Town came from behind to grab their ninth consecutive home win with a 3-1 victory over Colchester. Clive Platt put the U's ahead in the first half but Jon Walters, Liam Trotter and Danny Haynes won the Blues the points after the break, Neil Alexander having saved a Mark Yeates penalty.

The Blues lined up as expected with Tommy Miller dropping out due to his ankle ligament injury and Sylvain Legwinski keeping his place in the side. The Frenchman was making his first home start of the season as the Blues switched to the 4-4-2 formation employed at Portman Road this season. Pablo Couñago returned up front.

Town began the game taking the game to the visitors from Layer Road, but failed to test keeper Aidan Davison, who had a loan spell at Portman Road back in 1996, until the 22nd minute when the Northern Irishman failed to hold onto a Pablo Couñago shot. A U's defender was across quickly to clear.

Neil Alexander tipped Clive Platt's looping header over on 24. From the resultant corner, Danny Granville headed the ball off Alan Lee and then Dan Harding and wide, the former Chelsea man somewhat unconvincingly claiming a penalty for handball.

Jason De Vos almost played Alan Lee through on goal in the 26th minute then Jon Walters failed to get a cross in after being sent away on the right by Lee with Colchester left-back George Elokobi slipping and allowing the former Chester man to escape.

On the half hour, former Norwich City loanee Kevin Lisbie hit a shot on the turn which went the wrong side of Alexander's right post, before the visitors went in front. Johnnie Jackson knocked down a long ball and Clive Platt struck a sharp shot from 25 yards which gave Alexander no chance.

The goal came very much against the run of play at that stage of the half and the Blues went looking for an equaliser, Alan Lee hitting a shot to Davison at his near post when a cross was probably a better option.

Colchester's veteran goalkeeper wasn't looking overly confident and in the 34th minute went walkabout to the right of his goal and was beaten to the ball by Pablo Couñago. The Spaniard laid the ball back to Dan Harding who whipped in a low ball which a defender did well to put over his own bar with Lee lurking behind him.

In the 37th minute a quick Town break ended with Lee's shot being blocked on the edge of the Colchester area. The U's swiftly counterattacked and Platt was sent through with only Alexander to beat, the former MK Dons man lobbing the ball over the advancing keeper outside the area. Platt looked certain to add to his side's lead, but struck his shot into the sidenetting from the left of the penalty area with the goal gaping. It was a miss his side would come to rue.

Dan Harding had referee Keith Stroud showing the first yellow card of the game for a foul on Mark Yeates with a minute of normal first half time left on the clock.

Town's performance had drifted in the final 10 minutes of the half and the U's again came close to adding to their lead when a corner was headed back across goal by Matthew Connolly only for Danny Granville to nod the ball into Alexander's grateful arms.

There were a few boos from Town supporters as referee Stroud blew his whistle and although that was a touch harsh, the Blues hadn't played as well as in previous home games this season, particularly losing their way late on.

The U's had grabbed their goal at a time when Town were on top, but might have grabbed two more before the break.

Billy Clarke might have done better with the second half's first opportunity, but the Irish U21 international sent his edge of the box shot skimming over the bar after a corner had been half-cleared to him.

Kem Izzet shot into the sidenetting after Fabian Wilnis had been caught in possession taking the ball forward, then Lee was sent away down the right by Walters, but the former Cardiff man's shot was saved by Davison, although not for the first time hardly comfortably.

Garvan's shot from the 18-yard line was stopped by the much-travelled keeper, prior to Alexander pushing Connolly's header from a corner wide. Just after the hour mark, Danny Haynes replaced Billy Clarke, the Irishman having been less effective than he was at QPR on Saturday.

Couñago shot wide from the edge of the box as Portman Road became increasingly anxious that Town's impressive home record was about to come to an end.

The prospect of a defeat looked even more likely in the 68th minute when Lisbie was threaded through on goal one-one-one with Alexander. The former Charlton man took the ball wide of the keeper and, like Neil Mellor a fortnight ago for Preston, threw himself to ground.

As then, the referee took his time and looked to his linesman before pointing to the spot, much to the anger of the Town side. Lisbie was taking the ball away from goal and defenders were getting back, so referee Stroud deemed the ‘foul' not to be denying an obvious goalscoring opportunity and showed Alexander only a yellow card.

Mark Yeates stepped up to take the kick and Alexander dived to his left to register his first penalty save in English football. The Scottish international never managed to stop a spotkick in his six years with Cardiff City and had failed previously to stop eight since joining the Blues, including all five in the Carling Cup shoot-out with the MK Dons.

The penalty save appeared to give both the crowd and the team a lift and three minutes later Town were on terms. Owen Garvan played a ball into the left corner for Pablo Couñago. The Spaniard played a clever pass in to Dan Harding, who broke into the area and whipped in a low ball which fell for Jon Walters, who stabbed home.

The relief around Portman Road was palpable and the Blues looked much more confident as they went looking for a second goal. Kem Izzet was yellow-carded for failing to give the ball back as Town prepared to take a freekick, prior to Liam Trotter coming on for his third senior sub appearance in place of Sylvain Legwinski.

Couñago twisted and turned inside the area, but scuffed his shot through to Davison on 78, but four minutes later the Blues were on target. Garvan sent in a corner from the right and Trotter escaped his marker to confidently nod into the net from six yards, his first senior goal. The 19-year-old Ipswich-born youngster was mobbed by the rest of the side in front of the North Stand.

Three minutes later and the result was all but settled. Fabian Wilnis crossed from the right, Davison and a defender both hesitated long enough to allow Danny Haynes get in between them and head the ball into the net for his first goal of the season.

Gary Roberts replaced Couñago for the final two minutes, the Spaniard once again having played a pivotal role in gaining the Blues three points at home.

Trotter shot wide, then as the game moved into injury time a supporter ran onto the pitch from the Colchester section and ran towards the Greene King Stand before being restrained by stewards.

Not Town's best performance at home by any means, but a hard-fought victory against a U's side who tested the Blues far more than a number of far larger clubs have at Portman Road in recent months.

The key moment in the game was the penalty save from Neil Alexander, which seemed to put the belief back into the crowd and the players. As with the penalty against Preston, Town were once again the victims of a referee conned by a player taking a dive. Blues fans will recall Kevin Lisbie doing much the same at Portman Road during his spell with Norwich, an incident which saw Sito red-carded, a dismissal which was eventually overturned.

Couñago's cleverness in and around the area created Walters's equaliser, Trotter took his first ever goal well, while Danny Haynes again showed his sharpness in the latter stages of games, nipping in to seal the win.

The victory takes the Blues up to eighth in the league. A win against Wolves, currently one place ahead in seventh, on Saturday ought to take Jim Magilton's side into the play-off places.

Town: Alexander, Wright, Harding, De Vos, Wilnis, Garvan, Legwinski (Trotter 77), Clarke (Haynes 62), Walters, Lee, Couñago (Roberts 88). Unused: Supple, Bruce. Att: 25,727.

Photo: Action Images

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