Joe Royle's Town reign got off to a winning start as his side beat Slovan Liberec 1-0 at Portman Road. The victory, gained via a 68th minute Darren Bent goal, kept Town's 40-year unbeaten home European run going and sets up the second leg in the Czech Republic perfectly.
The new manager was received enthusiastically by the crowd as he walked to the bench, in stark contrast to last week's fan reaction. There was little sign of a new broom in Royle's first Town line-up though, in fact it was identical to the 11 put out by Tony Mowbray against Gillingham except that Jim Magilton replaced Jermaine Wright in the centre of midfield.
The Czech side, wearing a 1970s Holland-style orange kit, enjoyed a lot of possession in the early stages but failed to create any clear-cut chances. They appeared to set out their stall by leaving Ghanaian striker Baffour Cyan on the bench. Like FK Sartid, they appeared technically very good but as the half wore on Town got more and more into it.
The early chances were scarce, perhaps the best falling to Darren Ambrose who hit a 11th minute shot wide after keeper Antonin Kinsky had mis-punched under attention from Alun Armstrong.
There was a scare for the Blues on 20 when Jamie Clapham played a difficult ball back to Andy Marshall from five yards. The keeper, hardly the most adept with his feet, managed to get a toe on it and send it into the air above him as a Czech attacker came in. As it dropped he headed it but only succeeded in pushing the ball wide. Fortunately the Liberec cross failed to pick out an orange shirt and the danger was gone.
The Blues went close a minute later as Alun Armstrong headed a deep Jamie Clapham goalward, Kinsky saving well high to his right. A fine ball wide from the again impressive Pablo Couñago had put Hreidarsson in space before he played in Clapham down the line.
Marshall was at his shot-saving best in the 23rd minute, tipping a point-blank header from Zapotocny over the bar, although referee Philippe Leuba had already blown for a foul. However, it was still an impressive save.
Couñago hit a shot from the edge of the area in the 27th minute, but Kinsky dived to his left to gather as the Blues began to have the better of the game.
Alun Armstrong again came close on the half hour, hitting a Clapham cross wide first time, ending a fine move which had involved a number of first time passes beginning with some fine hold-up play from Couñago.
With eight minutes left in the half, Jamie Clapham hit a shot from the edge of the area which Kinsky was forced to tip over the bar, again after work from Couñago.
Marshall was in action once more not long after, the keeper diving to his right to tip a Miroslav Holenak shot from the edge of the area round the post and receiving a pat on the back from a number of his team-mates.
The Town keeper made another sae before the break, stopping a snap-shot from Jan Nezmar from the edge of the area.
The Czech side were to have the best chance of the half, but had to wait until injury time for it. Nezmar held the ball up well on the edge of the Town six-yard box and laid it off to Martin Zboncak who sent it crashing off the bar from around seven yards out. It was a bad miss and one that Liberec would rue.
Unusually the Town side were applauded off at half-time. Although there had been no miraculous transformation, the side did look more cohesive than recently, with greater movement and importantly no goal conceded despite a couple of dodgy moments at set pieces.
Thomas Gaardsøe entered the fray for the second period, taking over from John McGreal at central defence while there were no changes fro Liberec.
The away side were again to have a lot of possession as they had in the early stages of the first half, but the first real chance fell to Town, Alun Armstrong heading an Ambrose freekick over the bar after Couñago had been fouled on the left.
Hreidarsson spent the second half more advanced than in the first, and indeed for most of this season. On 55 he even hit a shot from an angle which was probably too easy for Kinsky in goal.
Three minutes later Magilton put a pass wide to the Iceland international inside the Liberec area. Hreidarsson tried to turn inside a defender and it struck the Czech, leading to appeals for a penalty, however these were mainly on the terraces and were waved away by the referee.
Just before the hour Thomas Gaardsøe became the first man to go into the referee's book for a somewhat agricultural hauling down of Baffour Gyan who was just on as sub and causing the Town defence a few problems.
A Wayne Brown freekick in the 64th minute almost led to a Town goal. Alun Armstrong headed Brown's kick from the centre circle back across the goal from the Town right and Darren Ambrose only just failed to get his head on it, colliding with Kinsky as the ball whizzed past both of them. Armstrong was again doing well when getting wide on either flank.
Joe Royle decided to switch his strikers at this point, bringing on the pace of Darren Bent to give the Liberec defence a different sort of challenge, and four minutes later it was to pay off spectacularly well.
After Gyan had hit a shot wide of Andy Marshall's goal, Town put together the match's decisive move. Magilton played a lovely ball wide to Armstrong on the left and the ex-Boro man whipped in a deep cross which was met by Darren Bent at the far post, the striker volleying in from six yards between Kinsky and his post.
It was a fine goal from an excellent move and ideal for Royle in his first game, his substitution working out almost immediately in an almost scripted manner.
Almost immediately there was panic at the other end as Marshall missed a cross from the left. Sub Gyan headed the ball down and off the bar and a rebound was sent over the bar, much to the relief of Marshall and the crowd.
Tomas Zapotocny became the first Liberec player in the book when he fouled Jamie Clapham on 70. Five minutes later Ambrose was felled from behind by a very late tackle from Nezmar but the referee failed to see it. In the 77th minute Ambrose was replaced by Finidi George who himself was immediately involved in a clash of heads and could only continue after treatment.
Nezmar ought to have done better in the 78th minute as he was found unmarked on the right of the Town area. However, he screwed his shot well wide. The Czech side were putting a bit pf pressure on and were having a lot of possession and Wayne Brown made a crucial clearing header as a dangerous cross came in from the left.
Much like previous opponents FK Sartid, Liberec players were going to ground with great frequency in the latter stages, cramp proving a big problem. Referee Leuba was not to be fooled and persuaded the prone Nezmar to be stretched off as soon as was possible.
Town held out for the four minutes of injury time and the 40-year, now 31-match unbeaten home European record was safe. While the Blues didn't take the opposition apart in an outrageous manner, there were a lot of positives to be taken from the game, not least the result.
There was a patience about the display, while the failure to concede early on, as so often recently, certainly helped the side settle in the first half. Magilton controlled things in midfield after the visitors had done well in the opening exchanges and Couñago and Armstrong were a danger up front, as was Bent when he came on. Ambrose as ever was always a threat.
Town's defence and goalkeeper have been under a lot of focus recently, but a few tricky moments where they rode their luck aside, they looked an improvement on Saturday's hapless display.
A win then for Royle and hopefully something on which a decent run of league form can be built.
Town: Marshall, Makin, Hreidarsson, McGreal (Gaardsøe 46), Brown, Holland, Magilton, Ambrose (George 77), Clapham, Couñago (Bent 64), Armstrong.