Town’s game with Brighton & Hove Albion at Portman Road remains 0-0 at half-time.
Boss Kieran McKenna made three changes from the team which drew 2-2 at Fulham 11 days ago with Omari Hutchinson a surprise starter and with Kalvin Phillips and Wes Burns also coming into the team, and captain Sam Morsy on the Blues bench for only the second time in a league match, the first at Oxford in March 2022.
Christian Walton continued in goal against his old club with Burns wide on the right and Leif Davis on the left with McKenna sticking with the back three of Dara O’Shea, who skippered, Luke Woolfenden and Jacob Greaves, despite the signing of Ben Godfrey, who was among the subs.
Phillips, who is ineligible for Sunday’s game against his parent club Manchester City, partnered Jens Cajuste in the double pivot with Hutchinson, who had been out with a groin problem and was expected to be a sub at best, and Nathan Broadhead behind number nine Liam Delap.
In addition to Morsy and Godfrey, striker George Hirst was back on the bench in the league for the first time since November.
Brighton, who had former Town central defender Adam Webster captaining, made four changes from the team which won 4-0 in the FA Cup at Norwich at the weekend with Joao Pedro OK to start after an ankle injury, replacing Georginio Rutter, who was among the subs.
Bart Verbruggen returned in goal for Jason Steele, while Matt O'Riley and Simon Adingra replaced Julio Enciso and Yankubah Minteh, with all three players dropping out on the bench, alongside club captain Lewis Dunk, ex-England international Danny Welbeck and Solly March.
The visitors saw most of the ball in the early stages but without causing any danger until the sixth minute when Joel Veltman looped a deep cross for Kaoru Mitoma at the back post but O’Shea in front of him flicked a header past the Japanese international.
The game continued to be played uniformly in the Town half until the 12th minute when Phillips and Hutchinson exchanged passes on halfway before the ex-Chelsea man broke into Brighton territory and was dumped on the floor by Webster, who was fortunate not to be booked.
The free-kick came to nothing and moments later a Walton pass out from the back landed at a Brighton player’s feet, but Mitoma’s low shot to his left was easily gathered by the one-time Seagull in the Town goal.
Albion continued to dominate possession but with Hutchinson making another break into their half before being dispossessed by Pervis Estupinan.
On 22, there was a brief moment of panic after Walton’s clearance found Veltman, but Woolfenden headed his ball into the box behind.
Despite their possession, Brighton had failed to threaten and in the 23rd minute it was the Blues who would force the first serious save.
Broadhead brought the ball forward from not far over halfway, cutting his way past defenders before hitting a shot from the edge of the area, which Verbruggen did well to palm wide to his left.
Town made nothing of the corner but they were gaining belief, Hutchinson making another strong run forward from the right two minutes later but the England U21 international held onto it for too long and was tackled.
In the 28th minute, the Blues confidently played their way out from the back, Cajuste passing forward to Broadhead, who moved it on to Delap on the left, the striker cutting in and hitting a shot which Verbruggen again saved down to his left, the Dutch international holding on with Burns ready to pounce.
On 38, with Town now having an equal if not greater share of the ball, Hutchinson played in Burns in space on the right, the Welshman having been free in similar situations earlier but without having been spotted. Burns took the ball on, then cut back to the edge of the area where Hutchinson’s shot was blocked.
Two minutes later, Jan Paul van Hecke looped a cross in from the right and Estupinan looked to have headed wide ahead of O’Shea but referee Tony Harrington gave a corner. From the flag-kick, the ball flew just over Pedro’s head and out of play, a fortunate escape for the Blues.
Moments later, the Brazilian international went to ground and stayed there after minimal contact with Woolfenden, who had beaten him to the ball. Play continued and the Blues kept the ball in the Brighton half as they probed for an opening, before Hutchinson eventually hit a well-struck effort which Verbruggen saved down to his right. Pedro proved to be fine to continue.
After one minute of additional time, the half-time whistle was met by applause from the home fans, pleased with their side’s display, the Blues having grown into the half.
Brighton saw all the ball in the first 20 minutes or so but without ever forcing Walton into a taxing save.
Broadhead struck the game’s first significant effort and the Blues gained confidence and control the longer the half progressed, Delap and Hutchinson also hitting efforts which required Verbruggen to make saves, albeit not necessarily the toughest stops the Dutchman will make.
Hutchinson, Delap, Broadhead and Burns had all caused the visitors problems and the Blues will hope for more of the same in the second period.
Town: Walton, O’Shea (c), Woolfenden, Greaves, Davis, Phillips, Cajuste, Burns, Hutchinson, Broadhead, Delap. Subs: Muric, Johnson, Godfrey, Townsend, Morsy, Luongo, Taylor, J Clarke, Hirst.
Brighton: Verbruggen, Webster (c), Joao Pedro, Adingra, Baleba, Mitoma, Ayari, Van Hecke, Estupinan, O'Riley, Veltman. Subs: Steele, Lamptey, Dunk, March, Enciso, Georginio, Moder, Minteh, Welbeck. Referee: Tony Harrington (Cleveland). VAR: Michael Salisbury.