Alan Judge and Kayden Jackson netted two goals apiece as the Blues came from behind to beat Burton Albion 4-1 at Portman Road. Jamie Murphy gave the Brewers the lead in the sixth minute but Judge levelled for Town on 29, then Jackson put the Blues in front just before the break. The former Accrington man made it 3-1 seven minutes after the restart, then Judge added the fourth on 63.
Judge, Luke Garbutt, Will Keane, Gwion Edwards and Jon Nolan all returned to the Blues line-up.
Garbutt was back as left wing-back having missed the last two with a thigh injury, while Edwards was on the right having served his two-match ban for 10 bookings. Janoi Donacien dropped out of the 18.
Josh Earl moved to the left of the three centre-halves with Luke Woolfenden on the right and skipper Luke Chambers in the middle with James Wilson on the bench.
Judge took up the more advanced midfield role ahead of Flynn Downes and Nolan with Cole Skuse and Emyr Huws among the subs.
Up front, Keane came in for James Norwood, who was among the subs, alongside Jackson. Teddy Bishop returned to the 18 after his knee injury.
Burton made three changes with Stephen Quinn, Joe Powell and Oliver Sarkic in for Kieran Wallace, Scott Fraser and Nathan Broadhead, who were on the bench.
With Storm Dennis beginning the blow around the ground and rain falling, Town started on the front foot and ought to have gone ahead in the fourth minute.
Earl played a great pass out of defence on the left to Judge, who moved it on to Jackson, and the striker sent in a low cross to Keane in space in the middle. The former Hull City man took a touch, probably due to the wind, but as he shot Reece Hutchinson toed the ball away from him.
Within a minute, Burton went in front. Ryan Edwards found Jamie Murphy in acres of space on the left, from where the on-loan Rangers winger cut inside and hit a low shot to Tomas Holy’s left and into the net. It looked a very poor goal to concede from a Town perspective.
Having got their goal, the Brewers were well on top with the Blues struggling to make any impact going forward. On 10 Murphy was again found in space to the left and unleashed a shot which Holy saved.
Five minutes later, Joe Powell hit a well-struck effort from 25 yards which Holy watched carefully in the wind and turned over.
Town began to get more into the game and in the 20th minute should have levelled. Downes intercepted a loose pass just inside the Burton half and sent Judge away on goal. The Irishman shot past Brewers keeper Kieran O’Hara to his right but his effort hit the angle of post and bar.
Three minutes later, Garbutt was shown the first yellow card of the game for a foul on Quinn, brother of ex-Blues midfielder Alan.
On 27 Earl sent over a swirling cross from the left which Judge turned wide at the near post.
Town again should have equalised a minute later when Keane played in Jackson on the right of the area. With the wind getting stronger, the striker was forced wide but took the ball past the advanced O’Hara. However, the ex-Accrington man rushed his shot and hit the side-netting from a tight angle.
But the Town support didn’t have to wait too much longer for a goal. On 29 Jackson again away on the right and this time sent over a low cross from the byline which Judge turned into the far corner of the net, perhaps off a defender’s toe.
The Irish international celebrated his by removing his boot and throwing it towards the East of England Co-op Stand.
Having got back on terms Town looked a more confident unit and in the 34th minute, Garbutt whipped in a freekick from the right, Chambers flicked on and Conor Shaughnessy nodded it behind ahead of Keane, who looked odds-on to score had it reached him.
Burton began to see more of the ball and in the 42nd minute Sarkic curled a freekick towards goal which Holy claimed comfortably down to his right.
But in the 44th minute the Blues went in front. A wind-assisted Tomas Holy long ball saw Jackson in on goal after defender Richard Nartey totally misjudged the flight. The striker took a deft touch inside the area before looping over O’Hara and into the net to claim his 10th of the season.
Burton keeper O’Hara appeared to turn his ankle as Jackson scored and after treatment was replaced by Ben Garratt.
