The Town second string got their pre-season campaign off to a winning start with a 4-0 victory at Framlingham Town's Badingham Road. The Blues line-up was full of youngsters and trialists.

The Blues went ahead in the first half from a twice-taken Chris Hogg penalty. The impressive Adem Atay had broken into the area down the right and been felled by the Fram full-back.

Hogg's first kick was ruled out for encroachment by striker Craig Reid, however his identikit second attempt also beat Rose in the Framlingham goal.

It wasn't until the second period, after a number of substitutions, that Town went further ahead with the home side proving resilient opposition.

On 57 Newton Boyce, a trialist who was previously with the Sunderland academy, brought the ball forward and laid it wide. Striker Liam Craig pulled the ball back low from the by-line to Boyce who had continued his run, the midfielder slotting home.

Craig himself netted the third in the 64th minute, running on to a fine ball from Darryl Knights and finishing well.

The fourth came from another trialist, Daniel Grainger from Peterborough, who latched on to a fine left wing cross from Irish U16 Billy Clarke.

The Town side also included Alfie Kamara, the Sierra Leone-born England U15 international and former Arsenal player, who has now joined the Town academy as a third year.

Also involved was 16-year-old Steve Towers from Oadby Town who played a central midfield role. Towers had been involved on Tuesday as the first team's right-back at Southend.

French youngster Johan Preau was another trialist at the centre of the midfield in the first half.

The Framlingham side showed a determined spirit and came closest to scoring when James Pullen all but dropped the ball at a striker's feet not far from his goal. However, the free transfer listed former Heybridge Swifts player recovered to make up for his error.

The Town side fielded in the first half is probably indicative of the reserves team this season, with a few additions from Tuesday night's first team line-ups.

With the senior squad reduced and no U17 side this season the U19s will be regulars in the second string and the U17s often in the U19s.

The reserves next pre-season game is at Woodbridge Town next Monday, but before then many of the same players face Tranmere Rovers in an U19s friendly on Saturday.

Town: Pullen, Okay, Krause, Mitchell (Beveridge 75), Hogg (Synott 46), Towers (Boyce 46), Kamara, Atay (Clarke 68), Reid (Knights 56), Preau (Craig 46), Barron (Grainger 63).

Photo: Action Images

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