Lee Bowyer scored his first goal in a Town shirt but Paul Jewell’s men were beaten 2-1 by Wolves in their final pre-season friendly at Portman Road. After an impressive first period, Bowyer put the Blues ahead just before half-time, Stephen Hunt and then a later Sylvan Ebanks-Blake penalty winning it for the visitors after the break.

Blues boss Paul Jewell started six of his new signings with Nathan Ellington amongst the subs. Grant Leadbitter was again given the captaincy, slotting into a five-man midfield with ex-Wolves man Mark Kennedy in the holding role and Jay Emmanuel-Thomas wide on the left.

After a scrappy start in front of a sparse Portman Road crowd, Town carved out the game’s first serious chance in the eighth minute, Michael Chopra turning a Leadbitter pass into Bowyer’s path but Wolves keeper Dorus De Vries was out quickly to gather.

A minute later, Chopra won a corner as he looked to play in Lee Martin on the right of the area, Ívar Ingimarsson heading wide Martin’s cross from the subsequent short corner.

On 20 Adam Hammill curled the visitors’ first shot of the game tamely to David Stockdale with the Blues having had the better of the game, keeping possession but without being able to find the final ball.

A 24th minute Leadbitter pass which would have played in Bowyer was stopped by Ronald Zubar, then Martin cut in from the right and hit a low shot into the sidenetting.

Wolves went close to netting the game’s opening goal in the 28th minute when they had two goes at trying to convert a corner from the left. Stockdale stopped Ebanks-Blake’s header, then Zubar’s follow-up.

The Blues went close themselves in the 35th minute when Emmanuel-Thomas, who had by now switched flanks, used his strength to keep hold of the ball before playing in Town’s other wideman Martin, who screwed his shot wide.

Town deservedly went in front in the 44th minute when, having been found by Cresswell, Martin cut the ball back from the left, Chopra dummied and Bowyer slammed in a low shot as he burst into the area.

Boss Paul Jewell will have been happy with his side’s first half display, the Blues having had the best of an entertaining first 45 minutes, keeping the ball well for the most part and coming close to creating a number of good chances prior to first goal in a Town shirt.

Grant Leadbitter curled a 25-yard freekick wide in on 56 with the second half beginning with neither side making a change.

A minute later, Bowyer almost netted a stunning second, spotting De Vries off his line he unleashed a dipping effort from a matter of feet inside the Wolves half which beat the Dutch keeper but struck the post. Chopra was first to the rebound but scuffed his effort wide.

After Wolves had swapped Zubar, Andy Keogh and Leigh Griffiths for George Elokobi, Michael Kightly and Stephen Hunt, Chopra shot just wide from the edge of the box, then Stockdale did well to save to his right from Nenad Milijas from Ebanks-Blake’s cross from the left.

Stephen Hunt needlessly clattered into Stockdale after the ball had gone on 68 before more substitutions — including the introduction of Town target Richard Stearman - disrupted what had been a very bitty half.

The visitors got back on terms in the 76th minute when Steven Fletcher nodded down a cross from the left and Hunt’s scuffed shot was deflected past the unfortunate Stockdale.

Damien Delaney made a rare foray forward on 79, playing the ball wide to sub Josh Carson, who crossed for Leadbitter whose two shots at goal were both blocked.

At the other end, Michael Kightly’s 81st minute chip from the right beat Stockdale but also the post, however, four minutes later Mick McCarthy’s men were in front.

Ebanks-Blake was bringing the ball back from the byline when he went to ground under pressure from Edwards, referee Darren Deadman, the official who abandoned the midweek game at Colchester, somewhat harshly deeming the contact enough to warrant a penalty. The Wolves striker lashed the kick straight down the middle.

Town never really threatened to get back on terms in the remaining minutes of the game with the by now much-changed side never really settling.

Wolves had had the better of the second half spells between the interruptions for substitutions but the two goals in quick succession were harsh on the Blues, who had been the better side before the break.

Overall, Paul Jewell will probably have been reasonably happy with the performance in his side’s final test before next week’s opener at Bristol City.

Town: Stockdale, Edwards, Cresswell, Ingimarsson, Delaney, Leadbitter (Healy 80), Kennedy (Hyam 80), Bowyer (Drury 80), Emmanuel-Thomas (Carson 70), Chopra (Ellington 80), Martin (Scotland 76). Unused: Fulop, Priskin, Smith.

Wolves: De Vries, Foley (O’Hara 75), Ward (Berra 83), Davis (Elokobi 61), Zubar (Stearman 75), Craddock (Johnson 83), Hammill (Fletcher 70), Milijas (Henry 70), Ebanks-Blake, Keogh (Hunt 61), Griffiths (Kightly 61). Hennessey, Doyle. Referee: Darren Deadman (Essex). Att: 5,904 (Wolves: 329).

Photo: Action Images

itfcjc added 16:08 - Jul 31 Sounds good
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h32 added 17:43 - Jul 31 Get used to it people - PJ is definitely a 4-5-1 man, home or away - what further proof does anyone need ?. Personally I think it's a negative, cr#p system particularly at home. That's one reason why I am no longer a season ticket holder, and until certain things change, I won't be. Just like several others I guess. Anyway good luck to the boys for the season - they may just need it.

