Luke Hyam, Carlos Edwards and Frank Nouble were on target as Town beat Blackburn Rovers 3-1 at Portman Road. Hyam netted in the fourth minute but Jordan Rhodes equalised on the half hour, however, Edwards scored three minutes after the break and Nouble added the third four minutes from the end.

Town boss Mick McCarthy made four changes to the team which beat Charlton on Saturday. Skipper Edwards came in at right midfield, Hyam into the centre, Stephen Hunt made his full debut on the left and Nouble joined David McGoldrick up front.

Paul Anderson, Ryan Tunnicliffe, Jay Tabb and Daryl Murphy all dropped to the bench, while Paul Taylor again missed out due to his shoulder injury.

Blackburn included ex-Blue Rhodes and former loanee DJ Campbell up front from the start with both players applauded by the home support when their names were announced.

Campbell struck the game’s first shot in the second minute, Blues keeper Dean Gerken saving his sharp strike on the turn and Hyam reacting quickest to stab behind.

But as in the games against Leicester and Charlton, Town would take an early lead, Hyam netting his first goal of the season and only the second of his career in the fourth minute.

Cole Skuse looped into the box from deep and Tommy Spurr under pressure from McGoldrick headed to Hyam on the edge of the area. The ball initially got caught under the midfielder’s feet but having set himself he struck a low shot to Rovers keeper Jake Kean’s right and into the net.

The Blues enjoyed most of the early possession but the visitors might have got back on terms in the 14th minute when Josh King broke away down the Blackburn left. The Norwegian international’s touch let him down and Tommy Smith was able to get across to make a superb saving challenge and Gerken grabbed the loose ball.

At the other end, McGoldrick hit a shot on the turn, which only just flew over Kean’s bar, then a minute later Hunt brought the ball forward on the left before crossing towards Edwards, but the Town captain couldn’t control his header.

After Skuse had failed to find McGoldrick with a 25th minute pass as the Blues broke, Campbell was booked for a foul on his former team-mate Aaron Cresswell. Following the resultant freekick, Smith laid the ball off to Edwards, who fired not far wide from the 18-yard line.

Blackburn levelled on the half hour and inevitably Rhodes was the man on target. Grant Hanley played a long ball down the middle which ought to easily have been defended, but the former Blues striker got to the ball ahead of the Town defence, went past the advancing and stranded Gerken and stroked his 11th goal of the season into the empty net with the Town keeper claiming offside.

The striker’s corner flag punching celebration in front of a Blues section of the Cobbold Stand failed to impress the home support with his subsequent contributions receiving boos.

Nouble sent across a dangerous low ball in the 34th minute but behind McGoldrick and ahead of Hunt. However, the visitors had had looked the more threatening side having equalised with the Blues backline the busier of the two defences.

As the half moved into its final minute Blackburn claimed a penalty when a clearance struck Hunt on the hand, however, referee Fred Graham waved away the protests for what would have been a very harsh spotkick.

Town were the side happiest to hear the half-time whistle, the visitors having been on top since netting their goal. The Blues had again started strongly and might have added to their lead before Sunday league defended led to them conceding what was a very poor goal.

From there, Blackburn were much the better side with Town giving the ball away all too easily and rarely threatening.

Within three minutes of the restart the Blues were back in front. Cresswell played the ball into Hunt’s feet just inside the area, the Irishman cleverly turned before finding his way to goal blocked. The ball was stabbed away but only as far as Edwards, who took a touch before calmly beating Kean from eight yards for his first goal of the season.

Berra picked up a yellow card for a foul on King some while after the incident, the referee having waved play on at the time and Gerken claiming a cross in from the Blackburn left. As the Blues central defender had his name taken Smith complained about what appeared to have been a studs-up challenge from Tom Cairney which went unpunished.

There was a scare for the Blues on 69 when Gerken needlessly cleared against Rhodes from inside his six-yard box but fortunately the ball ricocheted off the Town keeper and wide of goal.

On 72 Spurr crossed from the left to Rhodes but the striker’s stretching effort looped well past the post.

Todd Kane was booked for pulling back McGoldrick down the left two minutes later. Cresswell’s freekick was only cleared as far as Hunt just outside the box but the recent signing’s shot flew well over when he will feel he ought to have done better.

Ex-Blues loan man Campbell, who had made little impact, made way on 76 with on-loan Cardiff man Rudy Gestede taking over for the final 14 minutes with the visitors not looking particularly threatening with most of the game taking place in their half of the field.

Impressive full debutant Hunt was replaced to a rapturous applause in the 81st minute along with McGoldrick, Tyrone Mings and Daryl Murphy taking over. Mings slotted into a back three to the left of Smith and Berra.

Town continued to press Blackburn as the game moved towards its final five minutes with Nouble unlucky to lose his footing when found in the area by Cresswell.

