Town got off to a winning start on their travels with a 3-0 victory over Burnley in a much-delayed game at Turf Moor. Liam Trotter and Kevin Lisbie put the Blues ahead at half-time with a late Stephen Jordan own goal sealing the result.

The match was delayed by 51 minutes after a parachutist involved in a pre-match display hit the roof of the stand housing the Town supporters, where he was trapped until half-time.

After various false starts due to health and safety issues, the match eventually kicked off with Jim Magilton making seven changes from the side which lost to Preston a week ago. Debutant Ben Thatcher, Alex Bruce, Richard Naylor, Liam Trotter, Jon Walters, Tommy Miller and Alan Lee came in for Pim Balkestein, Tommy Smith, Owen Garvan, the injured David Wright, Pablo Couñago, Danny Haynes and Alan Quinn.

The game started scrappily but Burnley forced a chance in the sixth minute when Wade Elliott crossed from the right and Joey Gudjonsson headed only narrowly wide.

Three minutes later Clarke Carlisle came close to opening the scoring with a header from a corner which Richard Wright sharply tipped over the bar.

Alan Lee made two claims for a penalty around the quarter hour mark, but on the first occasion the defender appeared to have won the ball and on the second, the Town striker looked to have lost possession before going to ground.

Wright saved a low Chris Eagles shot on 35 then six minutes later stopped another effort from the former Manchester United man from the edge of the area. The Town goal continued to be under greater pressure with Richard Wright again doing well to paw a header away from under the bar after Trotter had failed to clear a corner.

Town hadn't managed to threaten the home goal in the first half hour, but on 34 Alan Lee forced a corner with a cross from the right. From the set piece from the left, the ball was cleared to Liam Trotter, who struck a low volley through a crowd of players and into the net.

Six minutes later, the Blues added to their lead when Lee sent in a deep cross to Kevin Lisbie, a defender blocking the Colchester man's first shot but the summer signing seizing on the rebound and beating Burnley keeper Brian Jensen.

Town had completely taken control of the game as the half had progressed, although hadn't looked like scoring until Trotter netted his first of the season. Lisbie's second settled any nerves.

Prior to the break, Robbie Blake shot wide, then Veliche Shumulikoski picked up a yellow card for a shirt pull on halfway.

Before the goals, Burnley had looked the more likely to score with Richard Wright showing why Jim Magilton had been so keen to bring him back to Portman Road. Once the Blues had gained the ascendancy, the pace and cleverness of Lisbie aligned to some one-paced defending meant goals weren't going to be too long in coming.

On 50 Burnley claimed Gareth McAuley had handled the ball as he saw a cross out of play, but referee Tony Bates wasn't interested.

Two minutes later, Lisbie sent Lee through on goal but Jensen was out to block and the Irish striker failed to hit the target with his rebound from a tight angle. Lee was by now playing in a wide left role with the Blues having switched to a 4-5-1 formation with Lisbie up front on his own.

Just before the hour mark, Lee cut in from the left and struck a shot which Jensen parried out for a corner.

Wright saved another distance effort from Eagles as Town comfortably sat back and contained the home side, who looked lacking in attacking ideas.

Martin Paterson struck Wright from close range from a near post cross, then put the rebound over prior to Owen Garvan taking over from Liam Trotter, whose influence on the game grew as he gained confidence after scoring his goal.

Wright saved from Elliott from distance, before Danny Haynes replaced Kevin Lisbie as the lone attacker. Haynes was quickly into the action, striking a shot which was too close to Jensen.

Town were gifted a bizarre third goal in the 87th minute when a Richard Naylor freekick from well inside the Blues half was headed back to goal by Stephen Jordan, who was unaware that Jensen had strayed off his line, the ball bouncing inexorably over the line as the keeper desperately retreated. The goal somewhat summed up Burnley's defending throughout the afternoon.

The Blues had comfortably seen out the second half and the result had never looked in doubt with home fans leaving in droves well before the end. In injury time, Pablo Couñago replaced Jon Walters, prior to a rare second half Richard Wright save, the Town keeper getting down to his right to push Steven Caldwell's header away.

In the end a thoroughly comfortable victory from a Town side very much improved on the one which lost to Preston last week. The Blues might have gone behind in the first half but for one or two superb Richard Wright saves, the former England keeper performing to the standard he set during his previous spell at the club.

Aside from Wright's performance, Richard Naylor impressed at the back, while Ben Thatcher and Alex Bruce had comfortable games in the full-back positions. Up front, Kevin Lisbie looked sharp, took his goal well and appears so far to be an excellent acquisition.

After last year's long wait for an away win, it was perhaps inevitable that an early victory would be secured this time around, although few people would have predicted the 3-0 canter that was today's victory at Burnley.

Town finally appear to have found a method of winning on their travels and if they play as they did against the Clarets on a regular basis, then away victories could become a regular event.

Town: Wright, Bruce, Thatcher, McAuley, Naylor, Shumulikoski, Miller, Trotter (Garvan 70), Walters (Couñago 90), Lee, Lisbie (Haynes 77). Unused: Supple, Balkestein.

Photo: Action Images

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