Ipswich beaten in pre-season opener

Heung-Min Son added to Ryan Sessegnon's early goal with a brace as we breezed past League One side Ipswich Town in our first pre-season match of the summer at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday.

Controlling the game from an early stage, we were 3-0 up inside the first half-an-hour and that's how it stayed as Jose Mourinho handed first Spurs appearances to new signings Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Joe Hart along with last summer's recruit from Leeds, Jack Clarke, and a bright crop of Academy players.

Among the youngsters brought on in the second half were striker Dane Scarlett and recent arrival from Wigan, midfielder Alfie Devine - both just 16 years of age and experiencing their first taste of a senior matchday environment. Toby Alderweireld and Sessegnon were the only players to complete the full 90 minutes.

Ipswich arrived with another of our former Academy players in Kane Vincent-Young, who played the first half at right-back. Gedson Fernandes operated in that position for us.

The opener arrived after just six minutes as Dele split Ipswich open with a lovely pass through the middle which Sessegnon, playing in the left-sided attacking role, ran onto, cutting in-field before rolling the ball home on his right foot. Hojbjerg marked his first run-out in Lilywhite following his move from Southampton with an involvement in the second goal, pressing high to get to goalkeeper David Cornell's under-hit clearance and finding Dele, who set up Son with one touch to drill home on 10 minutes.

Our third arrived just before the half-hour mark, Juan Foyth moving out from the back and laying a great pass into the right channel for Son to go through on goal before calmly clipping the ball beyond Cornell at the near post.

Foyth cleared Teddy Bishop's dangerous cross into our box, but Hugo Lloris was largely untroubled and we went close again when Son stayed strong under pressure to release Sessegnon, but the move ended with Lucas Moura firing over the top. Gedson was enjoying the freedom to attack down the right and his excellent low ball into the six-yard box was met by Son, but his first-time shot flew over as well, while Hojbjerg's downward header from a corner was comfortably stopped by Cornell as the first half came to a close.

Ipswich made 11 changes at the break while we introduced Hart in between the sticks, with left-back Dennis Cirkin making his first senior appearance having been on the bench in the FA Cup and Premier League last term. Cameron Carter-Vickers came into central defence against his old club following a successful loan spell at Luton Town last season, while Clarke wore our colours for the first time, having been on loan at Leeds and Queens Park Rangers since joining us last summer.

Sessegnon's low shot was easy for Thomas Holy in the visitors' goal, while a dangerous low centre from Gedson deflected through to the stopper on 65 minutes. Ipswich's best chance fell to Freddie Sears three minutes later when he ran onto the loose ball after Gedson had dispossessed Andre Dozzell in the box, but he hammered over the bar from the left angle.

England youth international Scarlett almost marked his first senior run-out with a goal, but Clarke's cross was just too far in front of him as he arrived in the six-yard box, with Clarke himself firing straight at Holy when he went through in the right channel nine minutes from time. Jamie Bowden also tested the keeper in the closing stages as a useful afternoon's work yielded plenty of positives.

Match data

Goals: Spurs - Sessegnon 6, Son 10, 29.

Referee: Kevin Friend.

Venue: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Weather: Sunny, 22 degrees.