Seconds before the whistle, the Blues almost made it 3-1. Jackson left his man for dead on the right and sent in a low ball which Keane cleverly turned goalwards with his heel, however, Garratt was able to block.
The end of the half was greeted by applause from the Town faithful after an entertaining half in difficult conditions with the Blues having done well to turn things around after conceding the early goal.
Having gone behind, Burton had a spell on top when they might have killed the game off but Town gradually found their feet again and had had chances prior to Judge and Jackson’s goals. The wind had certainly had an impact on the match, not least on Town’s second goal.
The Blues began the second half on the front foot, Jackson crossing to Keane, who slipped as Nartey struggled to clear.
But on 52 Town put daylight between them and the Brewers. Judge, now playing out wide on the right with the Blues having moved to 4-4-2, won the ball on the flank and crossed towards Jackson, who stooped to loop a header inside the post behind Garratt to take the number nine to joint-top scorer alongside Norwood on 11.
Burton were forced into a sub in the 62nd minute when Nartey suffered a knock and was replaced by Kieran Wallace.
Two minutes later, the Blues made it 4-1. Nolan intercepted a loose pass a few yards inside the Burton half and fed Keane, who turned away from his man and played a pass into the path of Jackson. The ball held up in the wind and was stabbed out to Judge, who hit a low shot which squirmed under Garratt and just over the line before the keeper got back to paw it away.
Nolan was booked in the 67th minute for a foul on Edwards, then three minutes later Keane was found inside the box and hit a shot on the turn over. Seconds later, Town swapped the striker and Nolan for Bishop and Skuse.
Bishop immediately went looking for goal, curling a right-foot shot from just outside the box which Garratt did well to get down to his left to palm wide. From a very wind-assisted corner, the ball hit Chambers at the far post and looped over.
On 75 Jackson should have completed his first Town hat-trick. The striker was sent away behind the Burton defence by a superb defence splitting pass from Judge and was one-on-one with Garratt. However, the sub keeper stood his ground and blocked. The resultant corner scuffed off the top of Woolfenden’s newly-bleached hair and out.
Three minutes later, the visitors switched goalscorer Murphy for on-loan Everton striker Nathan Broadhead.
In the 81st minute Brewers skipper John Brayford brought the ball forward before hitting a shot well over. Moments later, Freddie Sears replaced Judge, who received a warm ovation as he left the field.
Sears might have made it five in the 87th minute when he was found on the right of the area but hit Garratt with his shot from a tight angle when the sub might have been better cutting it back to Jackson.
That was the final chance of the game with the final whistle warmly applauded by the home support.
After a concerning start to the afternoon, in the end it was as comfortable win as Town have had all season and the margin of victory should have been even wider.
Having got their noses in front at the end of the first half, the Blues maintained their momentum after the break and Jackson’s second of the game all but sealed it. Town had plenty more chances but were only able to add Judge’s second.
After three defeats and a draw, a win today was absolutely vital not just in terms of points but also the mood surrounding the club which was threatening to deteriorate just as the season reached its most crucial stage.
Town remain seventh, a point off Portsmouth in the final play-off place, and now five behind leaders Rotherham, who drew 2-2 at home to Wimbledon, and Coventry, who are up to second following their 2-0 win at Southend.
The Blues are next in action at home next Saturday when Oxford United, who were beaten 1-0 at home by Sunderland today, are the visitors.
Town: Holy, Earl, Chambers (c), Edwards, Jackson, Nolan (Skuse 70), Judge, Downes, Woolfenden, Garbutt, Keane (Bishop 70). Unused: Norris, Wilson, Norwood, Sears, Huws.
Burton: O’Hara (Garratt 45), Brayford (c), Edwards, Quinn, Akins, Hutchinson, Shaughnessy, Sarkic, Nartey (Wallace 62), Powell, Murphy (Broadhead 78). Unused: Fraser, Sbarra, O'Toole, Thomas. Referee: Charles Breakspear (Surrey). Att: 19,922 (Burton: 177).