Goals from Michael Chopra, Tommy Smith and Andy Drury saw the Blues to a very comfortable 3-0 home victory over Bristol City. Chopra nodded in his 13th of the season from a Lee Martin cross in the 25th minute, Smith powered home a Drury corner on 66 with the midfielder lashing home the third with five minutes remaining.

Town boss Paul Jewell made two changes to the side which lost 3-0 at Brighton last week. Keeper Alex McCarthy and midfielder Grant Leadbitter returned to the team with Arran Lee-Barrett and Luke Hyam dropping out. Ex-Blue Jon Stead started as the Robins’ lone striker.

Despite Leadbitter’s return, Carlos Edwards kept the captaincy. The suspended Jimmy Bullard was not amongst the subs with Ryan Stevenson included in the 16 for the first time with Lee Bowyer also on the bench. Hyam dropped out of the squad completely.

The Blues started brightly, Lee Martin just failing to read a clever Jay Emmanuel-Thomas pass inside the area, then Michael Chopra just mistiming a run when played through on goal, triggering a linesman’s flag.

On eight, Martin took too long over the ball when well-placed in the area from an Edwards ball in from the right. Emmanuel-Thomas was dispossessed when going for the loose ball and eventually Tommy Smith, considered OK to start despite his round trip to New Zealand this week, shot well over.

Bristol City’s first threat came from a freekick 25 yards out on 12, Neil Kilkenny, who was linked with the Blues in the summer, shooting straight into the Town wall.

Town came close to opening the scoring in the 17th minute when Smith acted quickly to find Martin midway inside the Robins’ half, the former Manchester United man playing in Chopra, whose shot was came off a defender and flew out for a corner from which Damien Delaney saw a shot blocked.

Two minutes later, Drury played a freekick short to Emmanuel-Thomas 35 yards out, the ex-Arsenal man taking the ball past a defender before hitting a strike just wide of Bristol City keeper David James’s right post. Soon after, Edwards crossed from the right and Smith scuffed a header across the face of goal and out of play.

There was a scare for the Blues on 21 when a mix-up between Smith and Delaney allowed Albert Adomah a chance of running on to a loose ball into the area on the left. Fortunately for the Blues, Aaron Cresswell got across to cover. From the corner, City came even closer, keeper Alex McCarthy doing well to push over Liam Fontaine’s bouncing shot.

Town were next to threaten with Daryl Murphy shooting over, then on 25 they finally went in front. Edwards played in Martin down the right, the Blues number 11 sending over an inch perfect cross which Chopra headed back across a motionless James and into the net for his 13th of the season.

The Robins immediately switched midfielder Kilkenny for a second striker, New Zealand international Chris Wood, who is on loan from West Brom.

On 29 Leadbitter got his name in referee Andy Woolmer’s book for what looked like a perfectly good challenge on Adomah, a point the midfielder, skipper Edwards and others made to the official.

A minute later, Emmanuel-Thomas hit one of his trademark 35-yard thunderbolts just over James’s bar.

The half had been embarrassingly one-sided with Town deserving more than their single goal. On 37 Delaney scraped a shot wide on the turn after a freekick, then after the move of the half involving Chopra and Martin, Emmanuel-Thomas’s sublime chip beat James but drifted just wide. Had it gone in, it would have been goal of the season material.

Town should have made it two on 41 after Emmanuel-Thomas twisted and turned on the edge of the area before playing the ball inside to Drury, who fed Chopra. Town’s top scorer hit a low effort to James’s right from eight yards but the former England keeper got down well to push it wide.

Edwards was yellow-carded for handball, then Sean Davis joined him in the book for a foul on Drury, then as the half moved into injury time, Emmanuel-Thomas screwed a shot wide from a perhaps over-choreographed freekick and Martin cut in from the left and found Chopra, the striker’s first touch just taking it away from him and allowing James to block his stab at goal.

