Jack Clarke’s 36th-minute goal has given Town a deserved half-time lead against Swansea City at the Swansea.com Stadium.
Town boss Kieran McKenna made six changes from the team which drew 1-1 at home to Watford on Tuesday with Leif Davis returning at left-back following his hamstring injury.
Jacob Greaves came in as left centre-half, while Jack Taylor was back in central midfield, Kasey McAteer on the right, Marcelino Nunez as the number 10 and Clarke on the left.
Ben Johnson, Cedric Kipre, Jens Cajuste, Sindre Walle Egeli, Chuba Akpom and Jaden Philogene all dropped to the bench. Cameron Humphreys missed out on a place in the 20 following Davis’s return.
The Swans made three changes from the team which was beaten 2-1 at Preston on Wednesday with eight-goal top scorer Zan Vipotnik and winger Zeidane Inoussa returning to the team, and left-back Ishe Samuels-Smith handed his first Championship start. Liam Cullen, Kaelan Casey and Adam Idah all dropped to the bench.
Former Blues central defender Cameron Burgess started for the home side following his summer move.
Town, in their all red second strip, were first to threaten, McAteer seizing on a defensive mis-kick on the Blues’ right and crossing low from the byline towards Clarke at the far post, however, Josh Key appeared to get a touch on it ahead of the winger, who could only bundle it wide.
The visitors were starting the stronger and in the seventh minute a Davis corner from the right was just taken off the head of Greaves with the centre-half otherwise looking well-placed to nod home.
On 11, Nunez got on the ball for the first time, bringing it forward before feeding a pass between two defenders for McAteer, but the Irish international’s low cross was grabbed by Swans keeper Lawrence Vigouroux on the stretch.
Three minutes later, following a Darnell Furlong throw deep on the right, the Blues broke quickly, George Hirst laying a ball out to Davis, who whipped over a low cross from the left, but too far in front of Nunez, the only Town player in the Swansea box.
The Blues continued to see the better of it and on 20 Taylor won the ball just inside the Swans half - unfairly according to the home fans - drove forward and played in Hirst on the left of the box, but the Scotland international’s shot from a tight angle was too close to Vigouroux, who claimed at the second attempt.
Within a minute, Clarke sent Davis away on the left but the full-back’s ball to the edge of the area was cut out with Town having had few options in the box, not for the first time.
Swansea’s first shot of the afternoon was struck in the 22nd minute, Goncalo Franco looping a volley well into the Blues support behind the goal from the edge of the box.
Two minutes later, Nunez was shown the game’s first yellow card for preventing the Welsh side from taking a free-kick, which he had given away by handling when sliding in for a tackle.
In the 26th minute, Josh Tymon joined the Chilean in the book for inexplicably shoving over Furlong as the Blues’ right-back was taking a throw in front of the Town technical area.
As the half-hour approached, McAteer was threaded in on the right and sent a low ball across the six-yard box at pace but too far in front of his teammates. Davis crossed back in from the other flank but the ball was headed cleared.
Moments later, Inoussa was cautioned for catching Azor Matusiwa late and high with his studs in the centre circle, a challenge which evidently hurt the Dutchman.
On 33, Ethan Galbraith, who played for Blues boss McKenna in the Manchester United academy, became the third Swansea player to get his name in the book for a late sliding challenge on Taylor in the centre circle.
And a minute later Samuels-Smith became the fourth Swansea player to be shown a yellow card, this time for tripping Nunez as the Chile international turned him on the right.
Town had been on top but with the free-kicks and yellow cards having broken the game up in the preceding minutes, however, on 36 the Blues went in front.
Skipper Dara O’Shea, making his 50th start for the club, won the ball just inside the Swans half as the home side looked to break after a Town attack had broken down. The Irishman moved it on to Clarke, who brushed off Franco and took it inside Ben Cabango before hitting a curling right-foot past Vigouroux to the keeper’s left, inside the post and into the net.
The Town fans at the other end delightedly celebrated Clarke’s sixth goal of the season, his second when starting, taking the former Sunderland man level with Philogene as the Blues’ top scorer.
Town went looking for a second and weren’t too far away in the 42nd minute, Hirst flicking a looping header towards Vigouroux’s right top corner from a Nunez cross, which the keeper clawed away.
Soon after, McAteer got in another good position but overhit his cross, then in injury time the former Leicester man was pulled down by Tymon, already among those on a yellow card, but with referee Edward Duckworth showing no interest a showing a red despite the entreaties of the Town fans.
Just before the end, Clarke was fouled by Melker Widell, Greaves then clearing the loose ball and sending the Swede flying as he did so, to boos from the home support, referee Duckworth ending the half before the free-kick could be taken.
A well-deserved half-time lead for the Blues who had been well on top throughout and creating opportunities with regularity from the start, albeit without making the most of promising situations until Clarke’s excellent goal.
Swansea, who might be lucky to end the game with 11 men, had shown very little at the other end with the Blues’ centre-halves keeping danger man Vipotnik very quiet and Franco’s shot deep into the stand their only effort.
If Town put in a similar 45 minutes after the break, then they should confirm their second away win in a week.
Swansea: Vigouroux, Cabango (c),Burgess, Samuels-Smith, Key, Franco, Galbraith, Tymon, Widell, Inoussa, Vipotnik. Subs: Fisher, Fulton, Yalcouye, Eom, Cullen, Benson, Casey, Idah, Ronald.
Town: Walton, Furlong, O’Shea (c), Greaves, Davis, Matusiwa, Taylor, McAteer, Nunez, Clarke, Hirst. Subs: Button, Young, Johnson, Kipre, Cajuste, Walle Egeli, Philogene, Akpom, Azon. Referee: Edward Duckworth (Preston).