PRE-SEASON FRIENDLY Haverhill Rovers 1 Ipswich Town XI 2

SHANE O’Connor captained an Ipswich Town XI to a routine 2-1 victory over a spirited Haverhill Rovers side in front of a packed New Croft.

Striker Caolan Lavery proved the difference, scoring twice in as many minutes midway through the first half.

Ipswich, who also started with Ronan Murray upfront, impressed at times. That said, Rovers striker Dalton O’Brien missed a gilt-edged chance with the scores goalless, latching onto an horrendous error from Elliott Scotcher but shooting straight at Cody Cropper.

Town made the breakthrough when Joe Whight played in Lavery who beat keeper Liam Cutts before calmly side-footing the ball into the empty net.

Within minutes, Lavery had doubled the visitors lead, tapping in after great work from Murray, who later hit a shot against the near post.

Rovers pulled a goal back when O’Brien played in the onrushing Joe Harvey who timed his run to perfection to control and loop the ball over Cropper.

In a second half understandably disrupted by a plethora of substitutions, chances were more difficult to come by. The best fell to Rovers sub Matt Clarke who drew a great tip over from Town sub keeper Conor O’Donnell.

Starting line-ups – Haverhill: Liam Cutts, Paul Abbott, Stuart Wardley, Darren Coe, Greg Strong, Jack Wilkinson, Joe Harvey, Jamie Challis, Dalton O’Brien, Louis Harper, Mark Abbott.

Ipswich: Cody Cropper, Callum Bennett, David October, Elliott Scotcher, Jide Maduako, Shane O’Connor, Tom Winter, Cormac Burke, Caolan Lavery, Ronan Murray, Joe Whight.