Full debutant Noel Hunt scored twice and sub Jonny Parr once as Town beat Millwall 3-1 at the Den to climb back to second in the Championship. Hunt put the Blues two in front before Magaye Guyeye pulled a goal back for the Lions just before the break but Parr sealed it in the 77th minute.
Town were without David McGoldrick and Luke Hyam with knee injuries sustained in the 1-0 FA Cup defeat to Southampton, and Cole Skuse, who is ill.
Up front, Noel Hunt was handed his first Town start alongside Daryl Murphy with new signing Freddie Sears one of only six subs on the bench. Balint Bajner was missing with Notts County understood to be close to signing the Hungarian striker on loan.
Millwall made eight changes to the team which lost 4-0 at Bradford in the FA Cup in midweek. Former Blue Dan Harding made his home debut, while ex-midfielder Lee Martin and one-time loan striker Ricardo Fuller were on the bench.
Anderson hit an early speculative shot wide for the Blues, who were in their all orange away kit.
The Lions went close to going in front in the fourth minute when debutant Diego Fabbrini’s shot deflected up into the air and Town keeper Bartosz Bialkowski punched poorly under pressure from Stefan Maierhofer. The loose ball fell to the on-loan Watford man, who shot wide with the goal gaping.
Within a minute the Lions were made to rue that miss. Murphy flicked on a Tyrone Mings freekick deep on the left and Stephen Hunt found himself space on the edge of the box before stabbing the ball through to his brother Noel ahead of him to his left. The former Leeds man deftly diverted the ball past advancing Millwall keeper David Forde and into the net.
It was the Irishman’s second goal for Town and his first since signing a contract until the end the season earlier in the month.
On the quarter hour, it was 2-0 with Noel Hunt again the man on target. Stephen Hunt crossed from the left just too far in front of his brother. Bru shot from a tight angle, a defender’s toe deflecting it to Noel Hunt, who tapped in his second of the game and third of the season at the other post before a knee-slide celebration. The home fans felt there may have been a suspicion of offside.
The last time Noel Hunt scored twice in a game was back in January 2013 for Reading in 4-0 FA Cup win against Sheffield United, while he most recently netted a brace in the league back in August 2009 for the Royals in a 3-1 win at Barnsley.
The Blues continued to look the more likely scorers, Anderson saw an audacious overhead-kick deflected over on 23, then after the second of two corners had been cleared and returned into the box Murphy headed straight at his international team-mate Forde.
Moments later, Noel Hunt wasn’t far from getting his head to an Anderson header from a left-wing Mings cross.
Millwall were unable to create another serious opportunity until the 35th minute when Maierhofer cut the ball back from the right to Jimmy Abdou on the edge of the box but the midfielder scuffed well wide.
But the Blues were continuing to look the greater threat, Anderson seeing an effort blocked and then screwing his cross into the crowd from the rebound.
Seconds later, Millwall centre-half Byron Webster slipped and Murphy broke into the area but scuffed his shot wide.
Two minutes before the break, the home side pulled a goal back. Maierhofer headed down a freekick from the left, Gregory hooked it on to Gueye, who shot home off the inside of the post.
It was a poor goal to concede from Town’s perspective with Christophe Berra perhaps still feeling the effects of a clash of heads with Abdou moments earlier.
The goal roused the previously resigned home crowd as the half moved into three additional minutes.
Town were well worth their lead at the break and given the number of chances they had created they ought to have been further in front.
Millwall’s goal before the break had come against the overall run of play and gave the home side a lifeline which they didn’t really deserve.
Town started the second half on top, Anderson sent Noel Hunt away on the left but the two-goal striker’s cross was cut out before it reached Murphy. Hunt’s subsequent over-head kick was blocked.
Murphy scuffed a shot through to Forde five minutes after the restart with the game continuing in the manner of much of the first half. Soon after, Millwall appealed for a penalty when Lee Gregory turned the ball onto Berra’s hand but a spotkick would have been harsh.
The home side began to put the Blues under pressure for the first time in the match as the hour mark approached. After good work on the left from Maierhofer and Harding, goalscorer Gueye saw a shot from deep on the right blocked. From the resultant corner, Webster flicked his header across goal and wide.
On 63 two-goal frontman Noel Hunt was replaced by Freddie Sears, making his Blues debut following his Friday move from Colchester, while Jonny Parr took over from Stephen Hunt at left midfield and ex-Blue Lee Martin replaced Fabbrini for the Lions.
Gueye curled a freekick over after Anderson had fouled Abdou 25 yards out, then for the Blues Sears played in Murphy on the left of the area but 19-year-old Millwall skipper Sid Nelson stuck out a toe to dispossess him.
New signing Sears had his first sight of goal in the 73rd minute when he was sent away by Murphy’s long ball. The ex-West Ham youngster took the ball inside Harding but Nelson blocked his shot.
But aside from that opportunity Millwall were on top and looking for openings from which to grab the equaliser. On 75 Berra did well to cut out Gueye’s cross from the right.
However, two minutes later it was all over. The lively Sears cleverly turned Murphy's flick from Bialkowski's long kick on to sub Parr, who showed a striker’s quality to slip the ball past the advancing Forde and into the corner of the net for his second Town goal.
Ex-Blues loanee Fuller replaced Shaun Cummings for the final 10 minutes with the impetus now firmly back with the Blues after Millwall’s brief and unconvincing second-half fightback.
With two minutes remaining 18-year-old Matt Clarke was handed his league debut as a sub for Anderson. Clarke went to left midfield with Parr going to the right.
Parr teed up Bru to shoot into Forde’s arms as the game moved into its final scheduled minute, prior to the fourth official’s board signalling four more.
Town saw out the remaining minutes with little trouble with the result moving them back to second in the table with Derby having lost to Nottingham Forest earlier in the day.
The Blues really ought to have had the game well and truly won prior to Parr’s goal having gone 2-0 in front via Hunt’s first-half brace. They had had had the opportunities to seal it well before then, but in fairness to the Lions they kept going and took their chance when it came.
But overall, the Blues were well worth their fifth away win of the season which takes them two points ahead of the third-placed Rams just a point behind leaders Bournemouth.
Millwall: Forde, Cummings (Fuller 80), Nelson, Webster, Harding, Gueye, Abdou, Powell, Fabbrini (Martin 63), Gregory, Maierhofer. Unused: King, Shittu, Wilkinson, Woolford, McDonald, Fuller.
Town: Bialkowski, Chambers (c), Mings, Berra, Smith, Tabb, Bru, Anderson (Clarke 88), S Hunt (Parr 64), N Hunt (Sears 63), Murphy. Unused: Crowe, Ambrose, Stewart. Referee: Graham Salisbury (Lancashire). Att: 11,603 (Town: 2,503).