Ipswich Town’s pre-season preparations continued with a 0-0 draw at League One Peterborough this afternoon.
As was the case on Tuesday night at Cambridge, Town manager Mick McCarthy gave his starting XI an hour at London Road, with David McGoldrick and Daryl Murphy renewing their striking partnership in attack and linking up well without being able to find the net.
McCarthy also gave a start to former Sheffield Wednesday man Giles Coke, with the midfielder looking neat and tidy during his time on the field having trained with the Blues this week.
The Championship side passed the ball around with ease, controlling possession for much of the game, but the senior players didn’t manage to overly test home keeper Ben Alnwick before departing to make way for a legion of youngsters in the final 30 minutes.
Goalkeeper Dean Gerken, the only man to complete 90 minutes, was perhaps the busier of the two keepers and made two impressive saves to keep things level in the first half.
For their part, Posh will be pleased with their afternoon’s work with former Town man Jack Collison the pick of the bunch, stroking the ball around in midfield before being replaced in the second half.
As well as bringing Murphy back into his side, Jonathan Parr returned at left-back to form McCarthy’s strongest current back four alongside Christophe Berra, Tommy Smith and captain Luke Chambers.
It was the Posh defence who were tested first, though, as Gabriel Zakuani was forced to clear crosses from both Ryan Fraser and Ainsley Maitland-Niles, before Murphy’s effort flew over the bar as Town had their first shot in anger.
McGoldrick’s neat spin and pass through the legs of Jon Taylor ended with the striker dragging his effort wide, without testing keeper Alnwick, before Town stopper Gerken had to be at his best to keep the score level.
Just a minute after seeing a kick charged down by Conor Washington, and thankfully thundering over the bar, the former Colchester man had to back-peddle quickly to tip Collison’s shot over the top, before having to be alert at the near post to beat away Taylor’s effort from a well-worked corner.
Zakuani was alert to fly in with a tackle on the edge of the six yard box to deny Parr what would have been a certain goal, before McGoldrick’s shot over the top brought an end to a goalless opening period.
Town took things up a gear at the start of the second period, with McGoldrick again in the thick of the action with two more blocked shots and another over the top, before the starting side departed without the goal their play probably deserved.
Ten changes followed, with McCarthy once again giving youth a chance, and Adam McDonnell came the closest of any Town player to breaking the deadlock as his shot bounced back off the post.
As is so often the case in pre-season, mass changes slowed the tempo of the game and neither keeper was overly busy as time ticked down.
Next up for Ipswich is a visit to Colchester United on Tuesday night.
See here for a full image gallery from London Road
PUFC: Alnwick, Smith, Santos (Brisley 50), Zakuani, Nthle; Taylor (H Anderson 73), Bostwick, Collison (J Anderson 57), Maddison; Washington (Newell 73), Gormley.
Subs not used: Henry, Fox, Vassell, Angol, Adebayo-Rowling, Sadlier, Coulibaly, Oztumer.
ITFC: Gerken; Chambers (Hammond 63) , Smith (Yorwerth 63), Berra (Kenlock 63), Parr (Tabb 63); Maitland-Niles (Connolly 63), Bishop (McDonnell 63), Coke (Bru 63), Fraser (Henshall 63); McGoldrick (Stewart 63), Murphy (Ambrose 63).
Subs not used: Bialkowski, Skuse, Benyu.
Referee: Andy Woolmer
Attendance: 2,121
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