Manager Mick McCarthy was delighted to see Daryl Murphy back on the field, but the Ipswich boss insisted he learnt very little about his senior players in this afternoon’s 0-0 draw at Peterborough.

The Championship side enjoyed the majority of possession at London Road without ever truly testing home stopper Ben Alnwick, with Adam McDonnell’s late effort, which came back off the post, the closest the Blues came to breaking the deadlock.

Murphy was back in the Town side for the first time this pre-season, having been granted an extended summer break, but while McCarthy was delighted to have his leading scorer from last season back he insisted he learnt more about the legion of young players who came on for the final 30 minutes.

“It’s great to see Murph back playing,” he said.

“When you have a 27-goal top scorer from last season you want to see him playing ASAP, but he had to have his rest, he needed it and deserved it.

“It’s great to have him back, and Didzy (David McGoldrick).

“I didn’t learn too much about the ones we had here last year, I probably know them inside out and their personalities, their characteristics and what they do and can’t do.

“I know that, but with some of the young’uns it’s interesting to see them. I don’t know whether they compete as well as the more senior ones, are they as tough as the more senior ones? Do they get on the ball? Do they track back and do the dirty jobs? “It’s interesting to see them.”

The Ipswich boss was pleased with the way his side performed, but admitted the overly long grass at London Road made it hard for either side to create chances in the final third.

“I was pleased with the way we played, the pitch was great but a bit long and a bit sticky for both of them so it didn’t get a good tempo to it, but I thought it was a good game.

“We all want to win, it reflects better when the fans see that you’re winning, I’m not so sure really though, if you win all the pre-season games because it sets everything up with high expectations.

“I thought we did well, and I thought the kids did well when they came on for the last half hour. I just think it was hard to create much, it really was a slow pitch and it was hard to get any tempo around the box. That’s for both teams.

“I think we had the better of it.”

Strikers Freddie Sears and Prett Pitman missed this afternoon’s game with thigh and foot knocks respectively, but McCarthy is hopeful both will return in time for the trip to Colchester on Tuesday night.

“I’m hopeful Tuesday, (Sears’) thigh tightened up in training yesterday so we’ll just have to wait and see,” he said.