Daryl Murphy scored twice and David McGoldrick (pen) and Christophe Berra once each as second-placed Town came from behind to thrash Leeds United 4-1 at Portman Road. The visitors went ahead via Mirco Antenucci in the fourth minute but Murphy struck back on 12, then McGoldrick netted from the spot on 26, Murphy added his second just before the break and Berra added the fourth three minutes into the second half.

Berra returned from his one-match ban but Mick McCarthy named an otherwise unchanged side. The Scottish international took up his usual central defensive role with skipper Luke Chambers moving to right-back and Jonny Parr dropping to the bench.

Leeds made one change with one-time Town target Jason Pearce coming in at centre-half for the injured Giuseppe Bellusci.

The Blues, who lined-up in a 4-4-2 formation, struck the game’s first shot in the second minute but Daryl Murphy’s scuffed effort failed to test Leeds keeper Marco Silvestri.

A minute later, from their first attempt of the game, the visitors went in front. Skipper Chambers and Tommy Smith appeared to leave Liam Cooper's ball down the Leeds left for one another, allowing Stephen Warnock to escape and send over a low cross which Antenucci turned past Bartosz Bialkowski from close range. It was a poor goal to concede from the Blues’ perspective.

Town looked to get back on terms immediately, but Stephen Hunt could only head Chambers’s cross over from beyond the far post.

But the Blues weren’t behind for too long and on 12 Daryl Murphy - who first joined Town for a trial 10 years ago today - netting his 12th of the season. Jay Tabb laid the ball out to right-back Chambers, who whipped over a cross and Murphy powered a superb header past Silvestri.

Murphy threatened again on 16, Hunt’s left-wing corner landing at his feet eight yards out. Rather fortunately for the Whites the Irishman’s goal-bound shot caught a defender’s heel and deflected away from goal.

Town’s top scorer went rather less close with a strike from distance a minute later which ended up in the crowd before Warnock cleared a dangerous Mings cross from the left from inside the six-yard box. At the other end, Antenucci headed a right-wing Warnock cross straight at Bialkowski.

The Blues had been on top having got on terms and were pressing for another goal when they were awarded a 26th minute penalty. Tabb played a long ball towards Anderson just inside the area and Warnock smashed into the back of him, clattering him to ground.

Referee Mike Dean immediately pointed to the spot and McGoldrick sent a low shot into the corner of the net to Silvestri’s right as the keeper dived in the opposite direction to claim his sixth goal of the season and make it 2-1.

The Blues almost scored their third a minute later when Hunt nodded another deep Chambers cross back across goal to Murphy six yards out. The scorer of Town’s first goal took a touch but shot wide, the ball striking a defender on its way, according to the Blues but not referee Dean who gave a goalkick.

Town continued to have the better of it but without threatening Silvestri’s goal again until the 39th minute when Tabb sent McGoldrick away on the left. The striker cut in but hit his right-foot shot across the face of goal. A minute later, Tabb was booked for a foul on Adryan.

As the half moved into injury time, the Blues went 3-1 in front. Murphy completed a one-two with Anderson and broke into the area on the right before slipping the ball between Silvestri’s legs and into the net for his 13th of the season.

Referee Dean blew his whistle soon afterwards to warm applause from the delighted home support.

Having gone behind, the Blues were the better side and deserved their equaliser when it came. Leeds could have little complaint about the penalty, while Murphy’s well-worked second just before the break came as a welcome bonus.

Town hadn’t previously scored three goals in a game since the 3-0 win at Doncaster on Boxing Day and they most recently netted three times in a half in the 3-2 win at Blackpool in November last year. Striker Murphy has already matched his goals tally for last season.

Three minutes after the restart, it was 4-1. Hunt whipped over a corner from the left which Smith flicked from the near post towards the far corner of the net, Berra adding the final touch at the as it crossed the line. The last time Town scored more than three times in a game was in the 4-4 draw at Derby in October 2013.

Smith was booked for a foul on Antenucci in the 54th minute as the Leeds striker broke but the second half had been almost all Town with the visitors already having made two tactical subs.

On 55 Murphy went close to his third goal of the game, cleverly flicking McGoldrick’s chipped cross goalwards but Silvestri made a good save at his left post.

Teddy Bishop replaced Tabb on the hour with the Blues still well on top and looking for more goals. Two minutes later, Tommaso Bianchi was booked for a foul on the 18-year-old.

