Nathan Broadhead, Kayden Jackson and Kyle Edwards were on target as the Blues comfortably beat Accrington Stanley 3-0 at Portman Road, the visitors ending the game with 10 men following keeper Lukas Jensen’s late dismissal. Broadhead saw Town on their way to their fourth win in a row with the opener on 12, Jackson made it 2-0 on 56, before sub Edwards curled in an injury time free-kick after Jensen had upended Harry Clarke and been sent off.
Town made two changes from the team which beat Burton Albion 4-0 at the weekend with former Accrington men Jackson and Janoi Donacien both coming into the XI.
Jackson started wide on the right with Wes Burns on the bench, while Donacien took over from Clarke, who was also among the subs, behind him.
Stanley made two changes from the team which beat Forest Green at the weekend with Dan Martin and Anthony Mancini coming into the side for Sean McConville, who earlier in the afternoon had been banned for two matches and fined £750 for abusive and insulting language to a match official following the recent Papa Johns Trophy semi-final tie against Bolton Wanderers, and Nathan Butler-Oyedeji, who was one of only six players on the bench.
There were scruffy moments from both sides in the early stages and on eight, Conor Chaplin hooked a ball down the right for Jackson to chase and visitors’ keeper Jensen hit his clearance against the Blues wideman, the ball looping well away from goal.
And four minutes later, Town took the lead. Massimo Luongo exchanged passes with Broadhead in the centre circle before playing a superb ball in behind Accrington’s high line to Jackson on the right.
The forward cut back inch perfectly to Broadhead, who turned his fourth goal in four home games into the net from close range, the goal almost a carbon copy of the one he scored on Saturday.
On 14, Anthony Mancini struck Stanley’s first effort of the game from a free-kick but Christian Walton comfortably saved down to his left.
Town still weren’t at their fluent best, but in the 20th minute Donacien won the ball when sliding in on Rosaire Longelo deep in his own half, then came off best in a second challenge on the right, this time with Mo Sangare, before continuing down the flank and crossing for Ladapo, who flicked a header which Jensen caught above his head.
Accrington were forced into a substitution in the 23rd minute when Longelo was replaced by Jack Nolan having suffered a knock in the tackle with Donacien. A minute later, Ladapo shot low through to Jensen from the edge of the area.
Just after the half hour, Chaplin fed in Jackson, who had been Town’s main threat, but this time his cross for Ladapo was cut out.
In the 33rd minute, Chaplin drove forward before slipping a pass to Ladapo who poked towards goal but Jensen was able to save.
Town weren’t having it all their own way, however, and on 37 there was an uncomfortable moment for Walton when he collided with Town’s third ex-Stanley man, Cameron Burgess, as he punched away a free-kick from deep but the Blues keeper had got enough on it.
Burgess became the first Town player to get his name in the book in the 43rd minute for a foul on Mancini, which looked harsh.
As the game moved into three minutes of injury time, Accrington seriously threatened for the first time, Walton tipping over from Aaron Pressley after Mancini had fed him having got away from Woolfenden on the left, then from the resultant corner Mitch Clark hit a strike from distance which the Blues keeper claimed.
Town twice came close to adding to their lead in the remaining moments, Leif Davis sending over a brilliant cross from the left which Harvey Rodgers somehow diverted away from Ladapo with the striker appearing certain to score from a few yards out.
Moments later, the Blues did have the ball in the net for a second time, Chaplin stroking home what would have been his 20th goal of the season from Jackson’s low ball but with the linesman’s flag raised.
Town were worthy of their lead at the break despite not always having been at their best. Jackson’s pace running in behind the Accrington defence on the right had been the Blues’ main threat and might well have led to more than just Broadhead’s excellent goal.
Accrington had caused Town a few more problems than most recent opposition but with their late shots their only real chances.
Chaplin struck the second half’s first effort in the 48th minute but the ball skewed wide off the side of his foot from Jackson’s knockdown.
On 50, Ladapo claimed a penalty having been manhandled to the ground by Rodgers behind him but referee Lee Swabey wasn’t interested. Moments later, Morsy’s low strike was blocked.
The Blues were starting the half very positively and in the 54th minute a Davis corner from the left fell to Chaplin but the top scorer’s shot deflected into the air and into Jensen’s arms.
However, a minute later, it was 2-0. Broadhead tricked his way past Baba Fernandes on the left and took the ball along the byline before cutting back to Luongo, whose effort was deflected onto the bar off Sangare. However, the ball fell loose to former Stanley striker Jackson, who slammed into the net, his fourth goal of the season.
Just after the hour mark, the visitors swapped Rodgers, Mancini and Seb Quirk for Butler-Oyedeji, Korede Adedoyin and Doug Tharme, while Town replaced Broadhead, his job done having scored one and assisted one, and Luongo, again impressive in central midfield, with Marcus Harness and Cameron Humphreys.
In the 64th minute, Jackson burst away down the right and crossed. The ball was behind Ladapo but reached Davis, who shot wide when he will feel he should have scored.
Five minutes later, a low Davis corner from the left once again found Chaplin unmarked but the forward’s shot was blocked. On 73, Town switched Ladapo and Davis for George Hirst and Clarke.
Harness flicked over at the near post from a Humphreys corner two minutes later with the Blues comfortable and looking likely to add to their goals.
On 81, Clarke was sent away on the left by Humphreys and played inside to Harness, whose shot deflected over.
In the aftermath of the corner, there was a scare for Accrington when Walton returned Jensen’s long throw from inside the Town half and Chaplin read the offside line but shot straight at the Stanley keeper. With six minutes left, Town swapped Chaplin for Kyle Edwards.
Accrington spent a spell camped in the Blues’ half but without creating a chance, then in the first of five minutes of additional time, the visitors were reduced to 10 men when keeper Jensen was dismissed.
Edwards played in Clarke on the left and the recent signing from Arsenal raced towards the area, beating Jensen to the ball before being upended by the Accrington number one just outside the box.
Referee Swabey immediately showed his red card and, after a lengthy wait, Accrington swapped forward Pressley for sub keeper Liam Isherwood, who almost immediately had to pick the ball out of the net.
Blues sub Edwards took the free-kick and sent it into the top corner to Isherwood’s right to seal another comfortable home win.
Town were well worth their fourth victory in a row - while their fifth clean sheet on the bounce rarely looked in doubt - and might well have scored more during a second half they dominated aside from Stanley’s late spell.
Jackson deserved his goal against his old club, while Edwards curled in an excellent late free-kick, although Clarke - who as on Saturday replicated former skipper Luke Chambers’s celebratory fist-pump in front of the Sir Bobby Robson Stand - will feel he would have scored his first goal for the club but for Jensen’s wild challenge.
Town, who remain third, still five points behind Plymouth who came from behind to beat Derby 2-1, are next in action on Saturday at Bolton, who weren’t in action this evening and are now fifth, six points behind the Blues and level with Barnsley, who are now up to fourth.
Town: Walton, Donacien, Woolfenden, Burgess, Jackson, Morsy (c), Luongo (Humphreys 63), Davis (Clarke 73), Chaplin (Edwards 84), Broadhead (Harness 63), Ladapo (Hirst 73). Unused: Hladky, Burns.
Accrington: Jensen, Clark, Longelo (Nolan 23), Sangare, Rodgers (Butler-Oyediji 63), Pressley (Isherwood 90), Martin, Mancini (Adedoyin 62), Quirk (Tharme 63), Conneely (c), Fernandes. Subs: Adekoya. Referee: Lee Swabey (Devon). Att: 22,413 (Accrington: 59).