Town claimed their third successive win on the road as Brett Pitman’s 10th minute goal saw the Blues to a 1-0 victory in their first league game against the MK Dons at Stadium MK. Town ought to have won the game by a greater margin with the Blues failing to take a number of good chances.
Mick McCarthy named an unchanged starting XI, while Ryan Fraser returned to the bench having come back to the club yesterday after undergoing his rehab after his knee injury with parent club AFC Bournemouth.
The MK Dons, who the Blues were facing in the league for the first time, included ex-Town man Dean Bowditch from the start, while former keeper Cody Cropper was on the bench.
There was a late change of referee with Gavin Ward, who took charge of last month's 2-2 draw with Wolves, taking over from Andrew Madley, who switched to fourth official.
November’s Championship Player of the Month Daryl Murphy struck the game’s first shot in the third minute but scraped his edge-of-the-area effort past MK keeper David Martin’s left post.
A minute later on-loan Norwich winger Josh Murphy was sent away down the left and the ball was half-cleared to Nicky Maynard but the one-time Blues target was challenged by Cole Skuse before he could get in a shot.
Play remained in the Blues’ half and former Town striker Bowditch curled a shot not too far wide from just outside the box.
The Dons, whose fans peopled their now fully seated stadium somewhat sporadically, had seen most of the ball in the early stages but in the 10th minute the Blues went in front.
Jonathan Douglas’s deft pass found Chambers wide on the right and the Town skipper curled a cross past Samir Carruthers to Pitman, who stooped to nod home his sixth goal of the season from six yards.
Town had a good chance to make it 2-0 in the 16th minute when Freddie Sears, again operating in his left-sided role, chased Jonas Knudsen’s ball over the top down the middle. The striker lobbed the advancing Martin but sent the ball wide of the keeper’s left post.
Douglas half-volleyed over on 20, then moments later the Irishman was booked for a foul on Carruthers on halfway.
Dons’ winger Murphy shot goalwards from distance, however, he failed to test Blues keeper Dean Gerken in the 27th minute with the home side having most of the ball but with Town having looked the more threatening team when breaking.
Two minutes later, Gerken tipped Carl Baker’s cross from the right over his crossbar, then from the resultant corner Town’s Murphy headed Carruthers’s effort out for another flag-kick, although the ball looked to have been going well wide in any case.
Town should have made it 2-0 in the 32nd minute when Murphy was sent away on goal to the right by a Tommy Smith pass and beat the advancing Martin to the ball but sent it wide and off the stanchion.
Bowditch shot well over from 25 yards on 38 with the home side, then two minutes later Kyle McFadzean headed over from a corner taken by the one-time Blues academy player.
Neither side created another serious opportunity before the break, Town were unable to make anything of Murphy being sent away down the left, before referee Gavin Ward blew his whistle.
Having claimed the lead via Pitman’s well-worked goal, in much the same way as was the case at Charlton a fortnight ago, the Blues didn’t have to take the game to the home side, who were unable to significantly test the Town defence and keeper despite having a lot of the ball.
Town had continued to look a threat on the break and on another day might well have found themselves 3-0 up at the break.
A second goal in the second half looked like it should be enough to seal a third away win on the trot for the Blues and Murphy wasn’t too far away within a minute of the restart.
The Irish international was sent away on the left, cut in and hit an effort across the face and wide.
Baker hit Smith with the Dons’ first shot of the second half in the 52nd minute, then four minutes later Maynard headed Carruthers’s cross over.
There was a bigger scare for the Blues a minute later when Smith failed to clear on the right of the area and the ball ricocheted to Bowditch, who shot across Gerken and just wide, off a defender according to referee Ward.
The Blues had looked less of a threat on the counter-attack since the break but on 58, after Ainsley Maitland-Niles had bravely won a header on halfway, Pitman’s hook sent Sears away on goal only for a linesman’s flag - perhaps harshly - to halt him in his tracks.
Chambers was booked for a foul on Murphy and his subsequent protest on 62. From the freekick Bowditch touched the ball to the on-loan Canary, who drove it powerfully into the box and Maynard headed over from close range. It was as close as the home side had come to a goal and the former Bristol City man’s sharp header might well have been on target.
Former Blue Bowditch made way soon after along with Baker with Ben Reeves and Daniel Powell - who went to ground to claim a rather ambitious penalty within a minute of coming on - taking over.
Town began to create a few more opportunities, Knudsen sending over a dangerous ball from the left on 66 which was flicked away from Blues striker Murphy.
Five minutes later, Murphy was found in space on the edge of the home side’s box by Skuse but blazed over when he had more time to take the ball closer to goal.
Sears was booked for a foul on Spence on the MK right as the game moved towards its final 15 minutes. The Blues made heavy weather of clearing the freekick but the Dons were unable to create an opening.
Town again went close to doubling their lead in the 78th minute when Maitland-Niles crossed low from the right and Murphy turned the ball just wide at the near post. That was the on-loan Arsenal man’s last action with Jonny Parr taking over.
Reeves wasn’t far away from making the Blues pay for all their missed chances in the 80th minute, the sub unleashing a powerful strike which looked to take a deflection before Gerken pushed it wide of his post.
Within a minute Gerken was in action again, tipping a dipping Carruthers effort over and onto the roof of the net.
For the first time in the game the Blues were being put under pressure, winger Murphy seeing a subsequent effort deflect over, then Gerken claimed a looping deflected ball ahead of Maynard.
Reeves hooked a 20-yard half-volley through to the Town keeper on 85, then a minute later David McGoldrick replaced Sears and for the home side Rob Hall took over from Jordan Spence.
Skuse and McGoldrick exchanged passes in the 89th minute, but the midfielder’s shot from the edge of the box was straight at Martin.
Soon after, sub Hall cut in from the right and hit a shot which Gerken palmed wide of his left post.
From the corner, McGoldrick was sent away on his own in the MK half but defenders retreating and no team-mates joining him turned away from goal and won a throw, keeping the ball in the Dons’ half.
The home side put the Blues under pressure in the closing stages, keeper Martin coming up for a corner, then Knudsen was pole-axed by Hall’s pile-driver and required treatment before referee Ward blew his final whistle.
A third successive win on the road for the Blues, which really ought to have been as comfortable as the victories at Rotherham and Charlton.
Town might have been made to rue all their missed chances in the closing stages as MK rallied but Gerken again made saves when he was required to see the Blues up into sixth at least until this afternoon’s games have been played.
MK Dons: Martin, Spence (Hall 86), McFadzean, Kay, Lewington (c), Potter, Carruthers, Baker (Powell 62), Bowditch (Reeves 62), Murphy, Maynard. Unused: Cropper, Hodson, Poyet, Gallagher.
Town: Gerken, Chambers, Smith, Berra, Knudsen, Skuse, Douglas, Maitland-Niles (Parr 78), Sears (McGoldrick 86), Pitman, Murphy. Unused: Bialkowski, Malarczyk, Coke, Tabb, Fraser. Gavin Ward (Surrey). Att; 13,520.