Unsurprisingly given their lead, Town were in confident mood, passing the ball around slickly and adding a few tricks here and there as they went looking for an opening which would bring them their fifth goal. Leeds were all over the place, looking a thoroughly demoralised side, quickly losing the ball again whenever they won it back.

On 71 Murphy cut the ball back from the right just behind Bishop, then a minute later Kevin Bru took over from Anderson, who was applauded off the field. Eight minutes later, Hunt was given a similar ovation when Conor Sammon replaced him.

Skuse shot over from 30 yards following a corner as the game moved into its final 10 minutes with the Blues still dominating. With two minutes remaining, Lewis Cook was booked for a foul on McGoldrick, the strike hitting the freekick into the wall.

In injury time, the Blues won a series of corners with Chambers heading not far wide from the last of them. Soon after referee Dean’s whistle confirmed Town’s seventh home victory of the season and probably their most impressive.

Once Berra had netted Town’s fourth goal - although Smith was also claiming it - the Blues win was never in any doubt with Leeds looking a thoroughly shambolic and dispirited bunch.

The Blues, who are now without a defeat in seven and who have lost just once in 16, again showed their character having gone behind so early but quickly got on top in the game and deserved their goals when they came. Murphy's 13th goal of the season returns him to the top of the Championship goalscorers table.

The victory, Town’s first by three goals since the visit to Doncaster on Boxing Day, sees the Blues remain in second with leaders Derby having won 3-0 at home to Brighton.

Town: Bialkowski, Chambers (c), Smith, Berra, Mings, Skuse, Tabb (Bishop 60) , Anderson (Bru 72), S Hunt (Sammon 79), Murphy, McGoldrick, Unused: Gerken, Parr, St Ledger, Bajner, Sammon.

Leeds: Silvestri, Byram, Cooper, Pearce, Warnock (c), Cook, Bianchi, Mowatt, Adryan (Sharp 53), Doukara (Austin 51), Antenucci. Unused: S Taylor, Berardi, Del Fabro, Dawson, Tonge. Referee: Mike Dean (Wirral). Att: 21,489 (Leeds: 1,835).

Photo: Action Images

commuterblue added 11:23 - Dec 7 Well if this is what the rear end of the message board is like when we're second, god knows what it'll be like when we lose a couple on the trot! Ha! I was right all along. No you we weren't it's just a blip No that was a blip No this is a blip ad nauseam---
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bohslegend added 11:41 - Dec 7 Bluemachines, I agree that as a fan you are entitled to have an opinion that something isn't right, I've no issue with that at all, and I'd be lying if I said I agreed with 100% of everything MM has done to get us where we are. But what we saw earlier in the season was an unofficial campaign on here to remove MM because he didn't conform to the consensus view of who should or shouldn't be in the team. My point now is that the people who consistently called for his head should now have the good grace to come out and say they were wrong and in hindsight their OTT criticisms of MM were unjustified. I don't like hearing people come on saying, "well, I'm loving it now, but if only MM did what I'd asked him to do earlier in the season maybe we'd be 20 points clear at the top instead of lowly second". And me calling people Realists has nothing to do with ITFCRealist who is without doubt a wind-up merchant. I think it was Blueboy who started slating people who backed MM saying they had blue tinted glasses etc whereas those who slaughtered him were the Realists. Blueboy if it wasn't you specifically I apologise but somebody on your 'team' said it.

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warktheline added 11:43 - Dec 7 The trouble with the so called, 'say it how it is' bridgade is their narrow mindedness, and inability to form a constructed view of the whole picture. All to often they knee jerk at the slightest imperfection, Norwich defeat for example. There is a long way to go this season, and yes, we may slide a touch down the table, but nevertheless, a continuation of progression is evident, even to the hardened anti Mick bands, this is impossible to dismiss. Mick has to date been a class act, and whilst in the Championship, I believe this trend will continue, like it or lump it!

