Luke Hyam, Daryl Murphy and Paul Taylor were on the scoresheet as Town’s final pre-season friendly ended 3-3 at Notts County. The Blues were 2-1 in front at the break — ex-Town striker Danny Haynes netting for the home side — before Taylor lashed in a brilliant freekick for a much-changed Blues side after the break and County added two more, including a brilliant equaliser from Yoann Arquin.

Paul Anderson and Cole Skuse both started in which looked like the side Mick McCarthy plans to field at Reading in next week’s Championship opener.

The former Nottingham Forest man missed the last two games with a hamstring problem, while Skuse was subbed with a knee injury at Colchester on Tuesday.

New loan signing Ryan Tunnicliffe was on the bench, while skipper Carlos Edwards is still absent after his spell away with Trinidad and Tobago and midfielder Josh Carson was also absent.

Ex-Blue Danny Haynes and former loanee Bartosz Bialkowski were in Chris Kiwomya's Notts County side, while on-trial ex-Town striker Ronan Murray and former U18s captain Callum Bennett were on the Magpies’ bench.

The first chance of the game in the second minute when Mark Fotheringham played in Enoch Showunmi but Blues keeper Scott Loach blocked. The ball looped to Haynes who headed well over.

Town went straight up the other end and went even closer. Aaron Cresswell crossed from the left and Daryl Murphy’s bouncing header beat Bialkowski but struck the Polish keeper’s right post.

The Irishman ought to have done better a minute later when he flicked a header wide after good work from David McGoldrick, who started his career with home town club County, on the left.

The early flurry of chances continued with Cresswell finding Hyam well placed inside the area, but the midfielder screwed his shot well wide and too far in front of Murphy.

On nine Cresswell signalled that the game was up for him and made his way off the field. The left-back has been suffering with a thigh injury throughout pre-season. Tyrone Mings took over.

Town went in front in the 15th minute through Luke Hyam. McGoldrick nodded a long ball down to Murphy, who held off a defender before backheeling into the path of Jay Tabb. The midfielder crossed from the left and Hyam stooped to nod a six-yard header across Bialkowski and into the net for a well-crafted goal.

Eight minutes later it was 2-0. Mings played the ball down the line, McGoldrick crossed and Murphy tapped home from six yards for his fifth goal of pre-season.

On 25 Fotheringham turned a weak shot to Loach, back in his home town, from the edge of the box, then winger Jamal Campbell-Ryce saw a powerful strike deflect wide. But in the main Town had been comfortable and they had had enough chances to be further ahead.

Just after the half hour a simmering spat between Hyam and Joss Labadie briefly spilled over into a bout of handbags, but referee Andy Woolmer restored order without showing cards which would have been inevitable in a competitive fixture.

However, only a minute or so later the two challenged for the ball and Hyam, probably harshly as he looked to have been pulled the ground by the Magpies player, along with stand-in skipper Luke Chambers, was spoken to further by the referee.

The home side pulled a goal back in the 35th minute. Campbell-Ryce’s low cross from the right deflected to Haynes, who hit a low shot beyond Loach from just inside the area.

Chambers headed an Anderson corner straight at Bialkowski in the 43rd minute with the Blues still on top despite the County goal.
The Blues made seven changes at the break, Dean Gerken, Frederic Veseli, Christophe Berra, Anthony Wordsworth, Ryan Tunnicliffe, Frank Nouble and Paul Taylor replacing Loach, Hewitt, Chambers, Hyam, Skuse, Murphy and McGoldrick. Wordsworth less than five minutes before being replaced by Amir Berkane.
Town increased their lead in the 57th minute via a stunning Paul Taylor freekick from five yards away from the corner of the penalty area on the left. Keeper Bialkowski was left standing as the ball flew past him to his right.
Within three minutes, the home side had pulled another goal back. A freekick was sent in from deep on the left, Town failed to clear and Manny Smith slammed the ball across Gerken and into the net.

On 64 Gary Liddle squeezed a shot wide from 25 yards before Yoan Arquin forced Gerken to save low down with a strike from the left. Smith and Mings cleared.

The home side continued to threaten and on 67 former QPR man Gavin Mahon lashed well over after a corner was cleared to him.

Soon after, Town made their final two subs, David October and Kyle Hammond taking over from Mings and Tabb. Soon after Manny Smith hit the post from a corner but having committed a foul.

On 73 Gerken was forced into a save by Liddle from a corner with the Magpies looking the more likely side to score at this stage.

