A strong Town reserve side beat their Norwich counterparts 3-0 at Portman Road on Monday night. Danny Haynes opened the scoring, with strike partner Dean Bowditch and midfielder Liam Trotter completing the scoring.

Town included a number of players with first-team experience, as well as fielding Polish trialist Marcin Adamski. Norwich also fielded a strong side, with former Town youth player Robert Eagle starting on the left side of midfield.

The visitors had an early half-chance when Chris Martin could've diverted an Eagle shot into the net but the ball rolled wide of the post. Ross Kelly then replaced the injured Julien Brellier in the centre of midfield.

Trialist Adamski saw a header from a Roberts' corner fly over the top, before an inviting Roberts cross was missed by everyone following a quick Town break.

Town should've opened the scoring on 24 when Haynes played a neat one-two with Roberts before blasting his shot over the bar from six yards out.

A ball from Synnott over the top set up Bowditch, who side-footed his shot wide of the near post when he also should've scored.

On 31 minutes, the Canaries were awarded a dubious-looking penalty. Richard Naylor seemed to win the ball with a good tackle on Martin before seeing referee Beck point to the spot. Naylor was also booked for the tackle.

Striker Chris Brown stepped up to take the penalty, but Town keeper Andy Plummer dived to his right and pushed the ball away to keep the scores level.

Town did open the scoring on 34 when a good ball over the top from Bowditch allowed Haynes to cut inside a defender and place a precise finish into the bottom corner of the net.

During the one minute of stoppage time at the end of the first-half, Haynes was allowed to turn in the box before firing way over the bar, following more good work from Roberts on the right.

The Canaries made their second change of the night at half-time when Gareth Matthews replaced Andrew Cave-Brown at right-back.

Two minutes after the re-start, Roberts' attempted cross looped over keeper Gilks and came off the top of the crossbar before being cleared.

Influential midfielder Jai Reason then broke up a visitors' attack and played in Haynes, who this time saw his shot well-saved by the visiting keeper.

Town then made their first change of the night when Irishman Paul Murphy replaced the impressive Roberts.

Norwich's Matthew Halliday then received a deserved yellow card after a foul on Haynes.

On 67, Haynes and Peters played a neat one-two before Haynes was once again denied by Gilks — this time the Canaries stopper deflecting the ball over the bar.

With fifteen minutes remaining, Liam Trotter saw his shot beaten away by Gilks after being played through by Murphy.

Norwich hadn't offered much up front during the whole game, and this was summed up soon after when Martin hit a shot from outside the area which landed in the top of the Greene King Stand.

Gilks came to the Canaries' rescue again when Town broke and Bowditch saw his effort saved by the keeper's legs.

Town scored their second on 78 after dazzling trickery from Peters on the left had enabled him to beat two visiting defenders. He then got to the by-line and pulled it back for Bowditch to side-foot home.

There was a stoppage in play three minutes later when a nasty-looking clash of heads between Synnott and Norwich sub Jordan Yong saw both players needing lengthy treatment. Town's Irish full-back was able to carry on, but Yong didn't carry on and the visitors played out the rest of the game with ten men after using their three substitutes.

Town made a double change with five minutes remaining — Curtley Williams replacing Reason in the middle of the park and Jack Ainsley coming on in place of Haynes up front.

Within a minute of the changes, Town had made it 3-0. Synnott chipped a delightful ball over the Canaries defence and Trotter controlled it on his chest before sending a volley past Gilks and into the net.

During the four minutes of added on time, Ainsley saw his shot well saved by Gilks and Williams' rebound was also cleared away from danger.

Town certainly deserved their victory, with Reason running the show in midfield. Michael Synnott also had an impressive game at right-back, with Danny Haynes showing plenty of running up front, as well as getting his usual goal against the Canaries.

Trialist Adamski was solid at the back and won his fair share in the air against Chris Brown.

Ipswich Reserves: Plummer, Synnott (c), Sito, Reason (C Williams 85), Adamski, Naylor, Peters, Trotter, Bowditch, Haynes (Ainsley 85) and Roberts (Murphy 54). Unused: Smith and Watson.

Norwich Reserves: Gilks, Cave-Brown (Matthews 45), Bexfield, Brellier (Kelly 10), McLean, Halliday, Smith (Yong 69), Lathorpe, Brown, Martin and Eagle. Unused: Arnold and Daley. Ref: S Beck. Att: 775.

Photo: Action Images

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