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AlexanderFields added 12:18 - Dec 7 Great stuff! "Mighty" Leeds given a head start and then demolished. Does it get any better?
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Walk_the_Wark added 12:46 - Dec 7 Wark the Line- yes Mick is a class act at this level. We are doing really well. No one is complaining
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tractorkent added 12:58 - Dec 7 lets just enjoy the way we played Saturday,and stop critisising each other. PLEASE.
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bohslegend added 13:07 - Dec 7
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BlueandTruesince82 added 13:23 - Dec 7 I think the point is Rome wasn't built in a day and some people on here were not even prepared to give Mick time to lay the foundations. I think the blue tinted specs brigade always viewed it as a project. We were bottom of the league when Mick took over. It was never going to be an over night turnaround. Yes occasionally such things happen in this league but the last time it did was Roy Keane at Sunderland and looked what happened next. The issue with the Mick out brigade was the expectation of instant success, it was like watching children try to understand why Xmas hasn't come yet. The more level headed posters on here said give him time to sort it which I think was fair enough given the mess we were in. Low and behold a little patience and boom. The pro Mick bandwagon was slated by certain quarters for not getting on his back at the slightest imperfection with some posters being subjected to insults like being called "natural born losers" just for being willing to show some patience which is ridiculous especially in the face of what was undeniably consistent improvement of our fortunes under his stewardship. Now of course everyone is entitled to their opinion but at the time there is a way to express that and some have been very disingenuous at times. For me any new manager deserves time to make a mark, I wasn't happy when Keane was given the job but fine lets see. I remember town fans singing to the board that they could "shove Joe Royle up your arse" I agreed. I was wrong, Joe did a great job and was broadly given chance to prove us wrong. Even in the modern game unless impending disaster is clearly approaching 18months seems fair before calling for heads to roll. The suggestion that Mick lucked into players is very unfair as is the tag of favouritism. Bishop was given his choice by him and Bart was signed by Him in spite of many saying we should walk away when County started being idiotic about it. I like Mick because he's fair an honest and treats everyone the same, everyone who has played for him says as much but rest assured regardless of that if we were to end up in midtable mediocrity I will now happily (after 2 full seasons in charge) express dissatisfaction because time has been given and only a finite amount can be given for anyone to get it right. It's just a shame the anti Mick posse have not always been so level headed and frankly I feel that some could eat their pie rather more humbly. I would also say that at the start of the season we would all have taken a playoff birth and that is still aim number 1. Expectation has been raised with our lofty position but there is a long way to go and so long as we see the progress continue from last year we really have no cause to complain to much

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warktheline added 13:39 - Dec 7 Walk the walk, until we lose our next game, and you for sure will be the first, giving it large!
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bohslegend added 14:28 - Dec 7 Without meaning to jump too far ahead of ourselves (we're not promoted yet! but we're putting ourselves in a great position to get there) - my fear is that while all the 'Realists' are biting their lips now when there's nothing to complain about, can you imagine how bad it could be for MM if he did take us to the Premier League?? God forbid, but three weeks into the start of next season having been beaten (hope I'm wrong) by potentially Chelsea, Man City and Man Utd, all the usual suspects will be out ranting about MM's lack of ability to make us a European force once again (because we've a God given right to that with our traditions). It's a shame that we can't actually be realistic in Ipswich. Reality is that financially we'll never be allowed to get anywhere near the lofty heights of those sparkly Bobby Robson days when we were the best football team in Britain. And no amount of moaning will make it so. So I say get behind the team at ALL times, good and bad. The sweet days taste sweeter when we've had such bitter days under certain other managers in the past. COYB!

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warktheline added 14:54 - Dec 7 Bohslegend, your right we are never going to compete with the top teams, but there is no reason why we can't follow the likes of Swansea and Southampton. We most certainly have the manager who can take us to the top flight and who knows, we do have a very rich owner, and maybe, just maybe, he might invest when he sees returns on past lost investments.
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ChrisFelix added 16:32 - Dec 7 Any one who saw Mick Mccarthy Wolves side at Portman Road as they won promotion to the Premier will know that he is not a long ball merchant. The best man for the job . I also wonder what the woman who rang Suffolk & ask what has MM ever achieved is feeling now, I hope their will be another honour soon
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TimmyH added 16:47 - Dec 7 Undoubtedly progression IS being made this season, initially after a fairly average to say at best summer in the transfer window I was fearing the worst as I thought the squad was not strong enough. Players like Mings, Murphy, Bishop and even to a degree Bru has come to the fore and are playing well, couple this with an always decent looking defense and at times Mick opting for genuine full backs have moved us forwards tactically. Last season it was arguable if we had made that much progress after a very good honeymoon period for Mick and turned results around very quickly (we would have been 6th if the season had ran from Nov to May in 2012/13) So 9th last season was questionable if progression had been made. But if ever we should thank a manager for doing as much as he has on a budget and getting some quality names in that process (for the Championship) then you can't argue Mick has done a first rate job.

