Goals from Tyreece John-Jules, Conor Chaplin and Kayden Jackson saw top-of-the-table Town to a comfortable 3-0 victory at Shrewsbury and four wins on the trot for the first time since September and October 2019. The Blues, who remain a point clear at the top of League One, went ahead in the 22nd minute when John-Jules created himself a brilliant first goal for the club, then Chaplin added the second seven minutes after the restart and sub Jackson netted the third in injury time.
Tyreece John-Jules, Greg Leigh and Freddie Ladapo were on target as what was essentially a Town second XI beat Southend United 3-1 at Portman Road in the final friendly of pre-season. Arsenal loanee John-Jules gave the Blues the lead on seven, Leigh made it 2-0 on 58, then Ladapo completed the scoring two minutes from time after Callum Powell had pulled one back for the National League side in the 77th minute.
Town twice let two-goal leads slip in a bizarre, topsy-turvy game at the Valley which ended 4-4 with four goals in injury time. George Edmundson and Tyreece John-Jules put the Blues 2-0 in front but the Addicks hit back through Jes Rak-Sakyi and and Albie Morgan. However, in injury time, Town restored their two-goal advantage through Freddie Ladapo and Sam Morsy but Terell Thomas and George Dobson netted in the sixth and ninth minute of the additional time to claim a remarkable point for the home side.
Wes Burns netted in the 67th minute to see the Blues to a 1-0 victory over Derby County, their first home victory over the Rams since March 2014. Burns smashed into the net after Kayden Jackson, who later saw a penalty saved, had hit the post having seized upon an under-hit Curtis Davies back pass to see Town to a rare victory in front of the Sky cameras.
The Blues are through to the knockout stage of the Papa Johns Trophy, despite a 1-0 defeat at Cambridge United in their final group game having been reduced to 10 men in only the 17th minute following Kyle Edwards’s sending off. The Blues had been largely in control but the home side began to get on top in the second half and sub Lewis Simper’s 79th minute goal sealed the victory for the U’s.