Town continued their excellent home form with a 3-1 victory over Leicester City. Pablo Couñago put the Blues in front, before Iain Hume equalised. Foxes defender Patrick Kisnorbo saw red for the incident which led to Alan Lee netting from the spot, Jon Walters netting the third after the break.

As expected, boss Jim Magilton recalled Pablo Couñago up front, while fellow Spaniard Sito replaced Dan Harding at left-back, the former Leeds man dropping out of the 16, along with midfielder Tommy Miller.

Danny Haynes came in on the right of midfield and, with Gary Roberts suspended, Jon Walters moved to the left. Academy striker Jordan Rhodes was named on a young bench which did not include a goalkeeper.

Jon Walters managed the first shot of the game at a very cold Portman Road, but his effort was too close to Foxes keeper Marton Fulop.

Penalty area action was rare in a cagey opening with the Blues looking a touch short of confidence after their continuing struggles on the road. On 17 Andy King shot harmlessly wide from 25 yards.

A minute later, with the crowd still to wake up, Town went in front. Danny Haynes outpaced Joe Mattock round the outside and cut the ball back for Pablo Couñago. The Spaniard took a touch before slamming the ball into the roof of the net, his ninth goal of the season.

Leicester went looking for an equaliser and in the 20th minute Hume's header was easy for Neil Alexander.

Town felt they ought to have been awarded a penalty on 21 when Jason De Vos headed down a corner from the right and the ball appeared to strike a Leicester player's hand, but referee Phil Joslin waved away the appeals.

The Foxes hit back in the 26th minute. Neil Alexander's clearance was headed back by Stephen Clemence from the centre circle for Iain Hume to chase. With Jason De Vos and Fabian Wilnis yards apart, the Canadian took the ball between them and lobbed Alexander. It was a very poor goal from a Town perspective with De Vos and Wilnis giving Hume far too much space down the middle.

Town were briefly rocked by the goal with Clemence hitting a shot wide from 25 yards. At the other end, Couñago came close to his second of the game when he headed David Wright's cross wide.

The Blues were gradually getting themselves back on top and on 35 Walters's 25-yard strike from the left flew narrowly wide after a Lee ball in from the right had crossed the area just behind Couñago.

Town went back in front after a controversial penalty in the 37th minute. Couñago chased the ball into the box with Patrick Kisnorbo following him. The Australian appeared to pull his shirt as they approached the penalty area, then went to ground, apparently making some contact with the ball.

Referee Joslin initially awarded Town a corner, however, his linesman was flagging for a spotkick. The referee changed his mind, gave the penalty and, after some overzealous protesting from most of the Leicester side, showed Kisnorbo a straight red card. It seemed a harsh decision as, if a foul had been committed, it was probably outside the area.

Kisnorbo took some while to leave the pitch and the referee might have shown several yellow cards for the vehemence of the protests with Gareth McAuley guilty of intimidating runs towards first the referee and then the linesman.

Once order had finally been restored, Alan Lee took the responsibility from the spot, as he did at Charlton on Saturday, but this time beat the keeper to net his ninth goal of the season.

Town came close to a third goal just before the break, but Fulop was out quickly to save at Danny Haynes's feet.

Not a vintage first half from the Blues, but the points looked to be won with the Foxes down to 10 men and rarely looking like a side which would threaten the Blues even before the sending off, the very poorly defended goal aside.

Town dominated the second half from the off with Owen Garvan having a volley from the edge of the area blocked in the 49th minute.

Jason De Vos got in the way of a Hume shot on the turn on 58, but the Town goal was only very occasionally under threat.

Walters headed a Wright cross wide a minute later, then the full-back saw a shot of his own deflect for a corner after a long spell of Town pressure.

On 63 Garvan played a low ball into the box, but Couñago's shot was blocked. Two minutes later, the Blues finally got their third. Wright crossed from the right, Couñago flicked on and Walters followed in at the far post to net his ninth goal of the season.

The game was over to all intents and purposes and was being played in a pre-season-like atmosphere, except when Leicester sub James Chambers picked up a yellow card for a late challenge on Couñago.

In the 72nd minute, Couñago laid the ball off to Lee, but Fulop saved his shot. Haynes hit the rebound into the sidenetting from a tight angle on the right.

Garvan shot too weakly at Fulop after more good work from Couñago, prior to Liam Trotter taking over from Walters on the left of midfield.

Jason De Vos reacted angrily to a high challenge by diminutive Leicester full-back Hossein Kaebi in the 83rd minute, but referee Joslin calmed things down without resorting to cards.

Billy Clarke took over from Alan Lee on 88 and with his first touch sent Trotter away down the left. The Ipswich-born midfielder played a low ball across the six-yard box, but Couñago's effort was blocked by keeper Fulop.

In injury time, Fulop beat Couñago to a ball over the top on the edge of the area but could only clear as far as Garvan. The Irish youngster looped the ball towards goal but a defender stopped it on the line.

A comfortable win for the Blues after a second half when they passed the around confidently and created chances without ever needing to get into top gear against 10-man Leicester.

There's no doubt that the penalty was harsh and that it changed the game, although Leicester had previously shown few signs that they were capable of getting the better of Town.

The Blues ought really to have scored more than three goals, although Marton Fulop was impressive in the Leicester goal.

It was surprising that in the closing stages, with the game well won, Jordan Rhodes wasn't handed his debut, having spent the earlier warm-up repeatedly lashing the ball past his father, goalkeeper coach Andy.

Overall, a confidence-boosting win after the dismal first half performance at Charlton on Saturday with Town now up to seventh and the home unbeaten run moving on to 14 games, with two more matches at Portman Road in the next fortnight.

Town: Alexander, Wright, Sito, De Vos, Wilnis, Garvan, Williams, Walters (Trotter 79), Haynes, Lee (Clarke 88), Couñago. Unused: Legwinski, Rhodes, Casement. Att: 17,938.

Photo: Action Images

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