Daryl Murphy’s 22nd minute goal - his 25th of the season - has given the Blues a 1-0 lead against Nottingham Forest at Portman Road at half-time.
Stephen Hunt replaced the unwell Jay Tabb in an otherwise unchanged Town side. Luke Varney and Darren Ambrose returned to the bench after hamstring injuries and Kevin Bru after a calf problem, alongside Elliott Hewitt, who was back in the 18 for the first time since returning from his spell at Colchester.
Following an impeccable minute’s silence to mark the 30th anniversary of the Bradford Fire Disaster, Forest had the game’s first chance in the second minute.
Cole Skuse’s poor touch on the edge of the Blues box bounced to Dexter Blackstock, but the striker’s shot failed to test Bartosz Bialkowski.
Town’s first opportunity came on four, Daryl Murphy heading Teddy Bishop’s corner from the right over the bar.
Ben Osborn shot powerfully but straight at Bialkowski in the eighth minute after Tyrone Mings had surrendered possession.
The Blues had started scruffily, all too often failing to clear their lines following Forest attacks but gradually they began to get on top. On 19 Freddie Sears hit a well-struck effort from distance which curled well wide.
Just as the clock was about to turn over from 21 to 22 with the Portman Road crowd paying tribute to 21-year-old supporter Chris Reynolds, who died last weekend, with a minute’s applause, the Blues took the lead.
Sears deftly knocked the ball down to Murphy just inside the area to the right and the Championship’s top scorer smashed his 25th goal of the season past Karl Darlow and into the net. The Irishman is the first Blues player to hit 25 league goals in a season since Ray Crawford in 1962/63.
Skipper Luke Chambers suffered what appeared to be a concerning injury after being caught late in the 29th minute but after treatment was OK to continue.
On 38 Tommy Smith headed Hunt’s freekick from the left over the bar, then two minutes later Darlow had a scare when he slipped as a long ball bounced through to him but recovered his footing in time to claim.
Moments later, Mings crossed from the left but Murphy and Chambers both saw shots blocked.
In the final scheduled minute of the half Murphy skipped between a couple of defenders but scuffed a 25-yard shot to Darlow.
As the period moved into injury time, Bialkowski tipped Lansbury’s curling shot over the bar.
After a scrappy start the Blues had largely controlled the half but without creating too many clear-cut chances, aside from the opportunity which led to Murphy lashing home his excellent 25th of the campaign.
The striker scuffed his late chance to add the second goal which would probably seal the three points and all but confirm the Blues’ play-off place.
Town: Bialkowski, Chambers (c), Mings, Berra, Smith, Skuse, Bishop, Parr, S Hunt, Murphy, Sears. Subs: Gerken, Fryers, Hewitt, Anderson, Bru, Ambrose, Varney.
Nottingham Forest: Darlow, Lichaj, Mancienne, Lascelles, Hobbs, Vaughan, Lansbury (c), Osborn, Antonio, Akpon, Blackstock. Subs: Evtimov, Fox, Kane, Paterson, Burke, Walker, Grant. Referee: Graham Salisbury (Lancashire).