Strike pair David McGoldrick and Daryl Murphy were on target as the Blues beat Millwall 2-0 at Portman Road. McGoldrick put Town in front in first half injury time and Murphy added the second in the 63rd minute.
McGoldrick, Tyrone Mings and Cole Skuse returned to the side with Luke Hyam, Tommy Smith and Kevin Bru all dropping to the bench.
Skipper Luke Chambers moved to centre-half alongside Christophe Berra with home debutant Jonny Parr at right-back and Mings on the left. Dean Gerken continued in goal.
In midfield, another home debutant Teddy Bishop kept his place in the centre of midfield with Skuse returning having been unwell for the game against the Rams. Paul Anderson was on the right and Jay Tabb on the left.
McGoldrick, who missed out at Derby with a dead leg, returned alongside Murphy up front. There was no place in the 18 for returning midfielder Darren Ambrose, who signed a short-term deal on Thursday.
Former Blues skipper Carlos Edwards started at right-back for Millwall but Lee Martin missed out with a knee ligament injury. Another former Blue Ed Upson and one-time Town loanee Ricardo Fuller were on the bench.
Murphy struck an early shot well wide before a spell of Millwall pressure ended with Jermaine Easter heading over.
The visitors continued to have most of the ball and went within inches of going ahead in the ninth minute.
Scott McDonald played in Scott Malone down the left and the full-back cut across to Martyn Woolford eight yards out, however, Gerken saved his former Bristol City team-mate’s effort with his foot. The loose ball fell to Easter, who slammed a shot on to the bar and high into the air, Gerken subsequently punching before Skuse finally cleared the danger.
Easter hit a shot straight at Gerken on 14, while the Blues presented little further threat aside from a number of low crosses which came to nothing.
Mathias Renegie headed wide in the 23rd minute after the ball had been played back in from the left by Malone, no one having managed to get on the end of an Edwards cross from the right after the former Blues captain had beaten Mings.
As the game moved towards the half-hour mark, Millwall’s Shaun Williams required treatment after a challenge by Mings on halfway, one which angered the visitors’ bench.
Town gradually started to look a bit more dangerous, Anderson flicking a Parr cross into Lions keeper David Forde’s arms, then soon afterwards Berra headed over from a corner.
On 33 Anderson seized on a poor Millwall clearance midway inside the Lions’ half end fed McGoldrick to the right. The striker returned the ball to the midfielder but the ball seemed get caught under his feet as he screwed his shot well wide.
Millwall had another chance to go in front in the 41st minute after Skuse had lost out on halfway, probably having been fouled. Ranegie brought the ball forward and played it wide to Woolford, who shot into the side-netting from a tight angle on the right.
A minute later, the Blues carved out what was their best opportunity up to then. Parr fed Bishop as he broke forward into the area on the right and the midfielder laid the ball wide to Anderson.
The winger crossed to Murphy who didn’t make a clean contact with his header, but Forde was still forced to claw the ball away as it threatened to bounce up into the top corner.
A minute into first half injury time the Blues went in front. McGoldrick did well to get on to Mings’s long clearance before bringing it inside and feeding Bishop, who was tripped as he broke towards the area. The loose ball fell to McGoldrick, who skipped past Alan Dunne and hit a shot across Forde which took a deflection off Mark Beevers, leaving the keeper helpless.
There was no time for the Lions to hit back before half-time and the Blues went in a goal to the good, which flattered them on the balance of the half overall, although they had looked more of a threat towards the break.
Millwall had played the better football for the most part and will rue having failed to take their opportunities, Easter and Woolford both having had chances to put their side ahead earlier in the half.
The Lions switched Jack Powell for ex-Everton winger Magaye Gueye ahead of the second half.
The Blues threatened early on, Anderson finding Parr on the right and the Norwegian cutting in but failing to find a Town player with his low ball and subsequent header.
Beevers did well to cut out Murphy’s low cross just ahead of McGoldrick in the 49th minute, although referee Carl Berry awarded a goalkick, much to the Town striker’s frustration.
Town came close to adding to their lead in the 54th minute when Skuse found Mings with a sweeping pass left. The full-back’s cross eventually fell to Murphy six yards out but the Irishman failed to connect as he looked to stab towards goal and the danger was cleared.
The Blues had been much better after the break with Mings finding acres of space down the left, but on 57 Gerken had to get down quickly to save Malone’s low cross from the left.
On 63 Town deservedly doubled their lead. Mings won a corner on the left and Tabb’s deep flag-kick found Berra. The Scottish international’s header was blocked on the edge of the six-yard box and fell to Murphy, who stabbed into the roof of the net for his second goal of the season.
Gerken did well to tip McDonald’s 20-yard freekick over on 66 before Millwall introduced two former Blues, Ed Upson, the scorer of the winning goal in the 2005 FA Youth Cup final, and ex-loanee Ricardo Fuller. Easter and Woolford made way.
Soon after, Mings, who had received treatment after Town’s second goal, was replaced by Smith and Hyam took over from Bishop, who was warmly applauded off the field.
Gerken saved low to his left from Lions skipper Dunne a minute later, then McGoldrick had an opportunity to make it 3-0 but screwed his shot well wide after Murphy had deftly turned the ball into his path inside the area. Moments later, McDonald cut in and shot over for the visitors.
Murphy headed wide from Anderson’s cross from the right as the game moved into its final 15 minutes, then Gerken claimed an Edwards shot from an angle on the right at the second attempt.
Conor Sammon replaced Anderson for the final eight minutes, prior to McGoldrick seeing a 20-yard strike deflect only just over.
Millwall were looking vulnerable on the break as they looked to get back in the game in the closing stages and on 88 McGoldrick had another effort blocked.
In injury time, Berra picked up the game’s only booking for a foul on Fuller, Gerken just about keeping out Upson’s freekick from the left. Neither side threatened again before referee Berry blew his whistle.
Despite Millwall having been the better side in the first half, the Blues ultimately deserved the three points for their much improved second half display.
While the Lions missed opportunities in the first half, Town had chances to add to their two goals during the second, in which they played some of their best football of the season.
The result takes the Blues up to 14th in the table on eight points ahead of Tuesday’s home game against Brighton, who lost 3-2 at Brentford today.
Town: Gerken, Parr, Mings (Smith 71), Chambers (c), Berra, Skuse, Bishop (Hyam 71), Tabb, Anderson (Sammon 82), McGoldrick, Murphy. Unused: Bialkowski, Bajner, Bru, Henshall.
Millwall: Forde, Edwards, Dunne (c), Beevers, Malone, Powell (Gueye 46), Williams, Woolford (Upson 67), McDonald, Easter (Fuller 67), Ranegie. Unused: King, Briggs, Webster, Upson, Onyedinma. Referee: Carl Berry (Surrey). Att: 16,190 (Millwall: 1,329).