A HOST of scouts looked on as Ipswich Town were beaten by Northampton at the Blues Playford Road training ground today.

Elvin King

Ipswich Town Res 0 Northampton Town Res1

A HOST of scouts looked on as Ipswich Town were beaten by Northampton at the Blues Playford Road training ground today.

With the majority of the Town players on show available to go on loan - or even sale - before the time the transfer window closes at the end of the month, there was plenty to play for.

But it was a lack-lustre display with Town having lost their grip over the last few seasons on the Totesport.com Combination.

Town included two trialists in Lino Goncalves and Harry Arter. The former is with Ipswich for a fortnight from the Glenn Hoddle Academy based in Spain, and the Madeira-born 19-year-old showed some lively first half touches on the left side of midfield.

Arter, also 19 and a Republic of Ireland international at Under-17 and Under-19 levels, played in the middle of midfield and is the brother-in-law of West Ham star Scott Parker.

A Charlton player, Arter has spent part of this season on loan at Staines and recently had a trial at Gillingham. He caught the eye early on before tiring.

With Ipswich facing Crystal Palace in last night's FA Youth Cup, academy coach Gerard Nash played at the back alongside midfielder Jai Reason with schoolboy Josh Capocci one of the substitutes.

Jaime Peters played at right back with Matt Richards having his first game in an Ipswich shirt for months captaining the team at left-back.

A goal from Leon Constantine won the game in the 71st minute when the home side was found wanting at the back and the unmarked number nine only had to tap in a cross by Colin Larkin.

Ron-Robert Zieler pulled off a fine double save after 49 minutes to deny Jordan Rhodes and then Dean Bowditch - with the visiting goal at times after the break having a charmed life.

But Northampton also had their chances against a makeshift Town defence and Reason deflected a cross on to his own bar in the 79th minute. Then Larkin missed a golden chance from right in front of goal.

Town Reserves: Supple, Peters, Richards, Nash, Reason, Trotter, Arter, Upson (substitute Bickers 77 mins), Goncalves, Rhodes, Bowditch. Sub: Capocci