There was applause for the Blues at the break after as dominant a 45 minutes as they’ve enjoyed for a while. The only thing missing was a second goal with the Robins largely having David James to thank for that for his saves from Chopra. Emmanuel-Thomas had been the star of the show with the Bristol City defence having no answer to his power and trickery.

The visitors had looked as poor a side as any at Portman Road this season and had only seriously threatened when Adomah almost seized on Town’s one moment of hesitancy at the back.

Town started the half much as they had ended the second, Daryl Murphy and then Martin both failing to get in shots on the edge of the area in the opening minute.

Murphy sent over a cross from the left which flew just beyond Drury on 52, then three minutes later Drury fluffed a first-time chip to James from 10 yards after good work from Martin when he had more time than he thought to get in a strike.

On 59 Fontaine was booked for a foul on Emmanuel-Thomas, then sub Yannick Bolasie joined him for catching Leadbitter halfway up his shin.

Town hadn’t been quite so dominant after the break with the visitors more involved, although without causing any particular danger. The Blues were still looking the side most likely to net the game’s next goal.

And that goal came in the 66th minute. Murphy won a corner on the left, Drury whipped the ball across and Tommy Smith headed powerfully past James.

Moments later, Town were caught daydreaming and Bolasie found Wood unmarked at the far post on the left, but Tommy Smith’s All Whites’ team-mate was unable to match his compatriot’s finishing, the ball scuffing to McCarthy.

After that though, the Blues went back on the offensive, Drury chipping the ball just over James’s crossbar from the left of the area.

On 70, Smith almost netted his second of the game, heading Drury’s cross against the bar after a short corner. Four minutes later, James claimed a Chopra header from another cross from the right by the again excellent Drury.

Bolasie hit an unthreatening effort well wide on 77 with the Robins having all the hallmarks of a side destined for relegation.

Bristol City carved out their best opening of the match on 79 when Fontaine found Wood down the left, the striker hitting a shot which McCarthy did well to save. Seconds later, Bolasie striking another effort which McCarthy, who had out in a more assured display a couple of kicks aside, claimed with ease.

January signing Ryan Stevenson replaced Jay Emmanuel-Thomas for the final seven minutes, while Brett Pitman took over from Sean Davis for the visitors. Stevenson took up the role behind Chopra with Martin moving to the right.

Within two minutes, the new boy had helped create Town’s third of the afternoon. Stevenson played the ball back to Murphy on the left, the Irishman crossed in to Chopra, who laid it back to Drury, who hammered the ball into the top corner of James’s net for a deserved first goal at Portman Road.

Martin almost made it four with a shot across the face before Delaney picked up a yellow card for a foul. In the final moments of scheduled time, Jason Scotland replaced Michael Chopra.

Louis Carey was booked for a foul on Martin before Lee Bowyer replaced Leadbitter, who was warmly applauded as he left the field. Cresswell failed to find the target with the freekick. Soon after Scotland scraped the ball wide with Stevenson well placed to his right.

Town will rarely have an easier Championship game with Bristol City looking as poor as any side seen at Portman Road this season.

In truth, the scoreline - the Blues' second 3-0 victory over the Robins this season - could have been even more comfortable had more chances been taken but manager Paul Jewell will be more than happy with the performance and the return to winning ways after last week’s loss at Brighton.

Town: McCarthy, Edwards, Smith, Delaney, Cresswell, Drury, Leadbitter (Bowyer 90), Emmanuel-Thomas (Stevenson 83), Martin, Murphy, Chopra (Scotland 90). Unused: Lee-Barrett, Sonko.

Bristol City: James, Carey, Nyatanga, Fontaine, Foster, Davis (Pitman 83), Cisse, Pearson, Adomah (Bolasie 35), Stead, Kilkenny (Wood 26). Unused: Gerken, McAllister. Referee Andy Woolmer (Northamptonshire). Att: 16,671 (Bristol City: 271).

Photo: Action Images

Photo: Action Images

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