Sam Morsy’s 37th-minute goal has given the Blues a 1-0 half-time lead over Plymouth Argyle at Portman Road.

Town boss Kieran McKenna made three changes from the team which drew 1-1 at Oxford last weekend.

Skipper Morsy returned to the midfield for Tom Carroll, who dropped to the bench, while Sone Aluko was one of the number 10s alongside Bersant Celina, with James Norwood the central striker. Conor Chaplin and Joe Pigott were also among the subs.

Argyle made two changes from the team which beat Cheltenham 2-0 at home on Tuesday with Steven Sessegnon coming in at left wing-back and Adam Randell into central midfield with former Blues loanee Conor Grant missing out due to injury and Ryan Broom on the bench.

Former Blues centre-half James Wilson, last season’s Town Player of the Year, was at the centre of the Plymouth defence.

Prior to kick-off there was a minute’s applause for Blues and Argyle legend Paul Mariner, who died aged 68 last July.

After the teams had taken a knee, the game got under way with Town immediately on the front foot and in the fourth minute Aluko shot into the side-netting from a tight angle on the left.

Plymouth subsequently had a spell on the ball with Janoi Donacien making an important interception from a Joe Edwards cross from the right which had been flicked on by Ryan Hardie.

However, Town quickly got on top and in the 14th minute came close to going in front when Burns sent a low ball across the Argyle six-yard area from Aluko’s pass but with no team-mate there to add the final touch.

Aluko, the Blues’ biggest threat in the early stages, turned a shot wide following a throw on the left, then Burns tried to pick out Norwood at the far post but the ball was cleared before it reached the striker.

Town kept up the pressure with James Bolton blocking from Norwood just inside the box, before Wilson stopped an Aluko effort.

On 23, Aluko looked to find Morsy with a clever pass in behind the Plymouth defence as his skipper broke into the area and only just failed to find him.

The Pilgrims were forced into a change in the 25th minute when Bolton was forced off with a knock and Romoney Crichlow took over.

Within seconds of the change, Donacien was sent away down the Town right and whipped over a low ball which again flew beyond the Blues players breaking towards the edge of the six-yard box. It was a decent opportunity which Town ought to have made more from.

Plymouth attacks had been rare but on 27 Sessegnon tried an effort from just outside the box to the left which arced the wrong side of Christian Walton’s right post.

At the other end, Norwood shot weakly to Argyle keeper Michael Cooper, then Morsy was booked for a foul on Niall Ennis.

Town continued to look for the afternoon’s first goal and in the 31st minute Burns snuck in from the right to head a deflected Morsy cross from the left goalwards, Cooper saving and then gathering somewhat uncomfortably.

The Blues continued to dominate, winning a series of corners which Plymouth prevented from leading to any serious danger.

The goal Town’s first-half display had so richly deserved finally came in the 37th minute.

Celina, who had had a quiet half compared with Aluko, chipped a ball over the Pilgrims’ backline, Norwood chased after it, held off sub Crichlow and cut back to Morsy, who turned in his second goal for Town and his first at home from close range to send Portman Road into raptures.

The goal was the first conceded by the Pilgrims in seven games, Argyle having kept clean sheets in their last six fixtures.

The Blues immediately went looking for a second, Norwood blazing over after Dominic Thompson had tapped a cross from the right to him just inside the area.

Norwood, who was causing the visitors’ backline more than a few problems, threatened again in the 42nd minute, shooting over from a tight angle having been fed by Aluko on the right.

After three additional minutes, the half-time whistle was greeted by applause by a home support thoroughly impressed by their side’s first-half display.

The Blues had dominated from virtually start to finish with former Plymouth youngster Walton a spectator in goal, aside from an audacious early turn inside an Argyle striker inside his area.

Town thoroughly deserved their lead and had had enough chances to have secured an even more secure by half-time with the final ball perhaps not always what it should have been.

Town: Walton, Donacien, Woolfenden, Burgess, Burns, Morsy (c), Bakinson, Thompson, Aluko, Celina, Norwood. Subs: Hladky Baggott, Penney, Carroll, Chaplin, Bonne, Pigott.

Plymouth: Cooper, Wilson, Bolton (Crichlow 24), Gillesphey, Houghton, Edwards (c), Randell, Mayor, Sessegnon, Ennis, Hardie. Subs: Burton, Scarr, Broom, Garrick, Lewis, Law. Referee: David Rock (Hertfordshire).

Photo: Matchday Images

Rimsy added 16:08 - Mar 26 Superb. Best 45 of the season. Norwood still the weak link, lots of running about but no class.
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