Ipswich Town needed a penalty shootout to progress to the knockout stage of the Papa John’s Trophy.
The Blues and near-neighbours Colchester couldn’t be separated during 90 minutes of their decisive Group I encounter, which ended 0-0, meaning the contest came down to a shootout to decide the destination of both the bonus point and, as a result, the runner’s up spot in the pool.
The Blues won the shootout 4-3, with former Blue Freddie Sears and Chay Cooper missing for the U’s as Conor Chaplin, Rekeem Harper, Bersant Celina and Sone Aluko netted to take Town through.
The game saw former Ipswich stalwart Luke Chambers face his former club, along with Sears, with the ex-skipper given a warm applause as he acknowledged supporters while exiting the pitch at the end of the game.
Town’s victory, and the fact they finished second in the group behind West Ham’s Under 21s, means the Blues will be on the road in the next round, with the draw made on Saturday.
Cook telegraphed changes heading into this game and made nine of them, with Kane Vincent-Young and Cameron Burgess the only two players to keep their places.
Vaclav Hladky came in between the sticks, with Luke Woolfenden and Myles Kenlock the other two members of the back four.
Harper and Scott Fraser sat at the base of midfield, behind the trio of Aluko, Louie Barry and Chaplin. Joe Pigott led the line as the lone striker.
Chambers captained the visitors, who also included former Town players Sears, Tom Eastman and Frank Nouble in their ranks. Cole Skuse and Alan Judge missed out through injury, while Tommy Smith was away on international duty with New Zealand.
And it was the visitors who had the first opportunity of the night, with Sears outmuscling Burgess and picking the Town defender’s pocket on the touchline and delivering a low cross which Vincent-Young calmly turned wide as he beat Nouble to the ball.
Pigott was the first Town player to threaten, stinging the palms of Jake Turner after Barry had run at Chambers and laid the ball off to him, before Sears chased a long ball over the top and took advantage of Hladky’s hesitation, only to fail when it came to finding the finish.
Town came closer still, as Pigott broke into the box as he took advantage of Eastman’s stumble and fired a shot which rattled the Colchester crossbar with the aid of Turner’s hand, before Barry fired the rebound wide. The offside flag was already up in any case.
Barry was the next to try his luck, twisting and turning his way into the box after connecting with a long Burgess ball downfield, with the Aston Villa loanee shooting at Turner from a tight angle when he should really have pulled the ball back for Pigott.
Chambers and old partner Woolfenden both put in good blocks for their side to stop dangerous moments in either box, as a fast start begin to calm down, with the Blues enjoying patient periods of possession without being able to force chances.
The half ended with Vincent-Young receiving two rounds of treatment following a fall on his shoulder, where he underwent an operation at the end of last season, before completing the first 45 minutes after coming back on.
He didn’t emerge for the second half, though, and neither did Kenlock as Wes Burns and Bailey Kenlock took their places.
After Chaplin headed wide for Town, Sears had the first true opening of the second period as he profited from Burgess’ slip to break into the box and force Hladky into a save. The Czech spilled the ball but the Town defence was there to hack clear.
Town turned the screw a little, with added pressure heaped on the Colchester box before Chaplin’s clever pass forward allowed Fraser to volley at goal. Turner flew to his left to push it away.
Hladky had to be smart to get down and cut out Colchester substitute Chay Cooper’s poke towards goal, when he should have pulled it back for Sears, before Cook introduced Bersant Celina in place of Barry.
He was involved quickly, sending in a shot which Turner saved fairly comfortably, but that was as good as it got for Town before the game drifted towards a decisive penalty shootout.
Pigott and Sears both saw their opening spot kicks saved, before Chaplin, Harper, Celina and Aluko all netted for Town.
Chay Cooper missed the vital spot kick for Ipswich as the Blues made it through to the knockout stages.
Ipswich Town: Hladky; Vincent-Young (Burns, 46), Woolfenden, Burgess, Kenlock (Clements, 46); Harper, Fraser; Aluko, Barry (Bersant 71), Chaplin; Pigott
Subs: Holy, Donacien, Evans, Jackson
Colchester United: Turner, Tchamadeu (Welch-Hayes, 68), Chambers, Eastman, Daniels (Coxe, 84); Hannant, Wiredu, Chilvers, Kennedy (Cooper, 60) ; Sears, Nouble
Subs: Gerken, McCoulsky, Thomas, Tovide
Att: 8,100 (566 Colchester fans)
Penalty shootout
Ipswich
Pigott SAVED
Chaplin SCORED
Harper SCORED
Celina SCORED
Aluko SCORED
Colchester
Sears SAVED
Chilvers SCORED
Hannant SCORED
Coxe SCORED
Cooper MISSED
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