Town are in the hat for the FA Cup fourth round draw for the first time since 2009/10 following a comprehensive 4-1 victory over Championship Rotherham United at Portman Road. The Blues went in front just before half-time through Cameron Humphreys, but Conor Washington levelled for the Millers two minutes after the restart, however, a Town penalty netted by Conor Chaplin, a goal against his old club from Freddie Ladapo and a third spot-kick of the match from Wes Burns saw Kieran McKenna's team to a comfortable victory.
Town boss McKenna made eight changes from the team which drew 1-1 at Lincoln on Monday.
Vaclav Hladky was in goal with Kane Vincent-Young, Richard Keogh and George Edmundson, who missed the trip to Lincoln on Monday as he was unwell, at the back.
Leif Davis, who was also too ill to travel to Sincil Bank, was on the left with Kayden Jackson wide on the right. In central midfield, Lee Evans skippered alongside Humphreys. Sone Aluko and Chaplin were the number 10s behind Ladapo
New signing Massimo Luongo was on the nine-man bench alongside third-choice keeper Joel Coleman, Burns, Edwards, Harness, Leigh, Sam Morsy, Cameron Burgess and Gassan Ahadme. Neither Janoi Donacien nor Luke Woolfenden were in the squad.
Championship Rotherham named only seven subs due to injuries and loan players returning to their parent clubs.
The Blues, with incoming loan striker George Hirst watching from the stands, were first to threaten in the fourth minute when a Davis corner from the left found Chaplin at the near post but Town’s 12-goal top scorer turned his shot wide.
A minute later, Jackson was sent away on the right but screwed his attempt at a cross into the stand behind the goal.
Town continued to look the side most likely to claim an early goal and in the seventh minute, Chaplin sent over a ball from the left to Jackson beyond the far post but the former Barnsley man was unable to direct his effort towards goal on the stretch.
The Millers had the ball in the net in the ninth minute but their fans’ celebrations were short-lived, the linesman raising his flag after Shane Ferguson had crossed low to one-time Town target Conor Washington, who tapped home from close range, but having strayed offside.
On 14, after a corner had been cleared, Vincent-Young played the ball wide to Aluko, who cut inside from the left and hit a shot across Rotherham keeper Viktor Johansson, who batted the ball away from goal.
Five minutes later, with Town still well on top and well in charge, Aluko struck a shot from the right of the box wide of goal.
In the 28th minute, Ferguson struck a low effort from distance which Hladky claimed down to his left.
The Blues went close again as the game move to the half-hour mark, the ball dropping to Chaplin inside the area following a Humphreys cross from the left and the forward hitting a powerful effort which Johansson parried away to his left.
In the 41st minute, Humphreys and Ladapo’s pressing saw Town regain the ball 10 yards outside the Millers’ area and Jackson hit a shot which deflected through to Johansson.
And three minutes later, Town made their superiority tell when they took the lead. Jackson won the ball on the right before feeding Ladapo, who played a return ball in to his path as he broke down the flank.
Jackson cut back and Humphreys arrived on the edge of the area to hit a low shot beyond Johansson to his right and inside the post to claim his third goal of the season and his first in the FA Cup.
The Blues went in at half-time deservedly in front having controlled the game throughout and having been much the better side, creating a number of chances prior to going in front, while Hladky had been largely untested.
The second half got off to a disastrous start for the Blues. Keogh looked to be comfortably dealing with a 47th-minute ball forward into the area towards the right, but stumbled, allowed Washington in front of him and then made an awkward challenge sending the striker to the turf.
Referee Sebastian Stockbridge pointed straight to the spot and the Northern Irishman sent Hladky the wrong way to level the scores, Keogh having been yellow-carded.
Oliver Rathbone joined him in the book for a foul on Aluko in the 54th minute as the Blues broke from the edge of their own half.
Moments later, Keogh played a pass over the top for Ladapo, but the ex-Miller slipped as he took the ball down and Johansson grabbed the loose ball.
The game settled back into the pattern of the first half with the Blues on top and in the 57th minute Davis a dangerous ball from the left across the face but beyond his teammates.
