Goals from Martyn Waghorn and Jordan Spence have given Town a 2-1 lead over Sunderland at Portman Road. Waghorn opened the scoring against his old club in the sixth minute, Billy Jones equalised four minutes later but Spence restored the impressive Blues’ lead on 27.
On-loan Manchester City man Bersant Celina was handed his first Championship start and Waghorn returned to the XI against the club where he started his career. Tristan Nydam and Grant Ward dropped to the bench.
The Blues started in a 4-2-3-1 system with Cole Skuse and Tom Adeyemi in the deeper midfield positions and Celina in a number 10 role with David McGoldrick to his left, Waghorn to his right and Joe Garner the lone out-and-out striker.
With Flynn Downes out until after the international break Kevin Bru was on the bench for the first time this season having been told he could move on in the summer. Michael Crowe was the sub keeper with Dean Gerken not in the squad.
Sunderland made five changes from the team that lost 2-1 at home to Cardiff on Saturday with Jones, Jason Steele, Callum McManaman, Aiden McGeady and Darron Gibson replacing Robbin Ruiter, Tyias Browning, Didier Ndong, George Honeyman and Lynden Gooch. Former Blues loanee Jonny Williams, who has been ill, wasn’t included in the 18.
There was a late change to the referee with Tim Robinson from West Sussex taking charge not Darren Bond as initially announced.
McManaman hit an early shot which Bartosz Bialkowski saved comfortably down to his left but the Blues quickly began to get on top, Waghorn making a strong run into the area before Marc Wilson stabbed behind. Then, from the resultant corner, Skuse saw a shot deflect wide.
And in the sixth minute Town took the lead. Iorfa laid the ball back to Garner on the right, the striker whipped over a cross and Waghorn flicked a header across Steele and into the net for his fifth goal in seven league games for the Blues, almost certainly perhaps the most memorable as it came against the club he joined as an eight-year-old.
But then lead lasted only four minutes. McGeady sent over a corner from the left and Jones headed into the ground and then the net at the near post far too easily.
On 15, after a long spell of Blues possession, Waghorn hit a shot from the edge of the area which was too close to Steele.
Town continued to dominate and on 19 Garner’s header from Celina’s right-sided corner was nodded out of the six-yard box. The Kosovo international sent in another cross and Steele punched away ahead of Jordan Spence. Adeyemi picked up the loose ball but shot over.
The Blues should have gone back in front in the 23rd minute when Celina, by now having switched positions with McGoldrick, fed the overlapping Knudsen on the left and the Danish international cut back to Waghorn, who diverted the ball wide of the far post from eight yards.
Four minutes later, Celina nodded on to Knudsen 30 yards out and the Dane’s shot deflected wide.
And from the corner on the left the Blues restored their lead. Waghorn sent the ball into the box and Spence headed home his second goal of the season unchallenged.
Having added an assist to his earlier goal, Waghorn went looking for a third Town goal and almost immediately after the restart was sent away on the right. However, Steele was quickly off his line to claim ahead of the Blues’ number nine, subsequently requiring treatment for a knock sustained as he dived at the striker’s feet.
Town continued to have most of the ball and prodded and probed with McGoldrick far more involved having switched into the middle.
They came close to adding their third goal in the 33rd minute when Celina crossed from the left and Adeyemi headed powerfully goalwards but straight at Steele. Moments later, Waghorn struck a shot on the turn from the edge of the box, which flew only just wide.
As half-time approached Sunderland began to regain something of a foothold in the game, Lamine Koné heading a left-sided McGeady corner beyond the far post. On 44 James Vaughan was yellow-carded for catching Knudsen with a high boot.
But it was still virtually all Town as stand-in referee Robinson ended the half to warm applause from a thoroughly impressed and entertained Portman Road crowd.
The Blues more than deserved their first-half lead after their best home display since the opening day of the season and could easily have been more than the single goal in front.
The performance was a continuation of the second half at Leeds only more so, passing the ball around confidently and creating plenty of chances with Waghorn, McGoldrick and Celina, who was working well with Knudsen down the left, causing the Wearsiders’ backline considerable problems throughout.
The visitors had rarely threatened aside from their goal, which came against the run of play and was the one blot on the first-half display.
Town: Bialkowski, Iorfa, Spence, Chambers (c), Knudsen, Skuse, Adeyemi, Celina, Waghorn, Garner, McGoldrick. Subs: M Crowe, Connolly, Ward, Sears, Nydam, Bru, Kenlock.
Sunderland: Steele, Jones, Oviedo, Cattermole (c), Vaughan, McManaman, McGeady, Matthews, Koné, Gibson, Wilson. Subs: Ruiter, O’Shea, Ndong, Browning, Honeyman, Gooch, Asoro. Referee: Tim Robinson (West Sussex).