Freddie Sears scored twice and Christophe Berra once as Town beat already-relegated Blackpool 3-2 at Portman Road. The Blues fell behind to Andrea Orlandi’s fourth-minute goal, prior to Sears striking twice before the break, then Henry Cameron levelled for Blackpool, but Berra sealed a win which really should have been more routine in the 83rd minute.
Tyrone Mings returned from his two-match ban at left-back, while Teddy Bishop was back in midfield and Sears up front.
Zeki Fryers dropped out of the 18 completely, while Richard Chaplow and Chris Wood were on the bench, alongside Jonny Parr, back from his hamstring problem. Already-relegated Blackpool included former Blues loanee Darren O’Dea from the start.
The game got off to the worst possible start for Town with Blackpool taking the lead with the first serious attack of the afternoon in the fourth minute.
Henry Cameron was played in down the left by Jamie O’Hara and cut the ball back to Orlandi breaking unchecked from midfield and the former Swansea man swept home from 10 yards.
The Blues immediately looked to get back on terms, Tommy Smith was unable to get enough on a header from a corner, then Daryl Murphy was stopped in his tracks by a Peter Clarke challenge just inside the area.
On nine Bishop curled an effort wide from the edge of the box, then a minute later Jay Tabb sent Sears away towards the area but Seasiders keeper Elliot Parish came off his line quickly to challenge.
Luke Varney, who opened his Town goals account at Huddersfield on Monday, should have equalised on 12 when he was allowed a free header from Bishop’s left-sided corner but nodded the ball well wide.
Cole Skuse dispossessed Charles Dunne midway inside the Blackpool half on the quarter hour, but his low cross towards Murphy was cut out by O’Dea.
Town continued to keep up the pressure, Murphy overran the ball having made a strong run down the left, Tabb was unable to get in a shot from a Mings cross, then Murphy hooked the ball back across the edge of the six-yard box but it wouldn’t fall for a Town player.
On 23 Sears volleyed over from the edge of the box, then Paul Anderson replaced Varney, who went straight to the dressing room having apparently suffered a knock.
Within seconds of the change, Town were back on terms. Smith sent a freekick to the left of the area from deep on the right, Mings nodded it down and Sears turned a half-volley beyond Parish and into the roof of the net. It was the former Colchester man’s sixth goal for the Blues and his 20th of the season.
Four minutes later, Sears made those totals seven and 21 and the scoreline 2-1 to the Blues.
Skuse fed Murphy to the right who turned it back into Chambers as he broke into the area on the right.
The Blues skipper looked to find Tabb with a low pass across the area but Orlandi intercepted but inadvertently diverted the ball into the path of Sears, who gleefully slipped under Parish from close range.
Ex-Blues loanee O’Dea was replaced by David Ferguson on 32 following a spell of on-field treatment, the former Celtic man appearing to have broken his nose.
Town claimed a penalty in the 37th minute when Anderson fed Sears inside the area and the ball struck Clarke’s raised arm. However, referee James Linington showed no interest in the Blues players’ appeals.
In injury time, Anderson scuffed Mings’s cross from the left wide before referee Linington ended the half.
After being rather caught cold by Blackpool’s early goal, the Blues quickly got themselves on top and the rest of the half was virtually all Town pressing and probing for openings in the visitors’ defence.
Town probably ought to have been ahead prior to Sears’s two goals, the former Colchester and West Ham man continuing the excellent start he has made to his Town career with two fine finishes.
Shortly after the restart Anderson sent Murphy away on the left of the area but the Irishman took the ball too wide and screwed his shot wide.
There was a scare for the Blues on 50 when Berra’s back-header beat the advanced Bartosz Bialkowski, who was pleased to see the ball run wide of the post as he chased towards his line. Three minutes later, Murphy headed Sears’s left-wing cross wide.
Berra saw a header blocked inside the six-yard box on 58, then Tabb skipped into the area and fed Sears, whose low shot was saved down to his left by Parish.
The Blues striker had another opportunity a minute later when, having been sent away by Mings, he cut in from the left but saw Parish block his shot.
As the clock reached the hour mark, Sears again cut in from the left but this time screwed well wide, then soon afterwards he almost profited from Skuse winning the ball on halfway, but Parish came off his line quickly to clear ahead of him.
The second half had been all Town but on 64 the Blues were caught sleeping for a second time and the Tangerines levelled.
Orlandi took a quick freekick from halfway on the right and fed Gary Madine. The on-loan Sheffield Wednesday crossed low to Henry Cameron, who slid into the net from close range to claim his first senior goal.
It was another poor goal for Town to concede, having had plenty of chances to add to their two goals and really should have had the game well won by this stage. On 66 Mings turned and shot over from eight yards when he might have laid the ball back to Murphy.
Jonny Williams replaced Tabb for the final 14 minutes with the Welshman taking up a role behind the front two. Three minutes later, Madine headed over for Blackpool from an O’Hara corner.
Town restored their lead in the 83rd minute when, after a freekick had been cleared, Mings played to Chambers on halfway. The skipper found Murphy on the right of the area, the Blues top scorer turning his man before chipping a superb right-footed cross to the far post from where Christophe Berra nodded in his sixth goal of the season.
Jonny Parr replaced Mings for the final five minutes and the Blues saw out the remaining minutes without any further drama, midfielder Bishop completing a full 90 minutes for the first team for the first time.
Having established the 2-1 lead at the break, the result really should never have been in any doubt and Town had plenty of chances to increase their lead before conceding their second sloppy goal of the afternoon.
Fortunately, against a poor Blackpool side they were always going to get further chances to win it and Berra duly took his opportunity when it came via Murphy’s excellent cross.
The victory and results elsewhere see the Blues move back up to sixth, ahead of Brentford and then Wolves - who lost 2-1 at Birmingham - on goal difference and a point behind fifth-placed Derby, ahead of Tuesday's home game against Cardiff City.
Town: Bialkowski, Chambers (c), Mings (Parr 85), Berra, Smith, Skuse, Bishop, Varney (Anderson 23), Tabb (Williams 76), Murphy, Sears. Unused: Gerken, Hunt, Chaplow, Wood.
Blackpool: Parish, Maher, Dunne, Clarke, O’Dea (Ferguson 32), Perkins, O'Hara, Cubero (Delfouneso 86), Cameron (Osayi-Samuel 70), Orlandi, Madine. Unused: Boney, Ferguson, Oliver, Barkhuizen, Telford. Referee: James Linington (Newport, IoW). Attendance: 19,290 (Blackpool: 175).