The Blues’ Leasing.com Trophy tie against Colchester United at the JobServe Community Stadium remains 0-0 at half-time.

Town named the expected fringe side with Brett McGavin handed his debut in midfield and striker Ben Folami also starting. The 20-year-old has delayed his departure for international duty with Australia’s U23s until tomorrow.

Tomas Holy returned in goal with Janoi Donacien at right-back, Myles Kenlock at left-back and Toto Nsiala and stand-in captain James Wilson the centre-halves.

Alongside McGavin, son of former U’s star Steve, in central midfield was Emyr Huws with Anthony Georgiou on the left and Gwion Edwards on the right and Idris El Mizouni playing just off striker Folami.

On the bench were academy scholars Tommy Hughes, Kai Brown and Liam Gibbs, the latter pair in the first-team 18 for the first time. Also among the subs was Tawanda Chirewa, a Shenfield schoolboy midfielder aged 16 years and 31 days with a Zimbabwean background.

The Colchester side included former Blues Frank Nouble amd Omar Sowunmi, while Dean Gerken and Tom Eastman are on the bench.

Chances were rare in the opening minutes with Town fans continuing to stream in long after kick-off having been delayed by heavy traffic both as they left Ipswich and arrived in Colchester.

But on 12 El Mizouni hit a well-struck effort which Colchester keeper Ethan Ross pushed past his post.

Town began to start pressing the U’s as the game moved towards the 25-minute mark, Donacien winning a corner which ultimately came to nothing.

Ten minutes before the break, with little of note still having happened, Luke Norris was yellow-carded for a foul on Nsiala with the Town central defender making his annoyance regarding the challenge very clear.

On 37 Sowunmi, a Town academy graduate, joined his team-mate in the book for pulling back Folami.

A minute later, the Australian turned away from his man on the right of the box and sent over a low ball which Edwards was only able to divert across the face of goal.

The Blues appeared to be getting up a head of steam as half-time approached but the home team - whose fans were significantly outnumbered by travelling Blues - then had a spell in and around the Town box but without being able to carve out a chance.

Town went close to opening the scoring in the 44th minute when Georgiou did well on the left and cut across to Folami, whose goalbound effort was brilliantly diverted over the bar by a sliding defender.

As the half moved into injury time, Blues skipper Wilson was booked for a foul on Ryan Clampin not far outside the area.

Norris curled the freekick wide and the referee’s whistle ended a half which won’t linger long in the memory soon afterwards.

Town had just about shaded it in terms of the few chances but overall there had been little between the sides.

Colchester: Ross, Lapslie, Prosser (c), Sowunmi, Senior, Pell, Norris, Brown, Sarpong-Wiredu, Clampin, Nouble. Subs: Gerken, Jackson, Bramall, Robinson, Eastman, Stevenson, Poku.

Town: Holy, Donacien, Wilson (c), Nsiala, Kenlock, Edwards, El Mizouni, McGavin, Huws, Georgiou, Folami. Subs: Norris, Rowe, Woolfenden, Hughes, K Brown, Gibbs, Chirewa. Referee: Sam Purkiss.

Photo: Action Images

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