James Norwood’s injury-time goal has given the Blues a 1-0 half-time lead over Sunderland at Portman Road.
Wes Burns returned to the Blues XI following his hamstring injury with new manager Kieran McKenna watching his new players from the stands.
Burns started at right wing-back as the Blues continued with interim manager John McGreal, in his fourth and final game in charge and his first at Portman Road, sticking with the 3-5-2 system utilised in the second half at Barrow on Wednesday with Matt Penney on the left, George Edmundson, Luke Woolfenden and Janoi Donacien the centre-halves and Christian Walton in goal.
In central midfield, skipper Sam Morsy was joined by Lee Evans with Sone Aluko ahead of them with Norwood and Macauley Bonne forming a front pairing.
Only Walton, Penney, Aluko and Norwood remained from the XI which started at Barrow on Wednesday.
Sunderland were unchanged from last week’s 2-1 home victory over Plymouth with midfielder Lynden Gooch OK having limped off with a groin problem against the Pilgrims.
Ahead of kick-off with the crowd, not far off capacity following the #PackOutPR campaign, waved large blue and white flags which had been left on every seat by the club, while pyrotechnics were set off as the players made their way on to the pitch with Portman Road as lively as they’ve been for some while.
Prior to the start, the Town players took a knee to applause, while Sunderland remained standing as they have throughout the season.
The Blues started brightly with Norwood striking the game’s first shot in the sixth minute, but with his left-foot edge-of-the-area effort screwing away off the outside of his boot and out for a throw on the opposite side of the field.
Three minutes later, Burns and Norwood exchanged passes on the right of the box and the Welshman shot into the side-netting.
Town should have taken the lead in the 10th minute when Burns was sent away down the right by Norwood and crossed to Penney breaking into the area on the left but the former Sheffield Wednesday man hit the ball into the ground and over with the goal at his mercy.
The Blues continued the pressure, Burns beating his man before whipping over a cross towards his opposite wing-back Penney at the far post but a Sunderland defender nodded behind. From the corner, the ball looked to be headed wide by a Black Cat but a goal-kick was awarded.
In the 23rd minute Sunderland’s 11-goal top scorer Ross Stewart hit the visitors’ first effort of the afternoon but sent the ball well into the packed Sir Bobby Robson Stand.
But it was still mainly Town. Just before the half-hour, Aluko sent Bonne away on the left and the striker’s cross found Burns at the right of the box but the wing-back’s shot was blocked by Callum Doyle.
Moments later, Bonne claimed a penalty when he was manhandled by Tom Flanagan as Wearsiders’ keeper Thorben Hoffman grabbed a high ball played into the box. Referee Thomas Bramall and his linesman showed no interest with the Blues having a reasonable if not overwhelming case.
In the 36th minute Evans won a tackle with Leon Dajaku, which left the Sunderland man on the floor and his team-mates incensed with a short spell of pushing and shoving ensuing. Referee Bramall eventually briefly spoke to Evans, who looked to have done nothing wrong despite it having been a solid challenge, and then the two captains after awarding the visitors a free-kick.
Dajaku struggled to his feet and tried to walk off with help before sitting back down with the stretcher cart subsequently making its way onto the pitch and taking him down the tunnel. Denver Hume, who has been out with an ankle injury since October, took his place.
The lengthy stoppage led to a minor lull from Town and the visitors’ first sustained spell of possession with the Blues momentarily looking a little shaky.
But in the first of seven additional minutes, Town finally made their overall dominance tell when they went in front.
Bonne’s cross from the right deflected as it came into the box and Norwood rose to nod into the net off the underside of the bar, the striker’s second goal of the season, both in the last two matches.
There were no more chances before the Town players were given a big ovation by the near-capacity crowd as they left the field having fully deserved their lead after a dominant first-half display, as stark a contrast as there could be from the performance in the opening 45 minutes at Barrow on Wednesday.
New manager McKenna will have seen plenty to be positive about from his new players, who had been on top virtually from start to end with the Black Cats only showing anything in the short spell after Dajaku’s injury.
As in the game between the sides at the Stadium of Light, the Wearsiders had struggled to make any impact with Walton in the Town goal yet to make a save.
Town: Walton, Donacien, Edmundson, Woolfenden, Penney, Burns, Morsy (c), Evans, Aluko, Bonne, Norwood. Subs: Hladky, Burgess, Vincent-Young, Carroll, Chaplin, Fraser, Pigott.
Sunderland: Hoffman, Flanagan, Doyle, Dajaku (Hume 41), Broadhead, Gooch, Stewart, Winchester, Pritchard, Neil, Wright (c). Subs: Patterson, Alves, Embleton, O'Brien, Younger, Kimpioka. Referee: Thomas Bramall (Sheffield).