Rampaging Town completely destroyed a woeful Nottingham Forest side 6-0 at Portman Road. Richard Naylor opened the scoring in the 27th minute and after that there was only one team in it, Ian Westlake, Tommy Miller (2), Shefki Kuqi and Darren Bent adding to the rout.

The Blues switched to an unusual 3-5-2 formation, with Matt Richards continuing on the left and David Unsworth continuing in the back three alongside the returning Jason De Vos. Boss Joe Royle continued with Darren Bent up front, despite his recent lack of goals.

Town were in control from the off but didn't really threaten until the 12th minute when a neat one-two between Kuqi and Miller ended with the midfielder shooting straight at former Blues' loanee Paul Gerrard. By then Forest's Kris Commons had already picked up a yellow card for a late tackle on Miller.

On 22 Bent clashed with Gerrard on the edge of the Forest area, the keeper picking up a cut to the head which required attention and a change of shirt.

Five minutes later, the Blues went deservedly in front. Jim Magilton sent in a corner from the left and Richard Naylor stooped to head home for his fifth goal of the season.

The goal seemed to give the side a massive confidence boost and chances came thick and fast. Unsworth crossed from the left, the ball striking the post and Bent putting the ball in the sidenetting from a tight angle. Then, Wilnis sent in a ball from the opposite flank and Matt Richards had a header cleared off the line by Andy Melville.

Another Unsworth cross just evaded Bent, before Miller volleyed an inventive Magilton corner goalwards only for a defender to block on the line.

A second goal wasn't too long in coming. In the 35th minute, Matt Richards sent in a looping cross from the left towards Kuqi. The Finn's header was half-saved by Gerrard but Westlake was on hand to net his seventh goal of the season.

Town keeper Kelvin Davis had been a spectator for virtually the entire half and only touched the ball about twice in the first 40 minutes. Kris Commons wasted a rare opportunity four minutes before the break after Magilton was alleged to have fouled Gareth Taylor, the former Stoke man lashing his kick into the wall.

Matt Richards made the pass of the half on 42, playing in Darren Bent one-on-one with Gerrard. The England U21 went past the keeper but dawdled over his shot and the ball was cleared off the line by Chris Doig.

The Blues were applauded off at the break after a first half they had totally dominated. Ironically, Forest, currently climbing towards safety and in their best form of the season, looked a pale shadow of the side which were unlucky not to take all three points from the Blues at the City Ground in August.

By contrast, Town passed the ball slickly throughout with Magilton pulling the strings and Matt Richards probably putting in his best 45 minutes of the season on the left.

The Northern Irishman was replaced at the break, suffering from a tight calf, Darren Currie taking over. The Town skipper is considered a doubt for Tuesday's trip to Cardiff.

Former Blue Gerrard was welcomed warmly to the North Stand end by the Town support as the sides came out for the second period.

Currie seemed to fit seamlessly into Magilton's central midfield role and the Blues continued the same as they had in the first half.

On 51 Town went further in front. Darren Bent chased a ball down the right and got to the byline before laying it back to Tommy Miller who fired home from 10 yards. Miller ran over to the corner flag in front of the Cobbold Stand, removed it from the ground and celebrated by using it to pot an invisible red.

A rare Forest break saw Taylor come close with a shot from the edge of the area but his effort came off one of the stanchions behind the goal.

Shefki Kuqi headed a Richards cross wide in the 55th minute, before Miller shot over from a Bent lay-off.

On the hour, Commons hit a 30-yarder which was little trouble for Davis. Two minutes later, Neil Harris forced Davis into his only real save of the afternoon, the Town keeper diving to his right to push the Forest substitute's header away from goal, another sub James Perch sending the rebound into the upper tier of the Greene King Stand.

The Blues increased their lead in the 64th minute. Ian Westlake, putting in one of a number of fine displays in the Town midfield, played Bent in on goal, central defender Wes Morgan tripping him in what appeared to be an obvious goalscoring position.

Referee Colin Webster perhaps took pity on the Forest player and showed only a yellow card. Tommy Miller sent the spotkick low and hard to Gerrard's right for his second of the game and 11th of the season.

The fifth goal came three minutes later, once more from a ball down the right for Bent. The striker again went round the outside of Chris Doig but, with no obvious pass into the middle, made room for a shot which Gerrard saved. Fabian Wilnis, still looking for a first goal of the season, headed the loose ball on to the bar and Shefki Kuqi followed up for his 16th of 2004/05. The Finn celebrated with some press-ups.

On 71 the Blues added their sixth, Westlake again playing an important role in sending away Bent, the frontman shooting from 20 yards and the ball squirming under Gerrard. By now the Forest fans were joining in celebrating the Town goals.

The Blues' sixth was Bent's first goal in seven games and capped a much improved performance from the U21, who had also been involved in three of the earlier goals.

With 16 minutes remaining, Joe Royle withdrew Shefki Kuqi in favour of James Scowcroft. The Finnish international was given a standing ovation by the home supporters after a typically all-action performance and one as important as any on the afternoon.

By the 80-minute mark a Mexican wave was up and running around Portman Road with the Nottingham Forest fans creditably taking part on what must have been, for them, a thoroughly dispiriting afternoon.

Kevin Horlock replaced Richard Naylor in the 84th minute, the Town management keen that the central defender shouldn't aggravate the hamstring injury which saw him miss training earlier in the week.

As the final whistle got close, Jason De Vos had a header from a Currie corner blocked and Neil Harris picked up a yellow card for a late tackle on the former Brighton man.

A superb performance from the Blues who looked like they'd score every time they went forward. Forest were thoroughly out-passed and out-classed by a Town side which looked light years ahead of the team which looked so disjointed and lacking in ideas during the games against Watford and QPR.

Picking a Man of the Match is an impossible task, so many players put in excellent displays. Kuqi was back to his best after a difficult return at Wigan last week, Tommy Miller was involved in far more than he has been of late, while Matt Richards, Darren Bent and Ian Westlake had their best games for some time

Jim Magilton and Darren Currie ran the midfield for a half each and defensively the Blues never looked in any trouble at any stage.

An important performance and boost to the goal difference as much as the result, the only disappointment being Sunderland and Wigan also gaining three points. However, the next two games, at Cardiff and Gillingham, also look winnable and the Blues could well find themselves back in the top two come next Saturday evening.

Town: Davis, Wilnis, Richards, De Vos, Naylor (Horlock 84), Unsworth, Miller, Magilton (Currie 46), Westlake, Bent, Kuqi (Scowcroft 74). Unused: Price, Couñago. Att: 25,765.

Photo: Action Images

Ipswich Town Polls