A YOUNG Ipswich Town XI had to come from behind to defeat Ridgeons League Hadleigh United on Saturday.

Ipswich, who included out-of-favour striker Kevin Lisbie, fielded a side largely comprising young professionals, scholars and schoolboys.

Hadleigh took a 24th-minute lead when Chris Dennett, on his return to the Hadleigh side after not featuring at all last season, struck a powerful 25-yard volley into the top far corner past Ian McLoughlin following Luke Read’s cross from the right.

Even Ipswich first-team manager Roy Keane, who was watching among the crowd of 445, applauded the quality of the strike.

Lisbie passed up a good chance to equalise, lobbing over the bar after beating the offside trap, while Ben Deacon came close to doubling Hadleigh’s advantage, shooting just past the far post with an angled shot after Mark Roper set him up following Read’s corner.

Ipswich drew level in the 38th minute, David Cawley latching on to Lisbie’s through ball to round keeper Luke Whitwell and slot home.

Troy Brown and Jack Ainsley, who both played the second 45 minutes for the first team at Histon on Friday night, were replaced at the start of the second half, which saw a raft of substitutions by both sides.

Canadian Under-17 international Caolan Lavery skied over the bar from close range when he should have put Ipswich ahead, but the visitors did take the lead after 74 minutes when Sam Brandon sidefooted home following good approach play involving Cormac Burke on the right.

Lavery atoned for his earlier miss when, with two minutes remaining, he scored from close range after Northern Ireland Under-17 midfielder Josh Carson pulled the ball back.