Freddie Ladapo scored twice and Nathan Broadhead once as Town came from two goals behind to beat Cardiff City 3-2 at Portman Road. Aaron Ramsey gave the Welshmen the lead on the half hour, skipper Joe Ralls made it 2-0 on 52 with the game appearing all but over at that point, but Broadhead smashed in a brilliant strike in the 59th minute, then Ladapo netted on 68 and 78 to see the Blues to victory and back up to second in the table.
George Hirst returned to the Blues starting line-up, while new signing Dane Scarlett was among the subs.
Hirst, who missed last week’s game against Leeds with an adductor problem, took over from Kayden Jackson, who dropped to the bench.
Town were otherwise unchanged from the team which was beaten 4-3 by the Whites last week.
For Cardiff, keeper Alex Runarsson and winger Ollie Tanner were handed their first league starts, while new signing Jonathan Panzo was on the bench. Former Blues loanee Mark McGuinness started at the heart of the visitors' defence.
Town were first to threaten in the fourth minute, Broadhead heading straight at Runarsson in the Cardiff goal from Harry Clarke’s cross from the right.
Cardiff struck their first shot in the ninth minute Karlan Grant curling a shot wide from just outside the box after Blues skipper Sam Morsy had inadvertently stabbed it into his path when taking it away from Yakou Meite.
The game had started scruffily, but the Blues started to take control, passing the ball around and keeping possession and on 13 Conor Chaplin hit a 25-yard shot which deflected off a defender and through to Runarsson.
However, in the 16th minute, the Bluebirds thought they had gone in front. After Davis had turned a low cross from the left which had zipped across the six-yard box behind at the far post.
From the flag-kick, Hladky was forced to impressively save Dimitrios Goutas’s header away to his right, but the loose ball fell to Grant, who smashed into the roof of the net and had just started to celebrate along with the travelling fans when the linesman raised his flag for offside.
But Town quickly got back on the front foot and in the 21st minute Chaplin whipped over a low left-footed cross-shot from the right, which Runarsson saw late but got across to palm past the post as it threatened to nestle in the corner of the net.
Three minutes later, Tanner brought the ball to the edge of the area as Cardiff counter-attacked but Cameron Burgess, called into the full Australia squad for the first time on Friday, slid in to take it away from him. The ball fell to the former Charlton and West Brom man but again his curling shot looped beyond the post.
Grant’s shooting may have been off-target, but on the half-hour it was his pass which saw Ramsey put the Bluebirds in front.
Ramsey played the ball wide to Grant in acres of space on the left from where he cut back low to the Wales international as he broke into the area from where he placed the ball to Hladky’s left and into the net.
Two minutes after going behind, the Blues almost levelled. Hirst was played in down the middle but Runarsson blocked his shot, the ball looping wide of the post.
Clarke, who had held a lengthy discussion with Luke Woolfenden following the goal, was booked in the 33rd minute for a late challenge on Tanner as the Cardiff forward broke on the touchline on the left.
Hirst, who was a concern before the game with his adductor injury, limped off three minutes later with Ladapo taking over.
Tanner was booked for a foul on Morsy before sub Ladapo began to have an impact. In the 42nd minute, the former Rotherham man struck a shot on the turn which flew not to far wide of Runarsson’s left post.
Then, a minute later, Ladapo did well on the left of the box before playing inside to Chaplin, who struck his shot too close to keeper Runarsson when he will feel he should have scored.
Cardiff almost went two in front in four minutes of injury time, Tanner crossed but Meite headed over from close range when the former Reading man will believe he should have scored.
Town went in behind at the break at home for the second week running after a half in which both sides had had opportunities but with the visitors able to take one of theirs.
The Blues had had spells on top but had never for a sustained period and had been sloppy at times, while the goal was all too easy for the Welsh side and Meite really ought to have made it 2-0 just before the break.
Hirst should have made it 1-1 but soon after limped off but his replacement Ladapo made an impression after coming on and came close to scoring himself and also created a chance for Chaplin.
The Blues are far from out of the game but need to show greater sharpness in and around the area in the second half.
Cardiff replaced Tanner with Ike Ugbo ahead of the second half, while Town stuck with the same XI.
The Blues started the second half positively, Chaplin seeing a snapshot blocked, however, Cardiff began to threaten.
On 49, Grant crossed from the left towards sub Ugbo, but the ball was just too high for the sub and it scuffed off his head and away from goal.
