Luciano Civelli and Damien Delaney returned to action after injury but couldn’t prevent the reserves from falling to a 2-0 defeat to Oxford United at Portman Road. The visitors were two goals up via Sam Deering and Richie Baker at the break and the Blues never seriously threatened to get back into the game.
Blues defender Tommy Smith says he and his New Zealand team-mates will be out to exorcise the demons when they take on New Caledonia in Noumea in a World Cup qualifier on Friday, the Pacific Islanders having beaten the All Whites 2-0 in an Oceania Nations Cup semi-final earlier in the summer. Also in international action on Friday will be Josh Carson with Northern Ireland and Gunnar Thorsteinsson with Iceland’s U19s.
Midfielder Josh Carson has been added to the full Northern Ireland squad for Tuesday’s Euro 2012 qualifier against Estonia in Tallinn. Carson was previously with the U21 squad which lost 1-0 in Serbia last night.