The home side got back on terms in the 77th minute with a goal every bit as good as Taylor’s. Yoan Arquin brought the ball past Berkane and Hammond at pace, cut into the area and lashed a low shot past Gerken to his left.

The goal had been coming with County presenting the greater the threat since the substitutions. On 79 Gerken did well to push Hammond’s headed backpass wide.

Ex-Blue Ronan Murray, currently on trial at Meadow Lane came on for the final five minutes, with the game looking destined to be a draw. Frank Nouble screwed a late opportunity wide from the right of the penalty area.

Given the substitutions it was very much a game of two halves. The Blues were very much on top in the first half and might have gone in more than 2-1 in front.

In the second half, the more inexperienced Town team increased their lead with their only chance of the half, Taylor’s brilliant freekick with the largely more senior home side deserving to level things on the balance of the 45 minutes.

Overall, Mick McCarthy will be delighted to have gone through pre-season unbeaten, even if today’s result saw the 100% record go, ahead of the start of the season proper next weekend at Reading.

Town: Loach (Gerken 46), Hewitt (Veseli 46), Chambers (Berra 46), Smith, Cresswell (Mings 10 (October 68)), Anderson, Hyam (Wordsworth 46 (Berkane 50)), Skuse (Tunnicliffe 46), Tabb (Hammond 68), Murphy (Nouble 46), McGoldrick (Taylor 46). Ref: Andy Woolmer. Att: 1,532 (Town: 260).

Photo: Action Images

Stato added 19:12 - Jul 27 Blimey manningtree I think I know what you mean but part of the fun of being a footy fan is debating the issues. Mick is our best manager in a long time and 99% of us realise how lucky we are to have him but he will make mistakes and he'll tell you that himself
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runningout added 19:41 - Jul 27 Have said Anderson is lightweight, and he wont bother too many opposition defenders in that nick.. this scoreline wont concern the rest of the championship.. This is why it's more sensible to be realistic about the season ahead
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miltonsnephew added 19:43 - Jul 27 Any reason why DOHERTY wasn't involved??
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BiggestMick added 19:58 - Jul 27 Can anyone tell me how veseli and berra were ?
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RegencyBlue added 20:49 - Jul 27 Cresswell's injury sounds worrying and he clearly isn't match fit at the moment. Important player for us and wouldn't want to have to start the season without him.
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ShropshireBluenago09 added 21:16 - Jul 27 Its a friendly FFS. And the team was completley changed at 1/2 time- thats what friendlies are for. Not bothered it was 3-3 - lets go and beat Reading.
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WaffleMan added 21:24 - Jul 27 thought in the first half we played really well and that should be the starting 11 for next week, Murphy and McGoldrick linked up very well, but I thought once chambers came off after half time we didnt look as organised as we normally do at the back but overall it was a good performance and gutted that cresswell went off through injury and I hope he is okay for next week, but I thought Tyrone Mings had a superb game at left back making an important clearance towards the end!

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h32 added 21:42 - Jul 27 ManningtreeBlue99 - thanks for (inadvertently I guess) confirming and proving the point I made. How logical, sensible people can then disagree and hit the minus button as much as they have is amazing (but then is it ?) ......... maybe not !! Just a reminder that your opinion is no BETTER or WORSE than mine - we are EACH entitled to it. I've also got an opinion on whether the word 'Loyal' you mention is the correct word - I would use something else, and that's my perogative as a paying customer. Some people have much to say on here and hardly ever attend Portman Road - I am NOT one of them.

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ShropshireBluenago09 added 22:04 - Jul 27 h32 - I rarely attend Portman Road. Its a 400 mile round trip for me and many other Town fans travel further than me. Sites like this keep us informed of whats going on and we rely on the likes of you to form an opinion.
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IpswichLewis added 22:08 - Jul 27 Put your handbags down lads...it's not worth it...;-)
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h32 added 22:16 - Jul 27 ShropshireBluenago09 - totally understand your point and situation, and credit to you for your support from afar - long may it continue. Have to meet up for a beer when you do get down here.
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blues1 added 22:25 - Jul 27 timmyh. Anderson did not have a poor game. while it has to be said he didn't receive the ball often enough, what he di, he did well in general. quite happy to come inside and showed he can play on either flank. ok he didn't exactly fly past the defenders regularly but did ok.lisbie. presume ur talking abour skuse in ur post. if youd done what I did, and watch him for about 10 mins youd see thatm rather like m. Holland used to do, he does a lot of unsung work, picking up the ball, laying it off to others around him with the minimum fuss, no, hes not a stand out player but every good team can do with a player like him. it is a bit worrying that our defence was not at its best, even in 1st half notts got through too easily on 1 or 2 occasions. certainly the changes 2nd half didn't help with 2 youngsters at full back, while you could def see that berra is a fair bit behind with his fitness, but all in all we did ok, tho not helped by the injuries or indeed a ref who had a shocking match