But the lively striker wasn’t to be denied his second goal of the season. Mings played an 86th minute long ball forward, defender Scott Dann left it for keeper Kean who was caught in two minds as Nouble closed him down on the edge of the area. As he hesitated, the Town frontman seized on the ball and took it into the area before tapping into the empty net.

A minor bout of handbags broke out on 88 after Rhodes clattered into Gerken with the keeper having already claimed the ball, Chambers pushing the striker over and triggering a brief free for all which led to Nouble and Marshall being booked.

Rhodes turned a late strike to Gerken when he might have done better prior to the fourth official signalling seven minutes of injury time. But the Blues weren’t to be denied their first home win since the Brighton game in September.

The now familiar Chambers fist pump was followed by Rhodes applauding the home support before making his way off, presumably to apologise for what the Sir Bobby Robson Stand in particular saw as an overzealous celebration.

Having ended the first half in a disappointing manner, Town continued their recent habit of scoring goals early on in halves, Edwards taking his goal with great confidence after good work from the excellent Hunt.

Blackburn never got back on top and Nouble’s goal was the icing the cake, the striker receiving his reward for Shefki Kuqi-esque chasing throughout the game, forcing Dann and Kean into their error.

The victory moves the Blues up to eighth, two points off the play-offs with Huddersfield visiting Portman Road on Saturday.

Town: Gerken, Chambers, Berra, Smith, Cresswell, Edwards, Hyam, Skuse (Tunnicliffe 90), Hunt (Mings 81), McGoldrick (Murphy 81), Nouble. Subs: Loach, Tabb, Anderson, Graham.

Blackburn: Kean, Kane, Dann, Hanley (Kilgallon 59), Spurr, Cairney, Williamson, Lowe, King (Marshall 66), Campbell (Gestede 77), Rhodes. Subs: Eastwood, Rochina, Judge, Henley. Referee: Fred Graham (Essex). Att: 14,953 (Blackburn: 302).

Photo: Action Images

TimmyH added 22:57 - Dec 3 Question - why is MM all of a sudden a football 'genius', 'perfect management' etc. when he has bought 2 fresh players in playing in their natural wide positions and Hyam in the centre as per last season? Certainly more open and attacking in style so MM has to be given credit for that. Getting ready for a torrent of a minus score for this post.
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oddball added 22:58 - Dec 3 Awesome :-)
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hossblue added 23:08 - Dec 3 Agree Frank the new Shefki .Had a good second half.
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Kikapu added 23:08 - Dec 3 Thanks TimmyH. I've got this lovely image in my head of our midfield running around the pitch trying to play football with oversize violins in their left hand.
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thebeat added 23:11 - Dec 3 Top notch tonight. And surprise surprise we play 2 natural capable wingers and we become a real threat going forward. please please Mick dont go back to Anderson and Tabb. We were so much better tonight, Edwards and Hunt had energy,skill and won so many throw ins and corners which kept the pressure on Blackburn. Skuse was poor but apparently he had the two bob bits so we ca excuse him. Ive never been Noubles biggest fan but credit where its due he worked his socks off tonight and deserved his goal. As for Rhodes he obviously has no class. Forget him and lets move on. Cant wait for Saturday now.COYB

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bohslegend added 23:17 - Dec 3 Timmy, you're welcome to my minus. Well deserved too. If we'd done what you and others on here have been calling for in not so many words, we would not be anywhere near 8th (2 pts from Play Offs) and would probably have another manager trying to pick the pieces up again - still with no cash. The other references are also laughable. Drop players who have played in previous victories? Tabb and in particular Ando have played their part in getting us where we are. We are not in 8th position just because we beat Blackburn 3-1 tonight. MM is developing a squad which he can now change as he sees fit from game to game if necessary, and he trusts them all. Even the moaning minority cannot deny that whoever MM is picking week in week out, its working. We are getting there.

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TractorBoy666 added 23:33 - Dec 3 I had a slight suspicion Rhodes would celebrate like he did given what was revealed from Smith earlier this week! Cheered me up with us getting the last word. Great result and I thought Edwards was very good tonight along with Hunt who didn't have the best of ends to a match though. All I hear around me was people slating Nouble and Hyam, the two that got us the goals for the 3 points. Nouble chased everything down today, and that's what he's good at which causes defenders problems. I'm just waiting for this hype of expectation to go down the pan now because we've reached the dizzy heights! Come on, lets win Saturday now boys.

