Ipswich Town finished their pre-season campaign with victory over Southend United at Portman Road.
Goals from Tyreece John-Jules early in the first half, a Greg Leigh finish in the second and a late Freddie Ladapo header, saw the Blues home, although a late Callum Powell strike for the visitors kept the result alive for a while with the score at 2-1.
It was comfortable enough stuff for Kieran McKenna's side who played well in the first half especially, although the second one lacked as much intensity, before a rousing finish with a plethora of Town substitutes making an impact seeing a lively finale.
Ipswich boss McKenna changed his complete starting line-up from the 1-1 draw at Millwall on Saturday, a game that saw Town come from behind in an impressive second-half performance.
Town new boy Leif Davis was not in the 23-man squad. It was no surprise given he only just got back from Leeds' pre-season tour of Australia on Monday, before coming straight to Ipswich to sign.
Visitors Southend are plying their trade in non-league and the National League these days, after their relegation from the Football League two seasons ago.
It was a dry, cool night at Portman Road and the Fanzone was again proving popular as Blues fans mingled, with the big League One kick-off against Bolton just a few days away now.
Town were playing in their away strip of red and black stripes and black shorts, with Southend in all blue. Ipswich attacked the South Stand in the opening half.
Sone Aluko fed an early impressive ball out to Kyle Edwards, wide right. He fed it back to Kane Vincent-Young, but his cross was blocked. Kayden Jackson and Arsenal loanee John-Jules were making good forward runs early on as Town started on the front foot.
Cav Miley was booked for a foul on Vincent-Young as early as the sixth minute and Southend were punished as the Blues took the lead.
Aluko whipped in the free-kick to the near post where John-Jules finished in style with a volley past Steve Arnold in the Shrimpers goal.
John-Jules put a fine ball through to Edwards. His cross was cleared as Aluko slid in and almost connected. Town won another corner in the 15th minute that came to nothing before John-Jules battled hard as the early corner count for Town mounted.
The Blues were well on top and Edwards charged through, cutting in on his left foot, his strike turned round the post by Arnold.
There were plenty of robust challenges from both sides in this 'friendly' clash as Southend began to string some passes nicely on the half-hour mark.
Edwards was seeing plenty of the ball and his lay-back saw John-Jules' volley tipped round the post by Arnold. It was Edwards again who had another shot before Southend appeals for a penalty were waved away by referee Chris Pollard.
In the 38th minute, Cameron Humphreys, turned beautifully to set Aluko, whose shot was straight at Arnold.
Another Southend appeal for a penalty was waved away by the referee as Edwards teased again with a delicious cross as the half came to a close.
Tawanda Chirewa came on for Jackson at half-time, while Southend changed all XI of their line-up.
It was an untidy start to the second half from both sides but it was Town who had the first shot at goal, Harper shooting over in the 55th minute.
Aluko bundled his way through after John-Jules slid him in, but the visiting keeper just got there ahead of the Town man.
However, it was 2-0 to Town in the 58th minute.
John-Jules put Edwards through down the right and his excellent first-time cross was met by Leigh on the penalty spot, who tucked the ball home expertly.
Vincent-Young's slip allowed Southend a strike a goal, but it was straight at Vaclav Hladky.
In the 67th minute Town rang the changes, with Conor Chaplin, Ladapo and Marcus Harness replacing Chirewa, John-Jules and Aluko.
Vincent-Young shot over as the game headed into the final 20 minutes.
Cameron Burgess cleared a Southend cross not once, but twice as the visitors had some decent moments, with Hladky saving at his near-post a long-range effort.
Chaplin set up Edwards, but his 20-yarder was blocked and then Southend pulled a goal back.
A ball over the Town defence was taken down well by Callum Powell, who finished nicely, despite Hladky getting a hand on the ball.
Town made a plethora of changes straight after the goal but it was the visitors who almost equalised, Powell cutting in from the left and thumping a shot against the Town post.
It would have been hard on Town to concede an equaliser, but then again they had created little in the second period.
Sam Morsy was booked for a foul before Town put the game to bed in the 88th minute.
Wes Burns clipped a cross in from the right and Ladapo leapt highest to nod home to send the 4,000-plus crowd home happy, with Burns and then Matt Penney also seeing shots saved.
IPSWICH TOWN (3-4-2-1): Hladky (Walton 79); Vincent-Young (Donacien 79), Burgess (Edmundson 79), Ndaba (Woolfenden 79); Edwards (Burns 79), Harper (Morsy 79), Humphreys (Evans 79), Leigh (Penney 79); Aluko (cpt) (Harness 67), John-Jules (Ladapo 67); Jackson (Chirewa 46, Chaplin 67).
Booked: Morsy (84)
SOUTHEND UNITED (3-4-3): Arnold (Andeng-Ndi 46); Hobson (Powell 46), Kensdale (Wood 46), Ralph (cpt) (Fonguck 46); Taylor (Wreh 46), Miley (Benton 46), Husin (Demetriou 46), Clifford (Davis 46); Mooney (Crowhurst 46), Dalby (Coker 46), Bridge (Reeve 46).
Booked: Miley (7)
Attendance: 4,616 (278 away)
Referee: Chris Pollard
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