Goals from Jaden Philogene and George Hirst saw Town to a comfortable 2-1 home victory over Portsmouth. Philogene got the Blues up and running with his fourth goal in two games in the 10th minute and Hirst all but sealed the win four minutes just prior to half-time with his third of the season. Sub Ivan Azon hit the post late on before Marlon Pack pulled one back for Pompey in injury time but Town were not to be denied their first back-to-back league wins since the end of the 2023/24 promotion season.

Sindre Walle Egeli was handed his full Blues debut as Town boss Kieran McKenna made three changes from the side which started the abandoned game at Blackburn last week.

The 19-year-old Norwegian came in wide on the right for Kasey McAteer, who dropped to the bench.

Sammie Szmodics returned to the side as the number 10 with Chuba Akpom also among the substitutes.

One of the changes was enforced with Jacob Greaves suspended for his red card in last week’s curtailed fixture. Cedric Kipre, who came off the bench at Ewood Park following the dismissal, made his league debut for the Blues alongside skipper Dara O’Shea at the centre of the defence.

Portsmouth made five changes from the team which was beaten 2-0 at home by Sheffield Wednesday last week with former Norwich youngster Josh Murphy missing out again through injury and on-loan Blues forward Conor Chaplin ineligible against his parent club.

Keeper Josef Bursik made his Pompey debut, while Josh Knight, Luke Le Roux, Mark Kosznovszky and Yang Min-hyeok were all making their first Championship starts.

Ex-Town midfielder Andre Dozzell was in Pompey’s midfield and in seventh minute found his way into referee Andrew Kitchen’s notebook for hauling a marauding Jens Cajuste to the ground on halfway, his skipper Colby Bishop having failed to fell the Swedish international despite his best endeavours.

Two minutes later, via the first serious attack of the game, the Blues went in front. O’Shea intercepted a poor Yang pass on the edge of the Town area and Cajuste powered his way through midfield before feeding Philogene on the left. The former England U21 international brought the ball inside before smashing a shot across Bursik, off the inside of the post and into the net.

The ex-Aston Villa man celebrated his fourth goal in two games in front of the scoreboard, all four having come within 60 minutes of football at Portman Road.

Having gone in front, the Blues remained in control with Cajuste and Azor Matusiwa confidently running things in the centre of midfield. On 12, the on-loan Napoli man fed in Szmodics on the left of the box but the linesman’s flag was raised.

Philogene shot over in the 17th minute after Walle Egeli’s mis-kicked volley had fallen to him just outside the box, then a minute later Szmodic did well to reach a ball down the right and cut it back to Hirst at the near post but the one-time Portsmouth loanee scuffed his effort across the face of goal.

In the 26th minute, with Town still dominant, Hirst flicked a high ball into the path of Szmodics down the right, the Irish international taking it on into the area, turning inside a defender before shooting straight at Bursik. A ball cut inside to a teammate would have been a better option but Szmodics always looked to have one thing in his sights having not scored since the 2-2 draw at Fulham in January.

Pompey’s first chance came in the 31st minute, Yang getting beyond Darnell Furlong and standing up a ball to the back post where Zak Swanson headed to Alex Palmer under pressure from Cajuste and Leif Davis.

Two minutes later, Le Roux joined his midfield partner Dozzell in the referee’s book for a late challenge on Szmodics just inside the Town half.

Portsmouth should have levelled in the 34th minute when Adrian Segecic played in Yang with an excellent pass, putting the South Korean international through on goal to the left. However, Palmer was out of his goal very quickly to claim at the on-loan Tottenham man’s feet.

Pompey had a brief spell on top but without seriously threatening again, but in the 41st minute the Blues doubled their lead via their most neatly worked goal of the season so far, one very much of the type which became so familiar in the promotion campaigns.

Matusiwa fed in Davis on the left and the full-back took it on before playing a ball across the six-yard area to Hirst, who turned home at the far post.

It was the Scotland international’s third goal of the season and second in two games, and perhaps the sweetest against one of his old sides. It was also Davis’s first assist of the season.

With the half in two additional minutes, Cajuste swept a pass out to Philogene on the touchline on the left, the wideman moved it on to Davis, who cut back to the edge of the area where Chaplin, now on loan at Pompey, has so often been lurking in the past.

Referee Kitchen brought the half to an end soon afterwards with the Blues well worth their two-goal lead having put in their most dominant first 45 minutes of the season.

The early goal settled any nerves and from there Town were well in control with the team looking more of a cohesive unit than they had against Sheffield United before the Blades’ second half collapse or in the quagmire at Blackburn last week.