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ITFCRedhill added 23:34 - Dec 3 Hi all first timer. Great win tonight. Just want to say what a God send TWTD is to those of us who live away. Thanks for keeping us up to date with all things ITFC.
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runningout added 23:45 - Dec 3 zero points this coming saturday then... :-/
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thebeat added 23:53 - Dec 3 bohslegend we are in 8th despite the fact Anderson and Tabb have been playing. We could have been higher if in particular Edwards had played more. He brings so much more than Anderson and tonight proved that without any doubt. Tonight we had energy, enthusiasm and basically more ability on the wings than we have all season by a country mile. Hopefully Mick has seen the light and we can actually play our best players from now on. Onwards and upwards boys

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Walk_the_Wark added 23:58 - Dec 3 We are getting there. COYB
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bohslegend added 00:00 - Dec 4 beat, no matter what you say, you cant row back from your obvious anti-MM position. I think our manager is doing a great job with such limited resources and I'm prepared to trust him to pick the right team because he's more qualified to do it than me (and I am qualified to UEFA B licence standard). So you can prefer all the players you want and moan about it if he doesn't pick your favourites, but at the end of the day only MM's opinion matters. Our position in the table doesn't lie. And at the end of the season we will merit only our final position. Tabb and Anderson are hardworking, honest pros and deserve a bit more respect from a lot of so called "fans".

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megamoth added 00:00 - Dec 4 Over the moon with this. In fact I think it's our best result of the season so far in terms of management skills and quality of opposition. We were facing two of our own strikers and i for one was fearing the worst. When you think about all the stick thrown at MM in recent weeks (the one win in six brigade) what it all shows is that very of us have the first clue about how to organise a team. Have faith in the big man. He's working wonders with a tiny squad. Let him crack on et voila (not viola Timmy)

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StowTractorBoy added 00:01 - Dec 4 Another welcome 3 points hard earned and definitely deserved. The football was not always pretty but in the end proved very effective and credit to MM for his brave team selection which certainly paid dividends. If I had to be critical Gerken needs to avoid his rushes of blood and improve his kicking but credit to him for making a couple of splendid saves and big Frank needs to start matches the way he played in the second half when he was all action. Skuse not at his best but if he was unwell you can forgive him. Make no mistake most games in this division are very very difficult and tonight was no exception. Blackburn don't normally concede more than one away from home so we broke the mould in that direction. Is it too much to ask for 3 wins on the trot ?

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megamoth added 00:01 - Dec 4 ^very few of us
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John added 00:05 - Dec 4 A viola is a big violin, I assume TimmyH means et voila which is French and loosely translates as 'there you have it'.
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mrmorisato added 00:17 - Dec 4 I still think Town play better with Hewitt in the team as he likes to get forward providing an attacking option that the team has lacked in recent home games. I'm hoping Mick can acquire another central midfield option and another striker? Would make for a stronger squad with more depth ;) Town played better tonight really pleased we managed to score 3 its good for confidence and from 2 players who normally start from the bench, thought Hunt played well :)

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KiwiTractor added 00:35 - Dec 4 Great result lads. Goals from midfield, even better ! Well done to Luke Hyam for finding the net - more please. Lets keep it going and make sure we get something (pref 3 points) from the Huddersfield match to top off a great week!
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MVBlue added 01:46 - Dec 4 TimmyH - Mick McCarthy has always been a football genius in my eyes, hence my avatar. I am biased.
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Sindre94 added 03:05 - Dec 4 Really enjoyed the game. Great team effort and Hyam, Edwards ,Smith and Frank impressed me the most. Such a shame i wont be over for a months time, yeah yeah COYB
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battyblue added 05:46 - Dec 4 good performance and three unlikely scorers so well done to MM and TC and all the players keep them coming onwards and upwards.
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runaround added 07:29 - Dec 4 An excellent win that I really didn't expect. Hyam scored with our first attack then we looked good for a while before Blackburn took control. Rhodes was making some good runs & scored a good goal, however the manner of his celebration right in the front of the Town fans showed a lack of respect, we didn't want him to leave & hadn't been giving him any stick. For me this has forever sullied his relationship with ITFC fans. Second half I was nervous but we came out & attacked, worked hard & thoroughly deserved the 2 goals, with Edwards & Nouble very deserving scorers

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Surco72 added 07:30 - Dec 4 A great win with the team that should have been selected weeks ago Nouble apart as I have been saying every week . Edwards and Hunt offer so much more than Anderson and Tabb as naturally wide players with pace who want to get at their player and get crosses in . Not massive tactical skills by MM just poor selection over the last 7 games which has cost us more points against the lower sides ,hopefully at last MM will see the light that many of us have been saying for a long time and stick with this formation . Edwards a back ward step my arse , great result MM and TC please let it and the goals continue

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truthhurts added 08:19 - Dec 4 Re Rhodes. If i had the opportunity to stick two fingers up to Keane then i would do so too!! The lad didnt want to leave the club and was forced out. Disgrace. It wasnt aimed at the supporters, backed up by the fact he ran over and applauded the fans at the end! Shear frustration at his treatment by the club when he was here, thats all
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lloyditfc96 added 08:49 - Dec 4 buzzing, so good to be in this position, we have a winnable game the weekend as well, the future under Mick looks really bright. Real optimistic around the ground at the minute. Play offs has to be in mick plans this year. Coyb
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