Steve Spooner

Blues Under18's earned themselves a deserved 0-0 draw away at Ipswich last weekend.

Although the Blues youngsters failed to get on the scoresheet, Youth Coach Steve Spooner was delighted with their overall performance.

"It was quite well matched up because they had a few schoolboys playing as well," he said.

"The result aside I thought it was a really good game to watch.

"Both teams played football the way you like to see football played - with some good passing, energy and people winning tackles.

"But it was the clean sheet which pleased me most.

"It was achieved by the whole team, not just the defence.

"The strikers worked their socks off up front.

"Ipswich played a holding man in midfield and three across the midfield.

Jamie Sheldon

"I asked Jamie Sheldon to drop off and sit on their holding man when he got the ball and he did that ever so well, which epitomised the side.

"There was a real togetherness and team spirit and a desire to grind a result out for one another.

"On top of that I thought we played some really decent football at times.

"We created some really decent chances, particularly in the first 15 or 20 minutes and didn't put them away, but apart from that I couldn't really fault them because they carried out everything we'd asked of them on the training ground."

Full time: Ipswich U18's 0 Blues U18's 0

Blues: Lyness, Rutter, Rowe, O'Brien, Rowe, Preston, Lea, Joyce, Gradwell, Sheldon, Hubbins.
Subs not used: Newbury, Dunphy, Lewis.