Town’s reserves began their Totesport.com Combination League East Division season with a 3-1 victory over a much more experienced Stevenage side at Playford Road. Caolan Lavery (pictured), David Cawley and Reggie Lambe were on the scoresheet for a young Blues side.
The first half was dominated by the visitors, featuring a number of season Blue Square Premier campaigners, with Stevenage keeper Ashley Bayes a virtual spectator.
Midfielder Josh Carson stopped what should have been a Boro goal in the 27th minute when former Cambridge United striker Lee Boylan was found with time and space inside the area but took too long over his shot allowing the Northern Irishman, who was called into the first team squad last week, to get across to block.
Town keeper Arran Lee-Barrett was called into action a couple of times just before the break, pushing two reasonably testing efforts away to his right.
The game changed completely in the second half with the young Town side — playing a five-man midfield with Lavery up front on his own - taking control from the off.
Within two minutes they were in front, Billy Clark crossing from the left and Lavery somehow managing to use the wind to curl a shot just inside keeper Bayes’s right-hand post just when it appeared that he had lost control on the edge of the area.
Before the visitors had time to react, the lead had been doubled. A Jamie Griffiths long pass wide towards Reggie Lambe was only cleared as far as Jack Ainsley, who brought the ball forward and into the area before finding midfielder David Cawley on the left of the box. The Irishman made no mistake in beating the keeper from 10 yards.
Town continued to look the more likely side to score and on 68 Lavery went through one-on-one with the keeper but ex-Grays man Bayes spread himself and prevented the Canadian U17 international from netting his second of the afternoon.
The Blues made it three in the 77th minute when Clark played the ball to Lavery on the right. The Canadian crossed for Lambe at the near post and the Bermudian international took a touch and slammed the ball past Bayes.
Boro, who had spent much of the second period arguing amongst themselves, pulled a goal back with nine minutes remaining, former Leicester City man Jon Ashton bundling the ball home from a corner on the right.
Billy Clark ought to have made it four close to the end but scraped his shot wide when through on goal.
A comfortable win in the end for a young Town reserves side with only Arran Lee-Barrett the only player older than 20 and having played more than a handful of first team games.
The eventual scoreline would have seemed far-fetched at the break with Stevenage having been on top and having had most of the ball, but after the break midfielders Carson, Clark and Cawley took control and there was only going to be one winner.
Coach Gary Ablett, who was recently taken ill, was back at Playford Road watching Chris Kiwomya’s men in action, along with manager Roy Keane, coaches Tony Loughlan and Ian McParland, chief scout Steve McCall and most of the academy staff.
Reserves: Lee-Barrett, Ainsley, Dunbar (Whight 79), Carson, Meekings, Eastman, Lambe, Cawley, Lavery, Clark, Griffiths (Brandon 85). Unused: McLoughlin, Jones, Tiofack.
Story syndicated from TWTD.co.uk