Michael Chopra scored his third and fourth goals of pre-season as Town came from two goals behind to draw 2-2 at Cambridge United.

Blues boss Paul Jewell started with new strike pair Michael Chopra and Nathan Ellington for the first time, while Lee Bowyer was handed the captain’s armband.

Ívar Ingimarsson again missed out with his thigh problem, while Jaime Peters, Luciano Civelli and Conor Hourihane were left out of the squad entirely and will presumably join the likes of Shane O’Connor, Ronan Murray and Joe Whight in the reserves at Bury on Wednesday.

The Blues went behind in the second minute when a misplaced Bowyer pass back to Damien Delaney 10 yards outside the area put Ryan Charles through on goal. The Cambridge man held off Delaney before hitting a shot across Arran Lee-Barrett and into the net.

A minute later it was two. Bowyer rather needlessly fouled Ashley Carew five yards outside the area to the left. The midfielder took the kick himself and curled the ball beyond Lee-Barrett and into the net.

The rip-roaring start continued with the Blues pulling a goal back in the fifth minute. Lee Martin played the ball wide to Nathan Ellington and the former Wigan man whipped in a cross which Chopra diverted past U’s keeper Simon Brown.

The basketball-esque pace of scoring relented and it wasn’t until the 18th minute that either side managed another significant shot, Cambridge left-back James Jennings cannoning a strike off Delaney after he had found space just inside the box.

Town pulled level on 21 when Josh Carson — who had swapped flanks with Lee Martin having started on the left - pulled the ball back from the byline on the right and Chopra slammed in his fourth goal of pre-season from 10 yards.

The Blues were by now getting on top after their somewhat calamitous start and Lee Martin came close to putting them in front on 24 with a dipping shot from 25 yards which only narrowly flew over.

The Blue Square Bet Premier side might have gone back in front in the 29th minute when Charles was presented with a free header from Jennings’s corner unable to keep it down.

There was a further scare for the Blues a minute later when Delaney missed a ball in behind and allowed Adam Marriott to break into the area. Fortunately for Town, Arran Lee-Barrett was able to stretch out an arm to dispossess the Cambridge striker as he tried to take the ball round him.

Chopra came close to a first-half hat-trick on 37 when he hammered Martin’s corner from the right against strike partner Ellington when it looked goalbound.

Cambridge, who were far from being outclassed, weren’t too far from a third themselves moments later when Charles lashed a 25-yarder across the face of Lee-Barrett’s goal.

Healy slammed over from 20 yards as the half drew to what was a quiet close after the fireworks of the opening few minutes.

Town had started sloppily, particularly defensively, but fought their way back into the match via a couple of well-taken goals but had still given the ball away far too often to truly dominate a side three divisions below them.

Chopra had again been the standout performer, netting his third and fourth goals of the pre-season campaign and illustrating precisely why Paul Jewell — and Roy Keane before him — wanted him at Portman Road.

Town made four changes at the break, Jason Scotland, Mark Kennedy, Jack Ainsley and Andy Drury taking over from Nathan Ellington, Aaron Cresswell, Colin Healy and Josh Carson with Carlos Edwards moving to the right of midfield.

On 49, Scotland saw a shot deflect wide, then from the resultant corner the ball reached Chopra. The former Cardiff man laid it back to Edwards, whose strike was also blocked.

Scotland had another shot stopped by a defender with the Blues making a somewhat better start to the second half than they had the first.

Jennings again went close for the home side on 56 with a shot across the face of Lee-Barrett’s goal, prior to Cambridge youngster Luke Berry getting into a brief but perhaps ill-advised bout of wrestling with Lee Bowyer.

The Blues were moving the ball around more slickly and with greater pace than in the first period. On 64 Drury found Ainsley with superb crossfield ball, the right-back sending in a dangerous cross but beyond Chopra.

After more substitutions, Town almost went in front when Edwards cut the ball back to Scotland, his fellow Trinidadian turning the ball against the near post. At the other end, Carew shot wide.

Grant Leadbitter, who had taken the armband when he came on, saw a goalbound shot deflect over after a Drury corner from the left had been deflected out to him on the edge of the box.

Priskin, playing wide on the left of midfield, deftly curled a shot just over on 83, then with four minutes left Cambridge should have won it. Jordan Patrick beat Hyam round the outside on the left and sent in a cross which Liam Hughes sent over the bar with the goal gaping.

Cambridge sub keeper Danny Naisbitt blocked from Chopra as the game moved into injury time, a tardy linesman’s flag calling back play for offside.

The home side came close to winning it in injury time with Conal Platt first hitting Hyam and then the crossbar from the edge of the box.

Scotland just failed to get on the end of a through ball for Town before referee Kevin Wright — a familiar face in the Championship — blew the final whistle.

Town had been better in the second period but still without being overly convincing. They had kept the ball better at times, with Andy Drury’s first time passing increasing the tempo, but too few chances were created and Cambridge might have won it with their opportunities towards the end.

Blues boss Paul Jewell will probably have been more impressed than he was with the first half display — particularly the sloppy start — while Michael Chopra continues his excellent start to his Town career.

Town: Lee-Barrett (Fülöp 66), Edwards, Cresswell (Kennedy 46), Healy (Drury 46), Delaney, Smith (Hyam 81), Carson (Ainsley 46), Bowyer (Leadbitter 66), Ellington (Scotland 46), Chopra, Martin (Priskin 66).

Cambridge: Brown (Naisbitt 46), Roberts Hudson 80), Coulson, Wylde (McAuley 72), Jennings, Carew (Eades 80), Shaw, Berry, Dunk (Platt 66), Charles (Hughes 54), Marriott (Patrick 66). Unused: Allen, Brighton. Referee: Kevin Wright (Cambridgeshire). Att: 2,307 (Town 752).

Story syndicated from TWTD.co.uk

Photo: Action Images

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