Goals from Jon Stead, Owen Garvan and Iván Campo gave the Blues a 3-0 victory over Barnsley at Portman Road. Jittery Town had Richard Wright to thank for making a number of saves, while at the other end Tykes keeper Heinz Muller gifted two of the goals.

Boss Jim Magilton made four changes from the side which had performed so disappointingly against Crystal Palace at the weekend. In came Iván Campo, Pablo Couñago, Owen Garvan and Alan Quinn for Veliche Shumulikoski, Tommy Miller, Kevin Lisbie and David Norris.

Alan Quinn struck a fifth minute cross beyond both Couñago and Stead, then shot wide as Town looked for an early goal.

On eight Alex Bruce anxiously cleared to Diego Leon on halfway, the Barnsley midfielder bringing the ball forward and hitting a shot which Richard Wright did very well to get down to and push around the post.

Town were looking nervy at the back and only a minute later a McAuley pass to Bruce was intercepted, the full-back eventually heading a right-wing cross out at the far post. From the corner, Wright saved from Dennis Souza Guedes.

The Blues continued to lose the ball cheaply in the area between their penalty box and halfway line and on 13 a poor Quinn pass to Campo led to Leon sending Iain Hume away one-on-one with Richard Wright. The Town keeper again saved well.

While the Blues were looking shaky at the back, going forward they were a lot more confident. On the quarter hour, good work from Walters and Couñago led to Stead hitting a shot across the face of goal.

In the 20th minute Town went in front. Barnsley keeper Heinz Muller mis-cleared straight to Jon Stead just outside the area. The Blues frontman took his time and set himself, before passing the ball into the net for his third goal in three home games since his move from Sheffield United. Town could count themselves a touch fortunate to be in front after such a jittery first 20 minutes.

On 29 Quinn saw a shot deflect wide, then Walters hit an effort which also struck a defender but squirmed through to Muller. A minute later Couñago played in Quinn on the left of the area but Muller did well to spread himself to block the midfielder's shot when the Irishman probably should have scored.

Town were beginning to have greater control over the game and on 32 Campo forced Muller into another fine save with a curling freekick after Garvan was fouled on the edge of the area.

Anderson De Silva, a team-mate of Pablo Couñago's at Malaga, was booked for repeatedly pulling back Richard Naylor at a corner in the 33rd minute. When the kick was eventually taken, Gareth McAuley headed over.

Diego Leon's low shot failed to trouble Richard Wright, then Alan Quinn's freekick from just inside the Barnsley half flew through a crowd of players and only just past Muller's post.

As the first half moved into injury time, Dennis Souza Guedes headed goalwards and Richard Wright again did superbly to get down to his left to push the ball wide when a goal looked certain.

Wright had enjoyed a fine half having made a number of notable errors in recent games. The former England glovesman's performance had been up with the best displays from his first spell with the club.

Town had looked threatening going forward, but lacking in confidence and uncomfortable in their own half of the field and the Tykes had almost benefited on a number of occasions.

The Blues put the visitors under early second half pressure, but no one managed a clean shot at goal despite Barnsley failing to clear a corner.

Stead chipped over from the 18-yard line, prior to one-time Blues loanee Jon Macken being found on the edge of the Town area from a freekick, from where he shot wide.

Wright turned an Anderson shot past the post in the 52nd minute, Macken looping the ball over from a tight angle from the corner.

Couñago played Stead in on the edge of the box on 58 but the lanky striker could only get the merest of touches on the ball and Muller saved.

Veteran defender Darren Moore was yellow-carded a minute later for a succession of fouls, mainly on Pablo Couñago, and from the freekick Stead crossed from the right to Walters at the far post, but the former Chester man couldn't get enough on the ball and it slid wide.

Couñago and Walters tried to exchange a one-two on the edge of the area on 63 but Dennis Souza Guedes pulled back the Irish B international, something referee Kevin Friend failed to spot.

The Blues added their second goal in the 65th minute. Garvan broke from the edge of the Town box and found Couñago wide to his left. The Spaniard cut in as he reached the penalty area but found his path blocked by two defenders and stabbed the ball inside to Garvan, who slammed it past Muller for his second goal of the season.

Three minutes later the game was settled. Campo found himself unchallenged in acres of space 35 yards out and struck a relatively weak low shot which Muller somehow managed to fumble into the net. The Spaniard shrugged by way of a goal celebration.

Town's nerves had by now all but disappeared and the Blues looked likely to add a fourth. In the 74th minute Walters and Couñago broke quickly, Moore getting a touch on Walters's cross aimed towards the Spaniard, who eventually laid the ball back to Quinn, but the midfielder shot wide. Moments later, Walters hit Muller with an effort from a tight angle on the left.

On 76 David Norris replaced Owen Garvan and Kevin Lisbie took over from Jon Walters, the former Charlton man joining Pablo Couñago up front with Jon Stead having switched to left midfield and Alan Quinn moving to the right.

With eight minutes remaining Lisbie was sent through by Quinn, but couldn't get in a shot and might have won a penalty if he hadn't stayed on his feet. Stead similarly couldn't get in a clean strike when the ball fell to him.

Barnsley introduced sub Reuben Noble-Lazarus, at 15 years and 45 days the youngest player ever to appear in the Football League, from the bench on 83, two minutes before Danny Haynes took over from Pablo Couñago.

The pacy frontman should have scored on 88 but miscued wide from six yards when the ball came to him through a crowd of players. Gareth McAuley picked up the loose ball and Lisbie tapped into the net, but the former Leicester man was offside.

Not as convincing a victory as the 3-0 scoreline suggests, although Town probably should have scored at least one or two more goals. Going forward they looked a threat throughout, while at the other end, especially in a very nervous first half, they appeared capable of conceding at any moment.

Richard Wright's saves proved crucial at one end, while the error-strewn performance from Heinz Muller at the other was equally important in helping the Blues to a home victory which could prove vital as Town look to get themselves into form worthy of promotion contenders.

Town: R Wright, Bruce, D Wright, Naylor, McAuley, Campo, Garvan (Norris 76), Walters (Lisbie 76), Quinn, Couñago (Haynes 85), Stead. Unused: Supple, Miller. Att: 18,177.

Photo: Action Images

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