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sewarditfc added 18:05 - Jul 31 Martin, bowler & Edwards were class yesturday. Don't know about jet?!, didn't do alot.
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nkotb_sect5 added 18:14 - Jul 31 I don't care if they play 1-8-1 or 2-6-1-1. I am lucky enough to be a season ticket holder and believe tha the coaches and the manger know more than I do. Tactics employed do not motivate me. Winning does though and being entertained .. I love it.
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MathieandMarshall added 20:21 - Jul 31 Are people actually blaming the managers chosen formation for not buying a season ticket? What a joke! The manager will chose the tactics he feels fit for each individual game. As football supporters surely our job is to support the players out there doing the job allocated to them. Whether we agree or not?!
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bluelady added 20:21 - Jul 31 H32 with respect I was there yesterday and it was not negative cr**
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StochesStotasBlewe added 20:43 - Jul 31 Some people will never be satisfied bluelady. Thanks for your more balanced view of events yesterday. This was a FRIENDLY. Wait untill we are a month or two into the season, then we will have more idea of how the team is gelling together. This takes a bit of time to achieve so patience people.
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TheMysteryTownFan added 21:14 - Jul 31 Guess what, Ched Evans is being charged with rape! thank god he aint coming.
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ncharles added 22:45 - Jul 31 Looking forward to next weekend. Stupidly excited, why do we always do this to oursleves?
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StochesStotasBlewe added 22:56 - Jul 31 ncharles. I,ts what real supporters of our great club all feel. I,m chomping at the bit to get the season underway & am optomistic of our chances, & i,m stupidly excited like your good self. COYB.
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h32 added 23:17 - Jul 31 bluelady - ..... speaking generally - not just about yesterday's game. We all have, and are entitled to, our own specific views - as indeed it should be. What I, and many others want to see, is the team winning first and foremost, and hopefully playing entertaining football in the process. Not asking the impossible - because that is what this Club WAS once rightfully renown for. Then we're 'all' happy.

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marcus139 added 23:27 - Jul 31 Why are people who know next to nothing about the tactics of football getting obsessed by 4 4 2? It is an archaic system that will never win anything ever again. When capello was rigidly playing it in world cup people were slagging him off. Shush please. What we should be worrying about is right footed centre half, creativity in midfield, a target man, and a right back. I for one am not happy with transfers to date this summer.

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bluelady added 00:44 - Aug 1 H32 don't disagree but until you go and watch you cannot say If it was entertaining or not, my view is what I saw sat was very encouraging and being a long term season ticket holder it was much better than I have seen for a while, will we do well this season, time will tell, the tone of your post suggests we won't before we even kick the first ball of the season, that to me is negative and boring far more than the game I watched sat, that is MY opinion.

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wark_on_water added 00:57 - Aug 1 Very well put bluelady!
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Surco72 added 09:13 - Aug 1 H32 the majority of negative crap is from yourself, if winning is the be all of your support then you are supporting the wrong club ,but then as you say you are not going to watch or put money into the club so hardly supporting at all ,just sit at home criticising . Teams play 4-5-1 when defending and 4-3-3 when attacking is JET a midfielder ,was Wickham a midfielder is Martin a defensive midfielder ? No ,so more like playing with three up front then

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Lightningboy added 10:19 - Aug 1 All starting to sound quite promising though I still think that Edwards is our big weak point in the team at right back..still find it baffling that we haven't sorted out this position?..hope we're going to ditch the 4-5-1 formation at home this season,it makes sense away but we all want more attacking footy in the home matches.
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Help added 12:32 - Aug 1 So from the back. Stockdale - good, will develop understanding with back 4 over time. Creswell - good defending and going forward Delaney - solid enough Ingarmarsson - Best of two in centre, very composed and solid. Edwards - not a right back. This is our weak area. Good going forward, still a lot to learn about defending. often left their players unmarked, and will be the reason for goals being scored against us this season. kennedy - good performance Leadbitter - Good Bowyer - best of three in midfield, good vision on and off ball JET - sometimes looks like brain and feet are to far apart for speed, but quicker the Scotland martin - nice touches, sometimes to many. keen to take on players, sometimes to many. gets ball to feet then forgets to look up for team mates. Chopra - not best as lone srtiker, but then neither was scotland or priskin last year. Good work load but sometimes as last year looked isolated. Selective subs. Hyam - looked lost at times and not confident Overall we will not win many games playing this formation 4.1.4.1 to defensive. but ball was going wide often and down the wings, though on many occasions always down the right, and left side was forgotten about. RB is my biggest concern especially if Edwards does not get support. Was only pre-season friendly, but if this is PJ's preferred starting lineup, then I expect upper mid table finish, unless one or two new players come in in key positions, or team gels quickly or changes to 442. Finally PJ states he wnats competition/cover in certain places such as CB. however we have no recognised RB, or cover/competition so seems a little contradictory to me.

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h32 added 20:07 - Aug 1 Surco72 - obviously your understanding of the game, and people, is questionable. End of story.
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h32 added 20:19 - Aug 1 ........ of course, I forgot - anyone who speaks the truth, and is anything other than an ostrich (head in the sand), is told to go to Carrot Road for being negative. Incredibly sad is that.
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