The Blues revival continued at Portman Road this afternoon as Town overcame fellow relegation battlers Leicester 2-0. After a not always convincing first half display, Town took over in the second as Martijn Reuser set-up up early goals for Marcus Bent and Sixto Peralta, their first goals in the Blue shirt.
Town made three changes from the side which won 2-1 at Spurs on Saturday. In came Titus Bramble for John McGreal while Alun Armstrong came in as a second attacker as Jermaine Wright dropped to the bench and Town went to their more usual 4-4-2 formation. Sixto Peralta came in for Jim Magilton in central midfield.
The game began and the booing of Robbie Savage started. The midfielder's role in the erroneous sending off of Matteo Sereni at Filbert Street earlier in the season was not forgotten by the Town faithful.
Ipswich had the best of the early exchanges, but the first real chance fell to ex-Blue James Scowcroft. Scowy had received a good reception from his old supporters and in the fifth minute took the ball inside Titus Bramble and hit a shot at Sereni's right post which the keeper tipped away. Bramble had a rather stuttering first half with confidence clearly a bit low after being dropped for recent games.
Muzzy Izzet, who missed a penalty in the game at Filbert Street, was booked two minutes later for a nasty looking lunge on Finidi George as the Nigerian danced away from him in the centre circle. As on Saturday Finidi was looking somewhere near the form he showed in the win over Derby in August.
Robbie Savage's contributions were punctuated by boos from the home crowd, but in the 10th minute Savage put a decent cross over from the right which Chris Makin put away for a corner as Alan Rogers ran in.
Town came nearest to scoring on 17 when an Alun Armstrong cross led to a goalmouth scramble where Martijn Reuser and a grounded Sixto Peralta both failed to get shots in.
The game was a nervy affair with neither side showing too much class. Town, without a home League win since August, looked a bit anxious, but put together most of the better moves. Referee Neale Barry's indifference to the advantage rule, and his desire to blow his whistle at every opportunity, failed to help the game flow.
The Savage-Sereni clash from the game earlier in the season reared its head on 34 when Savage ran in on the Town keeper. Sereni dived on the ball and Savage had words and tapped him on the head with the Italian making 'mouthy' hand gestures at the Welshman as he moved away.
A minute later Peralta hit a speculative effort well wide from 25 yards before Marcus Bent came closer to putting Town in front. Bent got on the end of a Makin cross at the far post, close in on goal. Sadly he couldn't get much power on his effort and Walker saved, but failed to hold on to the ball. Town couldn't seize on the rebound and the danger was gone. Town may not have scored, but they were growing in confidence.
Martijn Reuser was given an opportunity to hit one of his freekicks after 36 minutes after yet another Robbie Savage foul. Reuser's effort just failed to ripple Walker's net, going over the bar.
Four minutes later Armstrong knocked the ball down to Bent on the edge of the area but his shot on goal was blocked by Walker who had rushed well out of his goal.
Bramble showed the better side of his game on 41 when he turned Scowcroft on the edge of the Town area as the Leicester man threatened.
Half-time saw Town fans hopeful of another win after a 45 minutes where the Blues hadn't really been at their best, but where the opposition had shown little quality.
As in the first half, it was Scowcroft who was to have the first opportunity. His header was powerfully pushed away by Sereni and away.
Armstrong got in Town's first effort on 48. His shot went just wide after good work from Finidi George.
Town supporters had to wait just one minute before their side were to take the lead. Ex-Norwich man Lee Marshall, sent off in the game at Filbert Street earlier in the season, was caught in possession by Martijn Reuser down the Town left. The Dutchman cut in and sent a perfect cross beyond Alun Armstrong, but on to Marcus Bent's head. The ex-Sheffield United man nodded home to open his Town goals account.
The Blues grew in confidence. Bent came close to getting a second in the 51st minute when he hit a shot on the turn after getting on to a corner which had been cleared to the edge of the area.
But the second goal came just four minutes later. Again Reuser was the creator, playing the ball in for Sixto Peralta who hit the ball back across Walker and into the left corner of his net from a tight angle. The Argentine swept away towards the Britannia Stand and was swamped by his team-mates.
There seemed to be little left in the game for Leicester. Dave Bassett threw on Ade Akinbiyi to add to the height up front alongside Scowcroft and Brian Deane. The first fruit of this was a shot from Izzet which was well-saved by Sereni.
Matt Holland hit a shot over the bar from the edge of the area after Martijn Reuser corner had been headed out.
Robbie Savage annoyed the Town crowd even more as he piled into Hreidarsson with little intention of taking the ball. Hreidarsson took exception to the challenge and there was a bit of handbags between the two.
Izzet was lucky not to see a second yellow card on 75 as he went in late on Bramble, who appeared to be hurt by the challenge. Presumably the tackle was so late that Neale Barry missed it as it was probably the worst tackle of the game and led to no freekick or card.
A minute later Alun Armstrong was replaced with Richard Naylor as Town pressed for a third. Immediately Naylor headed down too far in front of Peralta.
Hreidarsson was again in the thick of the action in the 78th minute as he was caught by a high-kicking Scowcroft. There seemed little intent as Hreidarsson went in for a ball with Scowcroft and Impey. After treatment he carried on.
With seven minutes left on the clock Martijn Reuser was the victim of a late tackle from Frank Sinclair. The ex-Chelsea man claimed he had made little contact and had a go at the Dutchman. Reuser argued his corner and was joined by Hreidarsson. Sinclair was eventually shown a yellow card by referee Barry.
Two minutes later Reuser hit a shot just wide after being set-up on the edge of the area by Bent. Jim Magilton entered the fray on 86 as Sixto Peralta came off after another promising display. He had been on the end of a couple of heavy challenges, notably from Akinbiyi in the later stages.
Reuser had another shot fly just by the post as the fourth official held up his board with the number two on it.
There was one more near effort from the Blues with Matty Elliott clearing badly to Reuser who hit another shot just wide. The chance had come from an excellent ball down the right from Jermaine Wright, on for Finidi George, straight into the path of Naylor who crossed well.
Leicester came closest to getting one back as Savage, Scowcroft and a number of others had efforts fly about the penalty area as Town struggled to clear. But when Neale Barry's over-used whistle went for the final time it was to signal three more valuable points for Town.
After a first half which had stuttered to come into life Town had fairly convicingly beaten a Leicester side who took over at the bottom as Town started their climb up the table. With Southampton winning the Blues remain seven points from safety, although a number of other sides, most notably Middlesbrough and Bolton, look to be on their way into the relegation mire. A win over Sunderland on Saturday will add just that little bit more to the Town revival with confidence looking up and the results coming. Two more wins and we can say we've had the best footballing Christmas and New Year possible.