Conor Chaplin score twice and Nathan Broadhead and Freddie Ladapo once each as Town romped to a comfortable 4-0 victory over bottom side Forest Green Rovers at Portman Road. Chaplin gave the Blues the lead in the third minute, Broadhead added the second in the 41st minute, Chaplin made it 3-0 with his second on the hour and sub Ladapo completed the scoring in the 82nd minute with the Blues, who are back up to third, having had enough chances to have made the scoreline even more emphatic.
Town boss Kieran McKenna made four changes to the team which started Tuesday's 0-0 stalemate at Bristol Rovers, reverting to the side that began last Saturday’s 2-2 home draw with Sheffield Wednesday.
Harry Clarke returned on the right of the defence, while Chaplin and Broadhead were back as the number 10s and George Hirst as the central striker.
Janoi Donacien, Marcus Harness and Ladapo dropped to the bench, while Sone Aluko missed out on a place in the squad. Massimo Luongo returned to the 18 following his recent knock.
For Forest Green, midfielder Dylan McGeouch was absent and on-loan Manchester United youngster Charlie Savage made his first start.
The visitors were forced into a late change before kick-off, Kyle McAllister having picked up a knock in the warm-up. Jordan Garrick came into the side and Sean O’Brien onto the bench.
Ahead of kick-off fans applauded and paid tribute in song to legendary Blues boss Sir Bobby Robson on what would have been his 90th birthday.
Town started quickly with Clarke playing an opening minute ball down the right for Wes Burns, who cut back to Chaplin, who dug out a shot which was too close to Rovers keeper Ross Doohan.
But Chaplin didn’t have to wait too much longer for his 16th goal of the season. In the third minute, skipper Sam Morsy played a low ball into Broadhead’s feet a couple of yards outside the area and the January signing from Everton swept a first-time pass into the path of Chaplin, who ran into a large gap between Forest Green defenders before slipping past Doohan to the keeper’s right and into the corner of the net.
Forest Green struck their first effort of the game in the ninth minute, skipper Myles Peart-Harris hitting a deflected effort which looped behind Christian Walton’s goal.
A minute later, Leif Davis forced Doohan to save to his left, the left-back having taken the ball forward before striking a 25-yard shot which lost some of its sting having caught a defender on the way through.
Town continued to dominate and went very close to making it 2-0 in the 18th minute. Clarke played a ball over the top for Hirst, who deftly took it down but the on-loan Leicester man lifted it onto the top of the bar as well as over Doohan. Had he scored, it would have been one of the goals of the season.
Broadhead went close four minutes later. Chaplin played a ball into the January signing’s feet not far outside the area and he turned past his man before taking it on a stride or two and hitting a powerful shot which Doohan batted away.
Forest Green’s late replacement Garrick hit a low cross-shot to Walton in the 24th minute but the visitors had seen little of the ball and moments later, Davis scuffed wide from the left from Chaplin’s pass.
Town weren’t far away again just before the half hour when, following a looping Chaplin cross from the right which Davis had nodded back across goal, a loose ball fell to Burns on the edge of the box but the Welshman’s powerful shot was too close to Doohan, who was able to block and then claim as Chaplin hovered.
In the 36th minute, a corner from the left found Clarke deep on the right, the former Arsenal man took it inside before hitting a shot which deflected through to Doohan.
The second goal which Town had been threatening to score - and really should already have scored - finally came in the 41st minute.
Following a corner which was taken short on the right, Cameron Humphreys played a ball from just outside the area into the box and Broadhead wafted a right-foot volley to Doohan’s left and into the net, the forward’s second goal for the club.
Town went looking for further goals, Davis cutting back to Chaplin as the half moved into time added on, Jamie Robson making a terrific block. Within a minute, with the Blues maintaining the pressure, a Humphreys effort from just inside the box to the left was deflected wide.
Moments before the half-time whistle, Hirst headed over from another corner, the Blues’ seventh of the half.
The game had been one way traffic from the start with Town having gone close in the opening minute before Chaplin’s goal two minutes later from Broadhead’s clever first-time pass.
Having made the ideal start following Tuesday’s frustrations at the Memorial Stadium, the Blues continued to dominate and really should have taken at least one of their chances before Broadhead, who along with Hirst is looking sharper with every game, added the second.
