Town went level on points with second placed Wigan after defeating Derby County 3-2 at Portman Road. Marcus Tudgay put the Rams ahead as they started the stronger, but Town hit back through Jim Magilton, Darren Bent and Tommy Miller, before Inigo Idiakez gave home fans a nervous last few minutes.

The Blues abandoned the 3-5-2 formation they've employed of late, Matt Richards dropping to the bench and Jim Magilton returning to the starting line-up in his usual central midfield role.

Derby started the stronger in the Portman Road sunshine and went ahead in the seventh minute. Tommy Smith cut in from the right his shot deflected into the air and into the path of Marcus Tudgay who headed over Kelvin Davis from 10 yards.

The visitors weren't far from a second in the 14th minute, some slick passing creating an opening for Smith to cross from the left but Morten Bisgaard stabbed wide from close range.

Town could have got back on terms three minute later when Darren Currie sent Darren Bent away with a fine pass down the left. Bent crossed towards Kuqi, but the Finn sent the ball over the bar from close in.

Kelvin Davis pulled off a great save from a Grzegorz Rasiak header soon after but referee Alan Kaye had already awarded a freekick.

On 22 Town were unlucky not to be back on terms. Darren Currie whipped in a corner from the left and Richard Naylor slammed a header off the bar.

Almost immediately Derby might have gone further ahead when Smith crossed from the right and Rasiak headed wide.

Town finally did get the ball in the net in the 25th minute. Shefki Kuqi stormed down the right wing riding a number of tackles before playing a ball in to Darren Bent. Bent laid the ball off to Jim Magilton who netted his first goal since the victory at Watford at the beginning of last season.

The Blues had deserved their goal having gradually taken control of the game in the preceding 10 minutes, the brief switching of Currie to the centre and Westlake to the left particularly influential on the Blues getting on top.

A second Town goal almost came a minute later when Darren Bent headed the ball on to Ian Westlake, who played it in from the left towards Kuqi. The Finnish striker flicked at the ball but sent it wide when he should have scored. Jim Magilton retrieved it from wide on the right and crossed to the far post where it was bundled out.

From Darren Currie's corner Richard Naylor was unlucky not to score for the second time in the game, Jeff Kenna clearing his header off the line.

There was a major scare for the Blues in the 27th minute when Derby broke in numbers from a cleared Town corner. The Rams were away three against one in the Town half and looked set to score until Idiakez inexplicably chose to shoot when 25 yards out with two team-mates better placed, and sent the ball into the top tier of the North Stand.

Just after the half hour Tom Huddlestone became the first player to get his name in the referee's book, for a cynical foul on Ian Westlake just to the left of the penalty area. Darren Currie's freekick beat everyone in a crowded box and flew just wide.

Ten minutes later Huddlestone ought to have been shown a second yellow card for a foul on England U21 team-mate Darren Bent. The Derby man had clearly stuck out a leg as Bent went by him, but referee Kaye appeared to bottle what might have been a crucial decision, failing even to award a freekick.

As half-time approached, Currie crossed from the right, Bent headed back across the box but no one was on hand to apply the final touch.

It had been a pulsating half and both managers will have felt that their sides could have been in front. The visitors had certainly started the stronger but the Blues had gradually put themselves in the ascendancy and should have scored on more than just the one occasion.

Town went ahead straight from the kick-off. Tommy Miller won the ball from Derby after their kick and sent Darren Bent away on goal. The striker, with a number of one-on-one misses recently, confidently took the ball into the area and slipped it past keeper Lee Camp and into the net.

The Blues put the pressure on and Kuqi hit a shot not far wide of the post. Richard Naylor was again unlucky in the area when a Kuqi header from a Magilton corner almost fell for him but got stuck under his feet.

On 54 Bisgaard chased a long freekick down the left and probably should have done better than his shot well over the cross-bar.

Just ahead of the hour, Kuqi flicked the ball into Bent on the penalty spot but Kenna muscled him out before he could get in a shot. At the other end, freekick expert Idiakez struck a 30 yarder but Kelvin Davis was equal to it.

For Town, Westlake shot wide, then Bent struck an effort which Camp failed to hold on to, Pablo Mills heading the rebound back to the keeper.

Shefki Kuqi became the second Town player to hit the woodwork in the 68th minute. Miller fed Bent on the left, the striker cutting in and playing the ball across the edge of the area to Kuqi, who sent himself before crashing a shot off the top of the bar.

Bisgaard went not too far wide for Derby, before David Unsworth's low ball flashed across the Rams' six-yard box but without a killer touch.

Just as it seemed a third goal wouldn't come, Tommy Miller netted his 13th of the season. Darren Currie sent in a corner from the left, Shefki Kuqi's powerful diving header was cleared off the line and Miller's volley went through the crowd of players and into the net.

Kelvin Davis made a save from sub Paul Peschisolido, while the Town crowd sang that there is "only one George Burley". Another returning ex-Blue, Chris Makin, was given a much less friendly welcome.

With 10 minutes remaining, Kevin Horlock replaced Jim Magilton, the skipper having been one of the Blues' stars throughout. A minute later David Unsworth was somewhat harshly booked after a clash with Tom Huddlestone inside the the Rams' box.

Derby pulled a goal back with five minutes left, ensuring a nervy last few minutes. Smith crossed deep from the right and Idiakez looped a header over Davis and into the net.

The Spaniard, who had scored in Derby's victory over the Blues at Pride Park earlier in the season, caused the only scare of the final minutes, Morten Bisgaard heading his injury time freekick into the arms of a grateful Kelvin Davis.

An excellent performance from the Blues, who once again showed their ability to come from behind and win. Derby started impressively but for the most part were second best to a Town side clearly back on song after their recent rocky patch.

Kuqi and Bent were particularly impressive, the England U21 appearing to be over his recent drop in form. The midfield were far more productive and stylish against a Derby side who had come to try to win three points than they had been when up against more negative opposition.

Wigan's loss to West Ham made the win all the more sweet, particularly with the Latics meeting Sunderland, who won yet again at QPR, at the JJB Stadium on Tuesday when the Blues face table-propping Rotherham United.

Town: Davis, Wilnis, Unsworth, De Vos, Naylor, Magilton (Horlock 80), Miller, Currie, Westlake, Bent, Kuqi. Unused: Price, Richards, Couñago, Scowcroft.

Photo: Action Images

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