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Elizabeth added 17:20 - Dec 7 Well I think it's all been said. Wonderful result yesterday. Let's hope we're still in this position at Easter. We can then start dreaming oh and worrying about the Premier League.
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blueboy1981 added 18:45 - Dec 7 .......... let's not forget that we are seeing a totally different approach to our game now - to what we (the so called critics) were seeing earlier in MM's reign. No more,no less - what we have now is what most of our maligned group were trying to get across, as exactly what was needed. Thanks for changing the approach / tactics MM (however arrived at) - all credit to you for doing such - the acid test now is 'to keep it going' in the same direction. COYB - and let's ALL - savour the moments. The time to be united is - RIGHT NOW.

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blueboy1981 added 18:53 - Dec 7 ......... after all we support - A GREAT CLUB - second to NONE.
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Langdon_Blue added 19:08 - Dec 7 Walk the Wark....so what would you say to the fan who posted this comment on TWTD at the start of the season "C'mon guys, those who have a brain and know football know we need rid of this idiot. So the matter is when- hopefully before and well before imminent relegation" Sound familiar? ;-)
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BlueandTruesince82 added 19:30 - Dec 7 How about a chorus of walk the dinosaur round Portman Rd nxt home game? ;)
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blueboy1981 added 19:41 - Dec 7 ........ let's just wait until the end of season people, before overdoing the smugness .......... a long remainder ahead, but cause for much optimism for sure.
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Langdon_Blue added 19:56 - Dec 7 Of course you are right Blueboy, but I'm an Ipswich fan and we really need to enjoy the 'smugness' of 2nd place the moment it comes along, it's just not safe or sensible to delay gloating until May!! :-)
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blueboy1981 added 20:22 - Dec 7 Langdon Blue - absolutely right to 'savour the moment' right now - the 'smugness' I refer to is aimed at the people who are now blitzing anyone who dared to question MM at any previous stage. I'm certainly enjoying seeing us in 2nd place in the Championship - that's the kind of achievement / success I want for ITFC - and always will.
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Steelmonkey added 21:00 - Dec 7 From reading all the comments on here about the "anti Mick brigade" and those from the "Mick cannot do any wrong", the only conclusion I can make is that they are all in the right. No one's opinion can be right 100% of the time. Now those same players are producing what the so called antis knew they were capable of. But it is their opinion, this site wouldn't be as good as it is if everyone's opinion was the same. It takes time to put together a Team of average players who are now capable of playing at a higher level by astute coaching and management. If the players who we have now got had been of above average at their time of coming here, then we wouldn't have got them on frees and loans. No club lets good players go unless it's for silly money. So hats off to MM and TC for turning them into a great bunch of players who work their socks off for each other, and that he has achieved it without shelling out the millions of £'s of ME money. I posted on here that MM was not my choice at the time to take over, (and I was not to happy when I thought the club was going to cash in on McGoldrick), those were my opinions at the time, and having supported the club for many years how glad now am I that he did take over. COYB's.

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bohslegend added 23:45 - Dec 7 Blueboy "No more,no less - what we have now is what most of our maligned group were trying to get across, as exactly what was needed. Thanks for changing the approach / tactics MM (however arrived at)" Steelmonkey "Now those same players are producing what the so called antis knew they were capable of." In two sentences you've both summed up my frustration with the 'Realists' approach. Blueboy do you really think MM changed anything because you and your cronies were demanding it? No. He didn't. But everything that went before, everything those of us who were slated for daring to support the manager stood by, was required to get where we are now. The focus on defence first, a tactical approach which made it difficult for teams to beat us, these were rightly sorted first by MM, now with the benefit of a solid defensive shape the team can start to express itself going forward. This is not some accident or some softening in MMs stance, this is happening because MM has set the team up that way. Steelmonkey - I realise you're trying to consolidate but the sentence above is factually incorrect. The Realists were demanding that Tabb be dropped and sold, they demanded that Hyam be dropped, they were horrified when MM brought Stephen Hunt in, they demanded that Taylor play, and Wordsworth too (where are they now?) and they berated our captain Chambo for his performances at right back. So to say these players are now producing what you knew they were capable of is just wrong.

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Steelmonkey added 07:28 - Dec 8 Peoples opinions differ, and that's my point Accept someone's views for what they are, an opportunity for discussion.
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Razor added 11:02 - Dec 8 One small point on Saturday would like to have seen Baljner for last 10, we know what Salmon can or can not do. Derby at Boro on Saturday so lets play play both Bru and Bish against Noltlob and go for the win that may well put us top----would set us up nicely for next home game.
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