Less than two minutes after the restart, the Blues should have made it 3-0. Davis was sent away on the left and crossed for Hirst, who knocked the ball back across Doohan but made a poor contact and Oliver Casey cleared.
Moments later, the striker took down a waist-high pass five yards outside the area and took an early shot but the ball flew well into the stand.
Soon after, Broadhead underwent treatment having been challenged as he ran onto a Humphreys through ball.
Forest Green made their first change in the 53rd minute, Tyrese Omotoye replacing Garrick.
Town made their first switch six minutes later, Luongo handed his second league debut for the club in place of Humphreys, who had had another impressive game but having played a lot of football in recent weeks.
And a minute later, as the game reached the hour mark, the Blues went three in front. Luongo having kept the ball alive earlier in the move, Davis sent over a low ball from the left and Chaplin slammed his 17th of the season into the net from a few feet.
Forest Green swapped Amadou Bakayoko, who moments earlier had been involved in a feud with Cameron Burgess, for Udoka Godwin-Malife, then Chaplin shot well wide from the right of the box as he went searching for his first Town hat-trick.
On 67, Burns cut in from the right and hit a shot from a tight angle which Doohan blocked, then Town swapped the Wales international, Hirst and Broadhead for Kayden Jackson, Ladapo and Kyle Edwards.
Four minutes later, Jackson was sent away on the right and cut back from the byline but the ball was turned behind ahead of Davis at the far post.
The visitors made a triple change on 74, Jahmari Clarke, Charlie McCann and O’Brien replacing Peart-Harris, Savage and Corey O’Keeffe.
A minute later, Ladapo sent Jackson away on the right, the former Accrington man cutting in and forcing Doohan to tip his well-struck shot over.
Soon after, Walton saw a clearance charged down when well out of his goal on the left but forced the ball out for a throw. As the visitors prepared to take it, Town replaced Chaplin with Marcus Harness, the double-goalscorer receiving a standing ovation as he left the field.
As the clock ticked over to 78, fans began to applaud in tribute to Robson’s 1978 FA Cup win. And as they did so, Town added their fourth of the afternoon.
Stevenson was booked for a late challenge on Edwards and Davis sent the free-kick from the left to the far post, Burgess nodded it across and sub Ladapo ran in at the other post to stoop and head home his 15th of the campaign.
The applause as the clock ticked over to 81 almost saw another goal, a loose ball falling to Davis on the left and the full-back, like Robson a Geordie, smashed a powerful half-volley against Doohan’s right post with the keeper motionless.
In the 88th minute, Davis shot high and wide from a Jackson cross from the right, the ball perhaps catching a Forest Green player just ahead of his strike.
At 90, there was further applause, for Robson’s birthday and Italia 90 when he took England to the World Cup semi-finals. The fourth official indicated four additional minutes.
Deep in injury time, Ladapo should have made it five but sent his header an inch or so the wrong side of the post having headed a right-wing cross back towards the corner of the net.
The Blues will rarely have a win as routine as this one having dominated from the start with the third-minute goal giving them the platform to build on.
Town had so many chances across the 90 minutes that they wouldn’t have been flattered had they doubled their goals tally with Forest Green having been unable to register a shot on target all afternoon.
Chaplin once again showed his predatory finishing to claim his two goals, while Broadhead and Hirst look increasingly sharp and integrated into the team.
The Blues climb back to third ahead of Bolton, who were beaten 1-0 at Wycombe Wanderers.
Plymouth are now eight points ahead of Town in second following a 0-0 draw at home to Fleetwood with Sheffield Wednesday returning to the top ahead of the Pilgrims on goal difference having come from behind twice to win 5-2 at home to the MK Dons, who Town visit next Saturday.
Town: Walton, Clarke, Woolfenden, Burgess, Burns (Jackson 67), Morsy (c), Humphreys (Luongo 59), Davis, Chaplin (Harness 76), Broadhead (Edwards 67), Hirst (Ladapo 67). Unused: Hladky, Donacien.
Forest Green: Doohan, O’Keeffe (O’Brien 74), Bernard, Casey, Stevenson, Robson, Garrick (Omotoye 53), Bakayoko (Godwin-Malife 63), Cooper, Peart-Harris (c) (Clarke 74), Savage (McCann 74). Unused: Thomas, Brown. Referee: Carl Brook (Sussex). Att: 24,804 (Forest Green: 225).