Owls under friendly fire

The 2-0 reverse in the penultimate friendly followed a 3-0 defeat at Port Vale last Saturday.

But Wilcox and manager Brian Laws - who missed last night's match because of a European scouting mission - believe that the club can recapture the excellent form of last season and that the two pre-season jolts will act as a warning against complacency for when the real action starts.

Wilcox, in charge last night, said: "There are a few players who think the shirt is already on the peg at Portman Road (for the first game of the season], but we need to keep people on their toes.

"I know it's mainly negatives at the moment, but it should be positives because we've just had our best finish to a season for donkey's years.

"Towards the back end of last season we were playing good football, the team picked itself and everyone was playing to their best ability.

"It's no use beating about the bush, because this is a worrying time when there are only 10 more days before the start of the season.

"If we go to Ipswich in this shape we'll have problems and our performance (at Oldham) was disappointing, especially on the back of Saturday.

"The lads had a go after we made six changes at half-time, but we've conceded five goals in our last two games and four of them have been 'gimmes'.

"I don't want to get too heavy when we haven't even kicked a ball in anger, but it isn't good enough. Sometimes you need a kick up the backside - and we've certainly had that."

Laws will view a video of the match when he getsback to England. He insists: "I have great belief in the players we have at this club. Most of them were in the team that won nine out of 13 games at the business end of the season, which is the most difficult part.

"In that period, they showed plenty of self-belief, and that is a quality that we can use to our advantage next season."

Last night's match was treated mainly as a fitness exercise, with pre-planned changes at half time.

An appeal has been lodged against Chris Brunt's sending-off in Holland and it is being heard by an FA commission today. But the FA have yet to receive a report from Holland on the dismissal of Burton.