Ipswich Town Under-18s are through to the Endeavour Automotive Suffolk Premier Cups semi-finals for the first time in five seasons.

Town’s Academy side withstood a second-half barrage from Ipswich Wanderers to win their quarter-final tie 2-1 at Humber Doucy Lane last night.

It will be the first time since they lost 2-1 to Leiston in the 2018-19 season, and only the second time since the 2012-13 season, that the county’s only professional club will be represented in the final four of the competition.

Town dominated the first-half, striking the frame of the goal four times, the ball going in off Wanderers’ keeper Craig Brand after Ashton Boswell’s 25-yard free-kick hit the underside of the crossbar in the 19th minute.

They extended their lead five minutes into the second period, Boswell beating the offside trap to race clear and coolly place the ball beyond Brand.

Wanderers then mounted a fightback and Andy Fennell fastened on to Isaac Skubich’s through ball to halve the deficit in the 55th minute.

The home team dominated thereafter, and Town’s keeper Charlie Binns had to produce some good saves, notably from Fennell’s header diving to his right after 73 minutes.

Ipswich Town U18s coach Callum Tongue said: “That was a bit of a different game to the last round, but it was another great challenge for the lads, which is exactly what we are getting from this competition and it keeps delivering some great experiences for our players.

“I am so proud of them today for the way they stood up to a team that you can see are bang in form and a manager who has got his team working for him.

“For our lads to stand up to that and stand up to a very different challenge to what we normally get, I am really happy and really happy for the lads that they now get to experience the semi-final of such a good competition.”

Tongue agreed that his side deserved to be more than one goal ahead at the interval and had ‘relaxed a touch’ after going 2-0 ahead.

“We could have managed the game better and controlled the possession longer, but it made for an interesting end,” he added.