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blues1 added 22:30 - Jul 27 waffleman. how did mings make a great clearance towards the end of the match? he went off after 68 mins
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blues1 added 22:44 - Jul 27 oh, and lisbie, im guessing u either don't live in Ipswich, u wrote ur post on way home or u didn't go to game at all as theres no way youd have got back to Ipswich in just about 1 and a half hours.
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LisbieAvenue added 22:56 - Jul 27 Blues1, i live in nottingham but don't see the relevance of that anyway. Scuse hardly got the ball all game. Only thing I remember about him was losing ball early on as too slow making the pass. Everything went through the class above that us luke hyam. Anderson was very ineffective today but as I said before he may not be match fit so will give him benefit of doubt.

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J4ck22 added 02:28 - Jul 28 People are seriously questioning Mick's judgement over a pre-season friendly which is PURELY for fitness and giving players a run out before the season starts. I've read some stupid opinions on this site but for the love of god this is the most ridiculous. The results or the quality of teams we play in friendlies are completely unimportant, but you can't just go into a new season without having played any light, practice games to get them fit and prepared for it. Making substitutions is to give everyone the chance to impress and show what they can do before the season starts. It also gives new players the chance to get used to playing with their new team mates so we don't have to worry about that so much in important league games. I guess some people will never be satisfied with what is going on.

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blues1 added 07:32 - Jul 28 lisbie the relevance of just asking where u lived was that you said youd just got back from game, which taking into account the time of ur post would have been down to one of the reasons I stated. was just asking, nothing more. as I said unless you actually concentrated on skuse you wouldn't have seen his contribution. which is exactly the reason you've given youre criticism of him. m Holland used to get the same criticisms of him on many occasions from people on here. have to say that after barnet match I was saying the same as you but yesterday I watched him for 10=15 mins and his contribution was much more than it would prob have appeared if you not concentrating purely on him.

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ericclacton added 09:43 - Jul 28 I'm hoping cressy hasn't gone lame.
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BillBlue added 12:14 - Jul 28 J4ck22, So that is your opinion is it? Bit too like that of our friend from Manningtree for my liking!
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HALLSJ added 13:18 - Jul 28 SUNDAY People predicted 16th for us this season, thoughts? Personally 10th would be acceptable cobsidering the last 5 years of dross.
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HALLSJ added 13:22 - Jul 28 Sunday People predict 16th for us personally Im going for 10th, thoughts
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TimmyH added 14:49 - Jul 28 @blues1 - well I can't say from personal experience what Anderson played like as I was not there but was purely going by 2 other posters reviews which said he was 'quiet', either way it still holds true a lot of expectation on his shoulders if we are going to be more creative attacking wise this season.
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J4ck22 added 15:33 - Jul 28 BillBlue, my opinion is that some people are making way too big of a deal over pre-season friendlies, which don't mean anything other than getting players fit and bringing new players in. Just completely unnecessary criticism.
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blues1 added 17:49 - Jul 28 no disrespect timmy h but this is the prob with many people on here. they post opinions on games that they didn't even attend and expect their comments to be accepted. I don't see how anyone can voice an opinion on a game they haven't seen. going by other posters isn't a way to be able to comment on some1s performance. while, I not saying these other posters were totally wrong, he wasn't outstanding certainly, but he did not have a poor game and im sure he'll get better. on the point some on here are making that fans are questioning mm, I certainly don't question his decision to change almost the whols team at halftime but it certainly came as a surprise to me as while it does happen in most friendlies, it is unusual in the last friendly before the season when the team to play the following week usually, in my experience, do play longer in that game. And I would suggest that had, as in previous seasons we had been playing a PL team that would have been the case here. maybe it was the fact we weren't that this didn't happen on this occasion.

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h32 added 17:51 - Jul 28 HALLSJ - ....... I personally don't think we can expect too much this season with what we've got - 10th would be an achievement, anything more would be a welcome bonus. Of course, we hope for much better - and Football is a 'funny old game' anyway.
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