Aab Aalborg 2 Ipswich Town 0FORTUNATELY results don't matter at this stage of the season.But there is no glossing over the fact that Ipswich have only managed one goal of their own in three games - Ian Westlake at Peterborough, as the other was an own goal from Pablo Couango's deflected shot.

Aab Aalborg 2 Ipswich Town 0

FORTUNATELY results don't matter at this stage of the season.

But there is no glossing over the fact that Ipswich have only managed one goal of their own in three games - Ian Westlake at Peterborough, as the other was an own goal from Pablo Couango's deflected shot.

Worryingly, things don't seem an awful lot better at the back just yet either, although the first Aalborg goal did have a touch of good fortune about it.

Town went behind a minute before the break when they failed to deal with a mis-directed header from Brazilian Melo-Froes de Tulio. Gaarde followed up and his low deflected shot pinged across goal and went in off a post.

It was a cruel on Ipswich who had played the better football, knocking the ball around well without creating too many clear-cut chances.

Gaarde's second from the penalty spot, two minutes from full-time, was also hard on Town. Aalborg broke when a Blues free kick on the edge of the area was cleared and Matt Richards fouled substitute Christian Christiansen as he went into the area.

Town did have opportunities to score and break their duck in Denmark this year.

Richard Naylor twisted to get a close-range header on target from a Darren Bent pull-back and also hit a another shot wide after a one-two with his young partner.

Tommy Miller hit a tame shot from 20-yards after persistent closing down by Bent forced a mistake from Norway international defender Trond Andersen, who spent two seasons with Wimbledon.

Bent hit a couple of shots from 20 yards without conviction

Aalborg pressed more in the second half, with Nathan Wellington making Richards work hard defending his left flank, while fellow Brazilian de Tulio went close a couple of times.

Fabian Wilnis reacted well to get back and block Sorensen after he broke clear and had a man in support.

Skipper Jim Magilton picked up his second booking in a week when he tripped de Tulio and he was replaced with 15 minutes to go with Westlake moving inside and Dean Bowditch going wide right.

Mark Rivers went on for Kevin Horlock and had a powerful shot on the run blocked in the area.

Aalborg were warming up for their league season which kicks off next Saturday, although first they play FC Copenhagen in the Super Cup, the equivalent of our Charity Shield.

The Danish side were beaten in the Danish Cup by FC Copenhagen but still qualified for this season's UEFA Cup.

Ex-Norwich City David Nielsen was ruled out with injury but Aalborg fielded two Brazilians who have been given six-month contracts - Wellington and De Tulio.

It was a stronger Aalborg side than the one Town faced two years ago, although then they played in Fredikshaven while the new Aalborg Stadium was being revamped into the tidy ground it is today.

The presence of Danish international, and Aalborg old-boy, Jesper Gronkjaer in the crowd excited young autograph hunters who were growing weary of the game in progress.

Last night's teams

AaB Aalborg: Nielsen, Olesen (Pedersen, 67) Jesper, Andersen, Borgersen, Ericsson (Risgard, 81) Wurtz, Gaarde, de Tulio (Christiansen, 78) Sorensen and Wellington. Subs: Kruger, Braemer, Kortegaard and Stenild.

Ipswich Town: Price, Wilnis, Richards, Diallo, De Vos, Westlake, Magilton (Bowditch, 71) Miller, Bent, Naylor (Counago, 56) and Horlock (Rivers, 46). Subs not used: Kuqi, Mitchell, Murray and Barron.

Attendance: 2,982.