Kalvin Phillips, Jack Clarke and Jack Taylor’s goals have given Town a 3-0 half-time lead over Bristol Rovers in round three of the FA Cup at Portman Road.
Boss Kieran McKenna made 10 changes with Luke Woolfenden, who skippered his local club for the first time, the only survivor from the 2-2 draw at Fulham a week ago.
Aro Muric returned in goal with new signing Ben Godfrey, given a big cheer when his name was read out over the PA, making his debut at right-back and Conor Townsend his home debut at left-back. Woolfenden was reunited with Cameron Burgess at the heart of the defence.
In midfield, Phillips was partnered by Massimo Luongo with Wes Burns, Taylor and Clarke the three behind striker Ali Al-Hamadi. The bench was made up of first-team regulars with Cieran Slicker the sub keeper. George Hirst made his return to the squad after his knee injury.
League One Rovers made two changes with Connor Taylor and new signing Romaine Sawyers coming in for Jamie Lindsay and one-time Blues loanee Thomas, who were both on the bench.
Ex-Town James Wilson and Grant Ward started, as did Suffolk-born former Norwich striker Chris Martin.
Town began on the front foot and went close for the first time in the second minute, Burgess flicking a header over at the near post from Townsend’s corner from the right, a Luongo cross towards Burns having been nodded behind.
The Blues won a series of early corners, but were unable to trouble visitors keeper Josh Griffiths.
On 13, the Blues had what looked a decent shout for a penalty when Clarke tried to go between two defenders on the left of the area and appeared to be brought down by Shaq Forde, however, referee Oliver Langford showed no interest.
Taylor scuffed a shot well wide from the edge of the box, then on the quarter-hour, the Blues went close again from a corner, Burgess heading against a defender, then Al-Hamadi’s follow-up was straight at the keeper.
But the big Town crowd didn’t have to wait too much longer to see their side to go in front.
After a cross from the right had been cleared in the 18th minute, Clarke squared to Phillips just over 20 yards out, the on-loan Manchester City man taking a touch before hitting a low shot past Griffiths to his right, the England international’s first goal for the club.
Five minutes later, it was 2-0. Taylor played a ball inside to Al-Hamadi in space on the right of the box, the Iraq international’s shot was blocked by ex-Town defender Wilson, but the ball ricocheted across the area and Clarke slid home his first goal for the Blues from six yards.
And in the 38th minute it was 3-0. Townsend drove forward and played a through ball which Al-Hamadi flicked on to Taylor just inside the area and the Irish international made slotted to Griffiths’s left.
Video evidence showed VAR would have disallowed it for offside had it been in operation with the former Peterborough man, who coincidentally scored his first goal for the Blues in the Carabao Cup against the Gas last season, well offside.
Town continued to look for goals, Taylor and Luongo exchanging passes on the right of the box in the 40th minute but the earlier scorer this time screwed well wide.
Three minutes later, keeper Muric caused a scare for the Blues with a pass out from the back which found Ruel Sotiriou. Fortunately for the Kosovan international, he was able to stop the Cypriot international’s low first-time shot with his foot.
In the final scheduled minute, following a corner on the right, Clarke played the ball across from the left towards Townsend, who air-kicked when the former West Brom man might also have been celebrating his first goal for the club.
That was the last action of a very comfortable 45 minutes for the Blues with any concerns regarding a repeat of last year’s shock defeat to Maidstone allayed by the three goals.
The Blues had dominated from start to finish and might have scored before Phillips rifled his low shot into the corner of the net.
Clarke took his opportunity clinically, a goal which will do the summer signing from Sunderland good, and Taylor his with similar aplomb but with Town profiting from VAR not being in operation.
The second half will probably see further goals as the Blues confirm their place in round four.
Town: Muric, Godfrey, Woolfenden (c), Burgess, Townsend, Phillips, Luongo, Burns, Taylor, J Clarke, Al-Hamadi. Subs: Slicker, Johnson, H Clarke, O'Shea, Morsy, Cajuste, Broadhead, Delap, Hirst.
Bristol Rovers: Griffiths, Sousa, Moore, Wilson, Sinclair (c), Ward, Sotiriou, Sawyers, Taylor, Martin, Forde. Subs: Hall, Senior, Thomas, Hutchinson, McCormick, O’Donkor, Bilongo, Lindsay, Dixon. Referee: Oliver Langford (West Midlands).