Forster on target again as Galway swept aside

Last updated : 13 July 2006 By Russell Claydon
Currie: Played but Town future in doubt
After Saturday's less than convincing 1-1 draw at Boston United's York Street, Jim Magilton took his squad across the Irish sea to play Galway United and two goals inside the first 20 minutes proved to be too much for the Irish side to handle as the Blues strolled to their first victory under their new boss, the former captain of Northern Ireland.

After Nicky Forster had added to his goal from the weekend with a stunning 20 yard strike after only three minutes and full-back Sito, recently removed from the transfer list after being put up for sale under Magilton's predessesor, there was even time for the new manager himself to get some match practice in, as he replaced the ever-impressing French trialist, Alexis Bertin.

The new boss is registered as a player for 2006/2007 but has gone on record to ITFM saying that he would only play in an emergency and the reason for signing himself on is to play in reserve fixtures, where he believes he can help the youngsters make the set up from the academy to the fringe of the first-team.

Amongst those academy graduates are a talented Irish contingent but there was no place for arguably the cream of the Irish crop, Owen Garvan, who was left to recover in Suffolk after a bout of shingles.

Magilton used the game as a chance to rotate his players in much the same vein as was characteristic of the England friendlies under the Erikksson regime, but with this being only the Blues second oppourtunity to get some match pratice in with only three weeks until the Championship season kicks-off, the game was never arranged for the spectacle.

Alexis Bertin, the only one of the trio of trialists to get an immediate extension to his stay at the Club from Magilton looked to occupy the position that his fellow countryman, Claude Makelele, does to such effect for Chelsea and could well be Magilton's first signing as Town manager.

Commanding captain, Jason De Vos, had a goal dissallowed in the first period before having a header cleared from the goal line in the second-half, as Town looked to put the result beyond doubt.

Darren Currie, whose future at Portman Road is clouded by specualtion linking him with a move to Elland Road, possibly with a player such as Dan Harding coming the other way, started on the bench but was brought on for Danny Haynes shortly before half-time, the man who memorarbly opening his scoring account for the Club at Leeds last season and then added another against the Yorkshire side at Portman Road.

Wales international, Lewis Price, started in the Town goal, before Irishman Shane Supple, who won the battle of the Portman Road 'keepers last term, replaced him after the break. Elswhere Sam Parkin failed to find his scoring boots but did link up well with Forster on a number of occassions before they were replaced by academy duo Clarke and Knights.

The Team that took the field against Galway:
Price, Sito, De Vos, Naylor, Casement, Bertin, Peters, Westlake, Haynes Forster, Parkin

The side that finished the match:
Supple, Wilnis, Krause, Nash, Magilton, Skard, Currie, Bowditch, Clarke, Knights