Ricky Modeste’s solitary second half goal was enough for City to overcome Lowestoft Town in their latest pre-season friendly at Crown Meadow, Manager Glenn Pennyfather claiming the fixture gave him further “food for thought” as he continues to review the trial players in front of him.

Young attacker Modeste took advantage of a goalkeeping error after the break, charging down a through ball which the custodian mis-kicked before tapping home and defeating the Ryman League Premier Division outfit in Suffolk. Now the focus shifts to Tuesday night’s game at Hadleigh United where individuals will again try to impress the Clarets’ boss.

“I’ve got a lot of decisions to make over the coming weeks as there are an unbelievable number of players available,” he explained. “I’ve been pleased with of the trialists we’ve used so far who have all been training with us and doing well. We’ve also had the chance to look at a couple of goalkeepers today and I’m sure there will be more to come.”

With the majority of Chelmsford’s existing players having featured in the opening two games, except defender Kenny Clark and midfielder Anthony Cook who are recovering from injuries, Pennyfather intends to give as many minutes to his squad members as possible, adding: “We’ve had a decent workout as we try to bed everyone in.”

“We knew when we took on this fixture it would be tough as they’re a decent side, and having eight players unavailable to me today made that task more difficult. We had the lion’s share of possession and kept a clean sheet, which was pleasing, and it’s important that we get back into those good habits as early as we possibly can.”

City: Joe Woolley, Justin Miller, Aiden Palmer, Adam Tann, Bobby Aisien, Jermaine Brown, Craig Parker, Tommy Tejan-Sie, Cliff Akurang, Ben Nunn, Ricky Modeste. Substitutes: Kezie Ibe, Alex Rossis (GK), David Rainford, Mark Haines, Lee Monk, Ryan Batchford.