However, in the 53rd minute, the Bluebirds were able to double their lead. Cardiff skipper Ralls hit a shot from the left of the area, which was blocked by Massimo Luongo, then ricocheted off Morsy and the Australian international before falling back to Ralls, who found the left corner of Hladky’s goal.
Three minutes after going two goals behind, the Blues should have pulled one back. Davis crossed from the left and Burgess headed over from eight yards when the centre-half will feel he should have found the target.
On 58, Broadhead smashed a free-kick from just outside the area into the Cardiff wall and screwed the rebound almost to the corner flag.
But a minute later, the Bangor-born forward got the Blues back into the game with his third goal of the season.
Having received the ball from Morsy midway inside the Cardiff half, Broadhead turned away from his man before finding space with three defenders in front of him and thumping a shot from just outside the area into the roof of the net.
The Wales international quickly grabbed the ball and took it back to the centre circle as the previously sullen crowd celebrated and sensed their side might still have a chance.
On 64, Broadhead and the fans in the Sir Bobby Robson Stand claimed a penalty when the forward ended up on the turf as he sought get his head on a Chaplin cross but referee Gavin Ward wasn’t interested, probably rightly.
Soon after, Burns was booked, then Perry Ng joined him for a foul on Broadhead right in front of the dugouts.
Cardiff fouls were becoming more and more frequent as the Blues pressed for a leveller. On 67, Chaplin saw another effort blocked, the ball looping over from a corner from which the Blues equalised.
Davis played a low corner towards Chaplin on the penalty spot and Manolis Siopis slid in to cut it out but could only direct it towards his own goal and Ladapo turned it on into the net for his second goal in two games, the striker having opened his account in the Carabao Cup at Reading in the week.
The volume at Portman Road had unsurprisingly increased as the Blues went about looking for a winner.
However, they weren’t having it all their own way and on 72 Hladky was forced into an excellent double stop, first saving Grant's shot and then getting up quickly to palm Ugbo's headed rebound away to his right.
Four minutes later, the Blues swapped Luongo, Burns and Clarke for Jack Taylor, Omari Hutchinson and Brandon Williams.
And the subs quickly had an impact. Hutchinson beat McGuinness on the right of the box before sending over a low cross, which Runarsson palmed against Ladapo, the ball cannoning into the net to send Portman Road wild.
The Blues, now full of confidence and with an ecstatic crowd behind, them went after a fourth, Broadhead heading not far wide from a corner.
On 87, Cardiff debutant Panzo was booked after hauling down Ladapo as the striker bore down on goal.
As the game moved into its final scheduled minute, Williams was cautioned for a foul on Grant before Morsy made way following a solid 50/50 challenge with Siopis on the edge of the area which the Egyptian international had won. Lee Evans took over.
Cardiff were pressing for a leveller as the fourth official announced six additional minutes but with the Blues’ backline remaining resolute and Town looking a threat on the break.
Broadhead yellow-carded for pulling back Goutas on 96. From the free-kick, the ball fell to Grant beyond the far post but his touch let him down and Hladky saved and the keeper grabbed the loose ball, much to the relief of the Portman Road crowd. Seconds later, a huge roar greeted the final whistle.
The Blues had pulled off a Lazarus-like comeback with the game appearing over once Cardiff went 2-0, but this squad has shown its character in similar circumstances before.
As against Sheffield Wednesday at Portman Road last season, Broadhead scored a brilliant goal to bring the Blues back into it and Ladapo showed his predatory instincts to win the game, the first time Town have come from two behind to win under Kieran McKenna.
The Blues, who were the better side in the second half, move back up to second in the Championship table, as high in the table as anyone could have hoped as the division goes into the season’s first international break.
Town: Hladky, Clarke (Williams 76), Woolfenden, Burgess, Davis, Morsy (c) (Evans 90), Luongo (Taylor 76), Burns (Hutchinson 76), Chaplin, Broadhead, Hirst (Ladapo 36). Unused: Slicker, Ball, Jackson, Scarlett.
Cardiff: Runarsson, Goutas, McGuinness, Ralls (c) (Panzo 62), Ramsey, Grant, Collins (Colwill 83), Meite (Wintle 63), Siopis, Tanner (Ugbo 46), Ng. Unused: Alnwick, Romeo, Etete, Adams, Sawyers. Referee: Gavin Ward (Surrey). Att: 28,011 (Cardiff: 951)