Goals from Conor Chaplin and Gassan Ahadme, his first for the club, have given the Blues a 2-0 half-time lead over National League North Buxton at Portman Road in the second round of the FA Cup.
Striker Ahadme was handed his full debut as Kieran McKenna named a strong side featuring seven changes from the team which lost 2-0 to Portsmouth in the Papa Johns Trophy in midweek.
Christian Walton was in goal with Kane Vincent-Young, Richard Keogh and Cameron Burgess at the back and Leif Davis and Wes Burns in the wide roles.
Skipper Sam Morsy and Cameron Humphreys were the central midfield pair with Kyle Edwards and Chaplin behind Ahadme.
Among the subs were youngsters Albie Armin, Zanda Siziba, Edwin Agbaje, Tawanda Chirewa and Matt Ward - for only the second time with the forward yet to make his senior debut - but neither Greg Leigh and Panutche Camara were in the 20-man squad.
For Buxton, whose assistant coach is former Blues midfielder Tommy Miller, Warren Clarke missed out due to injury with Max Conway starting at left-back. Jack McKay was back in the starting XI having made his comeback from injury last week.
Following a minute’s applause in tribute to former Blues striker David Johnson, who died earlier in the week, Town unsurprisingly started on the front foot in steady but persistent rain against the National League North visitors, who had brought around 500 fans.
On three, Burns crossed from the right and Chaplin headed over, then a minute later Edwards was fouled on the left. The free-kick eventually ran to Chaplin, who hit a low shot which Theo Richardson in the Bucks goal saved sharply to his left.
There was scare for the Blues in the sixth minute when Morsy’s weak header back to Walton saw the keeper come out of his goal to the right but fail to reach the ball. Jack McKay crossed for Buxton and eventually it fell to Sean Newton, who hit a shot straight at the keeper, who had by then retreated to his line.
But it was mainly Town and on nine Richardson batted away a Burns cross from the right before the Blues forced two quick corners, Ahadme heading wide from the second.
On 17, Davis crossed from the left and Chaplin flicked a header towards goal which looped off a defender and over.
Two minutes later, following another corner, the ball was sent over from the left, Edwards flicked on but Ahadme was unable to get any power on the ball.
In the 22nd minute, Chaplin hit a 25-yard free-kick, which deflected off the wall through to Richardson. The keeper gathered at the second attempt as Ahadme looked to get on the loose ball.
Soon after, Sean Brisley was shown the game’s first yellow card for a foul on Chaplin on halfway, then on 27 Davis joined him the book for a foul on Sam Osborne. Within a minute McKay added his name for arguing with referee Ross Joyce after a foul on Edwards.
As the game passed the half hour, with the rain having got heavier, a corner from the left was cleared to Humphreys, who struck a powerful shot which grazed the top of the bar before flying into the Sir Alf Ramsey Stand.
Town’s breakthrough finally came in the 33rd minute. Following a Buxton offside, the Blues broke quickly and Burns crossed low from the right to Chaplin, who shot low past Richardson to claim his seventh goal of the season and his first in 13 matches.
Five minutes later, it was 2-0. Chaplin sent Edwards away on the left and the winger cut across for Ahadme, who bundled his first goal for the club over the line from a matter of inches ahead of Burns.
Buxton had put up a determined defence in the first half hour but the two goals in quick succession saw sloppiness creep in and on 39 Edwards was gifted the ball on the left of the box but the former West Brom man’s cross was cut out.
The Town chances kept coming, Burns hitting a 42nd-minute shot which Richardson palmed behind, then as the half entered its final scheduled minute, Chaplin headed a Vincent-Young cross from the right to the Bucks keeper.
In injury time, Humphreys shot against a defender after a cross had reached him from the right with the pitch becoming ever more slippery due to the rain.
Town had dominated the half virtually start to finish as had been expected aside from the early incident which led to Newton’s shot.
The Blues had created plenty of chances with Chaplin taking his opportunity sharply and Ahadme in the right place at the right time to grab his first goal for Town.
If the performance continues in the same vein the Blues should run out comfortable victors and go into the hat for Monday’s draw for the third round.
Town: Walton, Vincent-Young, Keogh, Burgess, Davis, Morsy (c), Humphreys, Burns, Chaplin, Edwards, Ahadme. Subs: Hladky, Edmundson, Woolfenden, Agbaje, Armin, Siziba, Chirewa, Ward, Jackson.
Buxton: Richardson, Conway, Moult, Meikle, Kirby, Elliott, Poole, Brisley, Newton (c), McKay, Osborne. Subs: Hudson, Granite, De Girolamo, Gilchrist, Tasdemir, Bunn, Boden, Sherwood, Sargent. Referee: Ross Joyce (Cleveland).