott, Greg Leigh, Lee Evans, Massimo Luongo, Rio Morgan, Conor Chaplin, Panutche Camara and Kayden Jackson all coming on.
Academy graduate Morgan, 17, played a starring role in Town’s run to the FA Youth quarter-finals last season and looked lively on the right.
Jackson was fouled on the edge of the box within seconds of the second half starting, but Chaplin lifted the resulting free-kick well over the bar.
Chaplin’s driving run through the heart of the pitch led to a chance for Camara, but his curling effort was too close to the keeper.
A fine Luongo forward pass then saw Chaplin lift a cheeky first-time lob just over the bar as Town continued to dominate.
A fifth goal finally arrived when a poorly defended cross from the right was rammed home by Jackson.
Chaplin – who scored a hat-trick in the second half at Needham this time last year – came very close to getting on the scoresheet in the 50th minute. His firm downward header, from Leigh’s stood up cross, went inches wide.
Goal number six came in the 56th minute as Camara stuck out a leg to divert a deep dinked ball into the box beyond the keeper.
The Blues are next in action on Friday night when they take on National League side Maidenhead United at Needham Market (7.45pm).
TOWN FIRST HALF: Walton, Donacien, Ball, Edmundson, Davis, Morsy, Humphreys, Aluko, Harness, Edwards, Ladapo.
TOWN SECOND HALF: Hladky, Clarke, Woolfenden, Baggott, Leigh, Evans, Luongo, Morgan (F.Barbrook 58), Chaplin, Camara, Jackson.
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