Kyle Edwards scored his first two goals in a Town shirt and Tyreece John-Jules his second of the season as the Blues beat Cambridge United 3-0 at Portman Road, their first ever league win over the U’s. The visitors frustrated Town until the 72nd minute when John-Jules came off the bench to make the most of a Cambridge slip, then fellow sub Edwards added the second three minutes later with a cross-shot, before completing the victory with four minutes left on the clock with his second of the evening.
Town made two changes from the team which beat Portsmouth 3-2 on Saturday with Dominic Ball handed his Blues full league debut and Freddie Ladapo returning to the XI.
One-time Cambridge loanee Ball came into the centre of the Blues midfield with Lee Evans dropping to the bench, while Ladapo, who went into the match having netted three goals in three games, took over as the lone central striker from John-Jules, who was also among the subs.
For Cambridge, former Blues midfielder Paul Digby started, while ex-forward Jack Lankester was on the bench.
Greg Taylor, James Brophy, Liam O’Neil, Harvey Knibbs and Jubril Okedina came into the starting XI for the U’s, replacing Lankester and Zeno Ibsen Rossi, who was also a sub, and Joe Ironside, Shilow Tracey and Harrison Dunk, who were absent from the 18.
Ahead of kick-off there was a minute’s silence for the more than 125 fans who died in the Kanjuruhan Stadium disaster in Indonesia. Both teams also wore black armbands.
Town started on the front foot and in opening minute Wes Burns fed in the breaking Janoi Donacien on the right, the defender cut back to Conor Chaplin, who took a touch before hitting a shot, which was blocked.
On six, Marcus Harness threaded in Ladapo on the left of the box but the striker was flagged offside before hitting a shot which visitors keeper Dimirar Mitov saved.
Town continued to dominate, although with the U’s having a couple of moments around the Blues’ area which were eventually cleared while in the main content to sit in and frustrate.
As the game reached the quarter-hour, skipper Sam Morsy almost played in Chaplin, then a Burns cross from the right was cleared and a Donacien ball in from the same side was blocked.
The Blues had dominated but in the 18th minute the U’s weren’t far away from going in front. Town left wing-back Leif Davis slipped, allowing Okedina to pick up a loose ball, drive forward and smash a powerful strike only just over Christian Walton’s bar from just outside the area.
Three minutes later, Chaplin curled a free-kick around the Cambridge wall but straight at Mitov, the forward having been fouled five yards outside the box.
Cambridge counter-attacked down their right flank in the 23rd minute but Okedina’s cross was cut out by Luke Woolfenden and George Edmundson prevented the ball from going out for a corner.
Five minutes later, following a free-kick on the left, James Brophy cut the ball back to Sam Smith on the edge of the area and the forward’s shot flew just over the bar.
But Town were still well in control for the most part and in the 31st minute Burns crossed from the right and Ladapo headed wide from 10 yards out at the near post.
Three minutes later, Burns stood up a cross to the far post where Davis leapt high to power a header which Mitov blocked at his near post.
Following the resultant flag-kick, the Blues remained encamped in the Cambridge half prodding and probing and looking for an opening with the opposition defending determinedly.
Crosses came in from both flanks but fell to amber rather than blue shirts, then in the 41st minute sections of the Town support thought their side had gone in front when Burns swept a ball from the right but Chaplin shot into the side-netting from a tight angle.
A minute later, Harness burst forward and fed Ladapo following a spell of Cambridge possession but the ex-Rotherham man was crowded out.
That was the final chance of a second half which had been dominated by the Blues - the possession percentage was 72-28 - but with Mitov not tested as often as he should have been.
Davis’s header was the nearest the Blues had come to a goal with the final ball having found a Cambridge player more often than a Town teammate.
O’Neil struck the second half’s first shot for the visitors in the 49th minute after Burns had headed clear a free-kick but his strike screwed well away from goal.
Town’s domination of the ball was quickly restored but with the Blues unable to carve out a serious chance.
Cambridge began to frustrate the home crowd with keeper Mitov taking an age over restarts.
The Blues began to go through a flat spell, as they did at much the same time during Saturday’s game against Pompey. On the hour, Digby looped a cross into the box from the right and Walton was knocked over as he punched, referee Robert Lewis giving Town a free-kick with the ball at Brophy’s feet and with the keeper grounded.
Moments later, Knibbs underwent treatment after colliding with Edmundson but was OK to continue.
Harness forced the ball wide when under pressure on 66 before the Blues made a triple change. Evans replaced Ball, who could be pleased with his full league debut, Edwards took over from Burns and John-Jules from Chaplin.
And as at the weekend, Town’s subs very quickly made a difference. In the 72nd minute, Harness was sent away on the right by Evans, Cambridge skipper Greg Taylor’s attempted clearance looped up to the far post and John-Jules lashed into the roof of the net to send a relieved Portman Road delirious.
Three minutes after the first goal, the Blues scored their second. Edwards took the ball back inside his man wide on the right, and looked to cross with his left foot but it looped over Mitov and into the top corner of the net. Having scored his first goal in a Blues shirt, all Town’s outfield players jumped on Edwards.
Town, still looking for more goals, replaced Ladapo with Kayden Jackson on 79 as Cambridge brought on ex-Blues Lankester for O’Neil.
On 82, Harness crossed from the right and a loose ball fell between John-Jules and a defender and the ball ricocheted off the on-loan Arsenal youngster just wide.
The U’s made another change, switching Smith with Fejiri Okenabirhie, then Town swapped Davis for Kane Vincent-Young.
Town came close to making it 3-0 in the 85th minute when Jackson cut the ball back for Morsy, who took a touch before hitting a shot which Mitov pushed onto his left post.
But Blues supporters didn’t have to wait too long for their side’s third goal of the match. A John-Jules shot from the left was blocked by Lloyd Jones and the ball ricocheted to the edge of the area where Edwards used his pace to burst between two defenders and hit a low shot into the corner of the net with the outside of his right boot.
Town played out the remaining minutes before a cheer greeted referee Lewis’s final whistle.
It had been a far from easy evening for the Blues who were made to work for their win by a determined U’s side.
But once the first goal went in, it seemed inevitable that more would follow with Edwards having hit a rich vein of form and deserving his goals on his two performances from the bench over the last few days.
Town, who travel to Morecambe on Saturday, remain second with leaders Plymouth beating Sheffield Wednesday 2-1 but now four points ahead of the Owls in third.
Town: Walton, Donacien, Woolfenden, Edmundson, Burns (Edwards 67), Ball (Evans 67), Morsy (c), Davis (Vincent-Young 84), Chaplin (John-Jules 67), Harness, Ladapo (Jackson 79). Unused: Hladky, Keogh.
Cambridge: Mitov, Williams, Digby, Taylor (c), Jones, Brophy, O'Neil, Smith (Okenabirhie 82), Okedina, May, Knibbs. Unused: Mannion, Rossi, Janneh, Simper, Worman. Referee: Robert Lewis (Shrewsbury). Att: 26,414 (Cambridge: 1,745).