Just before the hour mark, Ferguson fed Washington, who hit a low effort which deflected wide.
On 62, Keogh wafted a ball behind the Rotherham backline to Chaplin, who beat the offside trap and volleyed over from a tight angle. It would have been a spectacular goal but the forward might have been better taking it down and finding a teammate.
Chaplin struck another effort on the turn three minutes later which was blocked for a corner, then from the flag-kick had another go, the ball again put behind by a defender.
Town swapped Aluko for Harness in the 68th minute, then two minutes later the visitors switched Ferguson and Peter Kioso and for Dan Barlaser and one-time Blues trialist Chiedozie Ogbene.
The Blues hadn’t threatened since Chaplin’s short shooting spree but in the 73rd minute they were awarded a penalty when Ladapo was pulled back by Wes Harding. Chaplin took the kick and beat Johansson to the keeper’s right, the top scorer’s 13th goal of the season.
Rotherham replaced Jamie McCart with Jamie Lindsey as they prepared to kick-off, then two minutes later in the Town made a triple change, Leigh, Edwards and Burns replacing Davis, Chaplin and Jackson.
Burns was quickly in to the action, nutmegging his man on the right, before cutting back to Evans, who scuffed a shot wide from the edge of the area.
But Town fans didn’t have to wait too much longer for a third goal. In the 79th minute Ladapo was played in on goal by a clever Edwards touch, took the ball past the advancing Johansson before confidently stroking his 11th goal of the season into the net against the club he left in the summer.
The substitutions had reinvigorated the Blues just as the second half display was starting to get a little flat. On 83, Edwards wasn’t far away from making it 4-1, Burns having cut back from the byline to his fellow sub, who rather scuffed his shot off Johansson’s left post. Gassan Ahadme replaced Ladapo, who will have been delighted to score against his old club.
Town continued to push for another goal and in the 87th minute they were awarded their second penalty of the afternoon when Vincent-Young was felled by Hakeem Odoffin just inside the area to the right.
Burns took the kick and sent it straight down the middle, the Welshman claiming his fifth goal of the season.
Rotherham’s frustrations began to show, Millers skipper Richard Wood unnecessarily catching Hladky with a boot with the keeper having already grabbed hold of the ball.
Town almost had their fifth in the final scheduled minute, Edwards diverting the ball wide at the far post with his claims that he’d been pulled back as he did so falling on deaf ears. A third Town penalty might have been too much to ask for.
But the tie was already won and the final whistle was greeted by loud cheers from most of the 15,728 in the crowd.
The Blues, who had previously scored only once in their previous seven matches against the Millers, were well worth their victory having been the better side throughout.
The Rotherham penalty early in the half was a setback but Town took it in their stride, going back in front via Chaplin’s penalty and then making the game safe following a triple substitution which had given the display renewed impetus.
Rotherham, struggling just outside the Championship relegation zone, now haven't reached round four since 2002 and they've lost in round three in eight of the last nine seasons.
It's the second time Town have been awarded two penalties this season with Chaplin missing one and Evans scoring on at Morecambe in October.
The draw for the fourth round will take place on Sunday ahead of the third-round tie between Manchester City and Chelsea from around 4.05pm live on BBC1, as well as @EmiratesFACup on Twitter and the Emirates FA Cup Facebook page with Emile Heskey and Karen Bardsley those selecting the ties. Town will be ball number 32.
The tie will be played over the weekend of January 28th, which means the home game against Accrington Stanley will be postponed.
Town: Hladky, Vincent-Young, Keogh, Edmundson, Davis (Leigh 77), Evans (c), Humphreys, Jackson (Burns 77), Aluko (Harness 68), Chaplin (Edwards 77), Ladapo (Ahadme 83). Unused: Coleman, Burgess, Luongo, Morsy.
Rotherham: Johansson, Harding, Wood (c), Humphreys, Kioso (Ogbene 70), Odoffin, Rathbone, Lindsay (McCart 75), Bramall, Ferguson (Barlaser 70), Washington. Unused: Hemfrey, Douglas, Bola, Warne. Referee: Sebastian Stockbridge (Tyne and Wear). Att: 15,728 (Rotherham: 215).