Ujpest TE 3 Ipswich Town 2 BLUES skipper Jim Magilton and Ujpest goal hero Peter Rojczi were both sent off as Ipswich suffered a disappointing night in their first ever game in Hungary.

Ujpest TE 3 Ipswich Town 2

BLUES skipper Jim Magilton and Ujpest goal hero Peter Rojczi were both sent off as Ipswich suffered a disappointing night in their first ever game in Hungary.

Magilton and Rojczi clashed with less than five minutes to go at the Szusza Ferenc Stadium, in Budapest, which marred an otherwise absorbing game.

Rojczi appeared to head-butt Magilton, and in the ruckus that followed the referee sent both players off.

Often in that situation in friendly matches the referee will show common sense by giving the teams the chance to substitute the players involved.

Happily the final whistle brought hand-shakes and shirt-swapping all round but it was the Hungarians who left satisfied and upbeat for the start of their season next weekend.

Dean Bowditch and Darren Currie both found the net as once again the Blues showed scoring is not a problem - but keeping them out at the other end continues to be difficult.

Bowditch scored his third in as many pre-season games as he pushes for a first-team starting place and Currie showed he is ready to take over the mantle as penalty king.

Nicky Forster looked sharp when he was on and put the ball in the back of the net in the opening minute but was ruled offside.

Worryingly for Town, though, he went off injured after just 20 minutes. Sam Parkin has yet to get off the mark but both look to be very good signings.

Once again Town's propensity to gift chances to their opponents proved to be their Achilles heel.

Owen Garvan was handed his full senior debut and given a midfield holding role which he did well, showing some deft passing and keeping a close eye on the wily Karoly Eros.

Ian Westlake got through a ton of work and showed good energy in closing players down. As usual Magilton dictated the tempo while a rejuvenated Currie was full of running with crosses down the left flank.

The Blues had the better of an entertaining first half and held their own for much of the second before slipping up.

Lewis Price made a couple of stunning saves to keep Town in it after Ujpest exploited mistakes. The Welsh Under-21 international reacted brilliantly to deny Robert Feczesin, who got behind the defence and the flag stayed down.

Hungarian Under-21 Fezcsin was also guilty of a glaring miss when clean through but he also made a couple of good passes to find hot shot Rajczi.

Price denied the senior international, who has scored twice in five Magyar appearances, but could do nothing to stop a blistering shot from Rajczi for their equaliser three minutes after Town went ahead.

Currie sent Geza Vlaszak the wrong way from the spot after Forster had won a penalty.

The former Reading striker was fouled by international defender Vilmos Vanczak, after strong work by Parkin, who laid the ball off for Forster and his surging run into the area got to dead ball line before he was brought down.

Forster was forced off after just 20 minutes, holding his lower back and was replaced by Bowditch. The young England cap hit a post with a terrific effort after more good work from Magilton and Parkin.

Bowditch, who caused problems with his clever running, was not to be denied and he put Town ahead on the stroke of half time.

Currie and Matt Richards combined well down the left flank and the overlapping defender found Magilton with a cross but the skipper's shot was deflected for a corner.

The Irishman took the flag kick himself and Bowditch poked home from close range.

The Budapest side equalised again seven minutes after the break when Rajczi again escaped the Town defence and finished brilliantly with a 16-yard volley.

That was enough to spark off the vociferous ultra Violet Bulldogs behind Price's goal while the 50 Town supporters at the opposite end of the ground slumped in their lilac-coloured seats.

With 10 minutes to go a swift move by Ujpest was superbly finished by the lightning-quick substitute Mate Gulyas as Town were severely punished for their lapses.

Line-ups

Ujpest TE: Vlaszak, Vermes (Vaco, 60) Kiss, Eros, Bojte, Vanczak, N Toth, Rajczi, Feczesin (Gulyas, 60) Sandor (Freud, 77) and B Toth (Vituska, 66). Subs not used: Hullam and Gyurok.

Ipswich Town: Price, Wilnis, Richards, De Vos, Garvan, Naylor, Magilton, Forster (Bowditch, 20) Parkin, Currie and Westlake. Subs not used: Collins, Trotter, Casement, McDonald and Supple.

Referee: Szabolcs Saskoy (Hungary).