Town beat Le Havre 1-0 in pre season encounter at Portman Road

A header by Chuba Akpom following a cross from Abdul Fatawu was the only goal of the game in Ipswich’s pre season clash against French Ligue 1 outfit Le Havre tonight (Tuesday, August 4) at Portman Road.

Town fielded two different teams in both halves with the second half players finding a better rhythm.

The Super Blues, who earlier in the day confirmed the signing of midfielder Florentino Luis for £16 million from Burnley, started the game with a strong 11 but changed it round for the second half with nine changes.

The starting line up consisted of Alex Palmer, Kasey McAteer playing in an unfamiliar role at right back, Cedric Kipre and skipper Dara O’Shea in the centre of defence and Lief Davis on the left, with a midfield of Cameron Humphreys, Anis Mehmeti and Marcelino Nunez in the number 10 role. Young academy player Tudor Mendel was on the right wing, new signing from Celtic Japanese international Daizen Maeda, wide left, and Brazilian Emersonn, signed from Toulouse up front.

That all changed in the second period with nine players being introduced. They included Darnell Furlong, Jacob Greaves, Fulham signing Issa Diop, Ben Johnson, Fin Barbrook, Sindre Walle Egeli, former Leicester City player Abdul Fatawu, Jack Clarke and Akpom.

Town pressed in the opening 20 minutes but were unable to find a way through to threaten Le Havre goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi with the French defence holding firm.

At the other end Ipswich shot stopper Alex Palmer was an unworked spectator as Town had much of the possession.

A smart move involving Emersonn and Mendel came to an end when the Town striker fed the ball into the path of Mehmeti but he fired high over the bar when well placed.

But Le Havre should have taken the lead with their first threat on the Ipswich goal in the 27th minute when an error by Kipre resulted in the ball falling at the feet of Moroccan international Amir Richardson but he fired just wide of Palmer’s right hand post.

Fatawu was in the thick of the action at the start of the second period and he won a free kick just outside the penalty area close to the byline in the 50th minute. Humphreys floated the ball towards the near post and Barbrook connected with his head but was adjudged have fouled Le Havre’s second half substitute goalkeeper Mory Diaw.

Akpom put Town in front in the 58th minute when his header found the back of the net following a cross from Fatawu.

Dutch goalkeeper Kayne Van Oevelen and George Hirst were introduced in the 65th minute for Town with Le Havre also making a raft of changes in the remaining 20 minutes of the game.

Le Havre pressed for an equaliser in the final moments but the Town defence, led superbly by Diop, held firm in front of 6,669 spectators inside the stadium.