Luke Woolfenden’s first Championship goal has given Town a 1-0 half-time lead over Stoke City at Portman Road.
Town boss Kieran McKenna named the same team which started the opening fixture at Sunderland.
Vaclav Hladky was in goal with Janoi Donacien at right-back, Leif Davis left-back and Luke Woolfenden and Cameron Burgess the centre-halves.
Skipper Sam Morsy was joined by Massimo Luongo in the centre of midfield with Wes Burns wide on the right, Conor Chaplin in the middle and Nathan Broadhead on the left behind striker George Hirst.
Stoke made one change from the team which won 4-1 at home to Rotherham last week with on-loan Wolves winger Chiquinho coming in for Jacob Brown, who has moved to Luton, and making his debut.
Town, with a near-capacity 29,000 crowd watching, struck the game’s first shot in the third minute when Burns picked up a loose Stoke pass midway inside the visitors’ half, drove forward and, with Broadhead breaking one side and Hirst the other, hit a shot which Potters keeper Mark Travers tipped over for the first of three Blues corners.
McKenna’s side continued to take the game to the Potters and on six Broadhead brought the ball into the area on the left before teeing-up Luongo, whose strike was blocked. The ball ran to Davis, whose cross was just about cleared with Stoke looking panicky at the back in the early stages.
The Staffordshire side threatened for the first time in the 12th minute but Chiquinho’s cross from the right of the box was nodded away by Woolfenden.
On 18, Chaplin battled for the ball with Daniel Johnson just outside the Stoke area before hitting a snapshot wide.
Two minutes later, Michael Rose was shown the first yellow card of the game for body-checking Davis as the full-back burst away on the Town left. Within a minute, Chiquinho was lucky not to join him for going through the back of Davis’s ankles.
Stoke fouls were coming with greater and greater regularity as the visitors sought to break up the flow of Town’s play. On 23 Burns was blocked off by Enda Stevens on the right as the Welshman looked to receive a return pass.
And from the resultant free-kick, the Blues went in front. Morsy wafted the ball over and Woolfenden rose highest to nod his first Championship goal to Travers’s right and into the net.
Having got their noses in front, Town continued to dominate and weren’t too far away from a second on the half hour. Broadhead broke forward but the ball was stabbed away from him. The Wales international subsequently played a one-two with Chaplin and burst through into the area but his effort looped over the bar off Ben Wilmot.
From the resultant corner, the ball was initially cleared but Morsy returned it and Broadhead hit a shot on the turn which Travers saved down to his left. Soon after, Chaplin hit a low 30-yard effort not too far wide.
Stoke made their first change, a tactical switch, in the 34th minute, debutant Chiquinho making way for Brazilian striker Wesley, another of manager Alex Neil’s 11 summer additions.
Having made their change, the visitors began to get more of a foothold in the game and on 38 Blues keeper Hladky was forced into his first stop of the game.
Stevens, a close season recruit from Sheffield United, cut across from the left to Daniel Johnson, who hit a low effort which Hladky did well to save with his feet. Johnson, another of the summer signings having left Neil’s former club Preston, will feel he should have given the Town keeper no chance.
In the final scheduled minute of the half, the Blues almost made it 2-0. Chaplin won the ball on the right and sent Burns away. The wideman whipped over a cross towards the near post and Hirst turned a first-time half-volley only just wide.
In injury time, after a Town pass had ricocheted towards their area, Ryan Mmaee looked in on goal but was outmuscled by Donacien and Hladky claimed. The Moroccan claimed a penalty but referee Josh Smith wasn’t interested.
That was the last penalty area action of the first half, the Blues well worth their 1-0 lead at the break.
Having quickly got into their stride and were starting to dominate when Woolfenden’s towering header gave them the lead.
Town had chances to add to their lead but Stoke had begun to look more dangerous after Wesley replaced Chiquinho.
Stoke: Travers, Hoever, Stevens, Wilmot, Rose, Pearson, Laurent (c), Johnson, Vidigal, Chiquinho (Wesley 34), Mmaee. Subs: Bonham, Gayle, Tymon, Thompson, Wesley, McNally, Sidibe, Okagbue, Lowe.
Town: Hladky, Donacien, Woolfenden, Burgess, Davis, Morsy, Luongo, Burns, Chaplin, Broadhead, Hirst. Subs: Evans, Ladapo, Harness, Ball, Slicker, Taylor, Jackson, Hutchinson, Leigh. Referee: Josh Smith (Bedfordshire).