Second-half goals from Tommy Smith and Daryl Murphy saw the Blues to a 2-0 victory over Brighton at the Amex Stadium. Smith nodded home Murphy’s header across goal from a corner on the hour, then the Irishman stooped to add the second with 10 minutes remaining after excellent work from Jonny Williams on the left.
Anthony Wordsworth was recalled to the Town line-up in place of the injured Cole Skuse, the former Colchester man starting for the first time since the home FA Cup tie against Preston in January.
The game was the 25-year-old’s fourth start since joining the Blues in January 2013 and only his fifth appearance of the season.
Town’s starting XI was otherwise unchanged with Frank Nouble back on the bench after his hamstring injury, while there was no place in the 18 for Paul Taylor. Former Blues loanee Keith Andrews started for Brighton.
Town, in the red and black away kit in which they had not previously won a game, began in the 4-4-1-1 formation they used last week with Williams by behind lone striker Murphy.
Paul Anderson carved out the game’s first opening in the fourth minute but no one was at the far post for his cross from the left of the area, then soon after Stephen Hunt shot over from distance on the right.
A minute later, the home side should have gone in front. Jesse Lingard was sent through on goal and looked set to slip the ball past Dean Gerken but Christophe Berra got back superbly to stab the ball away from the on-loan Manchester United striker and the Blues keeper claimed.
But it was Town creating most of the danger in the early stages, a Hunt freekick from the left was headed behind, then from the resultant corner Murphy just failed to get a flick on Smith’s header.
On eight, Berra headed a subsequent corner back across goal and Brighton were fortunate that Murphy’s header was straight at keeper Tomasz Kuszczak. On 11 the Irish striker’s powerful effort was blocked after skipper Luke Chambers had broken forward.
Brighton started to gain control of the game and in the 13th minute felt they should have been awarded a penalty when Lingard tripped over Berra. A spotkick would have been harsh as the Blues defender didn’t appear to be making a challenge and the striker appeared to just fall over him.
As the game moved towards the 20-minute mark the Blues were largely pinned back in their half with the visitors passing the ball around slickly. On 19 Bruno Saltor crossed from the right and Leonardo Ulloa headed goalwards, Gerken getting down to his right to save.
Wordsworth shot wide from Cresswell’s ball in from the left in the 21st minute but that was a rare foray forward for the Blues. Soon after, one-time Town schoolboy Matthew Upson nodded over from a corner on the Brighton left.
Town had the ball in the net in the 24th minute. Wordsworth sent Cresswell away down the left, the full-back crossed but Murphy scuffed his shot. On-loan Palace man Williams — who had been booed by the home fans from the start — reached the loose ball ahead of Kuszczak and slid it home but having strayed offside.
There was a scare for the Blues on 32 when Hyam dispossessed but with Will Buckley and Ulloa bearing down on goal Smith intervened. Moments later, Bruno was booked for the latest in a succession of fouls on Hunt
Cresswell wasn’t far from scoring a fortunate opener for the Blues in the 34th minute, his 25-yard shot deflecting up and over Kuszczak but landing on the roof of the net.
Brighton went close two minutes later, Buckley doing well down the left before cutting the ball back to Lingard, whose low shot trickled past Gerken’s left post.
Just before the break, Stephen Ward, who played for Town boss Mick McCarthy at Wolves, hooked over after a freekick had been sent in from deep.
Town had started brightly before the home side took control, albeit without creating too many serious chances, perhaps the best having been Lingard’s on the break during the Blues’ time on top.
Aside from the disallowed goal, Cresswell had come closest for Town via his deflected effort with the Blues looking a threat when they have got the ball in or around the home penalty area, although having conjured few clear-cut opportunities.
Brighton threatened soon after the restart, Lingard knocking a cross from the right down to Ward, whose strike was blocked by a diving Anderson. Jake Forster-Caskey, the stepson of former Blue Nicky Forster, eventually turned the loose ball wide.
The home side continued to make the early second half running and in the 50th minute Lingard forced Gerken into a superb save down to his right with a powerful 20-yard volley. The rebound ran to Ward wide on the Albion left but Hyam blocked.
The Blues began to get more into the half with Williams increasingly influential and on 55 Hunt shot over after a well worked corner had been cleared to him on the edge of the box. Two minutes later at the other end, Buckley headed wide from Andrews’s cross from the right.
But as the game reached the hour mark, the Blues, watched by owner Marcus Evans, went in front. Hunt sent over a deep corner from the left and Murphy nodded it back towards the near post, where Smith rose highest to nod home his fifth goal of the season and his second in two games.
Albion immediately switched Forster-Caskey for pacey winger Kazenga LuaLua as they looked to get back in the game, Bruno and then Rohan Ince both scuffing shots wide soon afterwards.
The Seagulls went rather closer to an equaliser in the 70th minute when Lingard crossed from the left and Ulloa flicked a header just past Gerken’s left post.
The Blues were increasingly under the cosh and a minute later they just about defended an Andrews freekick from the right which ricocheted inside the box on a couple of occasions before going behind. Town switched widemen Hunt and Anderson for Paul Green and Jay Tabb for the final 16 minutes.
Albion continued to push for the equaliser, Andrews’s powerful goalbound shot was blocked, then Ulloa headed over from LuaLua’s left-wing cross. On 79 Smith was booked for a foul on Buckley.
With 10 minutes remaining, the Blues increased their lead. Williams superbly tricked his way past Buckley on the left, cut in and chipped over a cross which Murphy stooped to head across Kuszczak and into the net at the near post before celebrating with the on-loan Palace man right in front of the 1,784 Town fans. It was the Irishman’s 10th goal of the season.
Four minutes later, Williams carved out another opportunity for Murphy but this time the striker shot over. Tyrone Mings replaced the Wales international, who was warmly applauded off by the Blues faithful, for the final six minutes.
Cresswell wasn’t far from making it three soon afterwards with a cross-shot from a tight angle on the left which Kuszczak made rather a meal of keeping out. For Albion, Ulloa again missed the target with a header when found in a decent position in the box by LuaLua.
The Seagulls huffed and puffed and continued to push in five minutes of injury time, Ince hitting a low effort which Gerken, claimed but Town were not to be denied their first three points of the season in their red and black away kit, their first win at the Amex and their second successive victory on the road.
It was a victory based on resolute defending with centre-halves Berra and Smith again outstanding, while the Blues always looked a threat when in the Albion final third with Murphy fully deserving his 10th goal of the season after putting in a very hard-working display.
Smith’s goal once again showed how dangerous the Blues are from set pieces, while Williams’s silky skills for the second goal illustrated just why manager Mick McCarthy brought him to Portman Road.
The victory keeps the Blues in the play-off hunt, still ninth but now five points from sixth, with Derby — who beat local rivals Nottingham Forest 5-0 earlier today — at Portman Road on Tuesday and Forest visiting on Saturday.
Brighton: Kuszczak, Bruno, Upson, Greer (c), Ward, Andrews, Ince, Forster-Caskey (LuaLua 61), Buckley (Rodriguez 87), Lingard (March 77), Ulloa. Unused: Calderon, Dunk, Stephens.
Town: Gerken, Chambers (c), Berra, Smith, Cresswell, Wordsworth, Hyam, Anderson (Tabb 74), Hunt (Green 74), Williams (Mings 84), Murphy. Unused: Loach, Richardson, Ebanks-Banks, Nouble. Referee: Darren Drysdale (Lincolnshire). Att: 29,093 (Town: 1,784).