Championship defences seem unable to deal with Philogene playing out wide and cutting in with only one thing on his mind, while Cajuste again looks like he should be playing at a level above. Davis will be pleased to have notched his first assist and Hirst to add to his goals.

Seconds after the restart, Portsmouth defender Regan Poole was very fortunate not to get in the book for clotheslining Szmodics as the Blues forward burst past him, not the first time the one-time Colchester man felt referee Kitchen had been somewhat generous in his treatment of the visitors.

On 49, Walle Egeli, who had been relatively quiet in the first half, cut in from the right and struck a shot which deflected off Connor Ogilvie and looped onto the roof of the net.

From the corner, Davis’s kick was cleared to Philogene on the edge of the area but his well-hit shot flew wide.

In the 53rd minute, O’Shea got across to the left of the area to slide in and block in front of Yang, then from the corner Bishop headed down towards Palmer’s right post but the keeper got down to claim.

Four minutes later, Davis broke forward but his through ball for Hirst was cut out, but only directed to Philogene, who curled a first-time right-footed effort well over.

As the game moved towards the hour mark, Philogene threw long from the left and Kipre nodded at goal, Bursik claiming. The Pompey keeper subsequently kicked the ball straight at Hirst and waved an imaginary yellow card towards referee Kitchen, who opted not to issue a caution either way.

Portsmouth made their first subs in the 62nd minute, Le Roux and Segecic making way for Pack and John Swift.

Three minutes later, Walle Egeli was booked for pulling back Ogilvie as the full-back broke on the left midway inside the Town half.

On 72, Pack shot low past Palmer’s right post with Portsmouth continuing to look for a goal, but without too much conviction.

Town made their first changes of the afternoon two minutes later, goalscorers Hirst and Philogene, the again excellent Cajuste and Walle Egeli, who will have learnt a lot from his first Championship start, replaced by Azon, Jack Clarke, Marcelino Nunez and McAteer. Portsmouth switched Kosznovszky for Florian Bianchini and Yang for Makenzie Kirk.

In the 77th minute, Nunez whipped in an excellent free-kick from deep on the right, O’Shea heading towards goal and Bursik tipping over, much to the Town skipper’s evident frustration.

Three minutes later, Azon headed a long throw from the right well wide, but Kipre reached it, however, his cross-shot flew high and wide. On 81 Town swapped Davis for Ashley Young.

On 85, Nunez was caught in possession just inside his own half by Pack and the Pompey veteran tried to catch out Palmer but sent his long distance looping effort wide.

Azon came close to opening his Town goals account in the 88th minute, cutting inside a defender before hitting a shot across Bursik but off the outside of the keeper’s right post. In the final minute, Portsmouth replaced Knight with Hayden Matthews.

In the second minute of injury time, Pompey pulled a goal back, only their fifth of the season, Swift whipping a corner over from the left and unmarked sub Pack heading into the far corner of the net to give the travelling fans something to cheer about.

Seconds later, before the home crowd could get too nervous, referee Kitchen blew the final whistle, confirming Town’s first back-to-back league wins since the Coventry and Huddersfield victories which secured promotion to the Premier League at the end of the 2023/24 campaign.

The game had been won in the first half and it was perhaps little surprise that the second period was something of an anticlimax, Town playing very much within themselves in order to see out the win.

Portsmouth were more in it than they had been in the first period, but without seriously troubling the Blues’ backline until the late set-piece goal.

Overall, the sort of routine home victory that needs to become a habit if Town are to win promotion back to the Premier League at the first attempt.

The result moves the Blues up to 12th, three points off the play-offs and four off second with a game in hand, ahead of the trip to Bristol City on Tuesday.

Town: Palmer, Furlong, O’Shea (c), Kipre, Davis (Young 81), Matusiwa, Cajuste (Nunez 74), Walle Egeli (McAteer 74), Szmodics, Philogene (J Clarke 74), Hirst (Azon 74). Unused: Walton, Johnson, Taylor, Akpom.

Portsmouth: Bursik, Swanson, Poole, Knight (Matthews 90), Ogilvie, Dozzell, Le Roux (Pack 62), Yang (Kirk 74), Kosznovszky (Bianchini 74), Segecic (Swift 62), Bishop (c). Unused: Killip, Williams, Devlin, Bowat. Referee: Andrew Kitchen (Durham). Att: 29,141.

Photo: Matchday Images

runaround added 19:55 - Sep 27 A decent win against a team unbeaten away until today. Think we were excellent at times but also seem to have lapse in intensity and concentration at times that could harm us. Sort that out and avoid major injuries and this could still be a successful season
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LWNR1973 added 20:01 - Sep 27 HAVENT GOTTA clueboy. What are you on about, were you there? We were totally different class 1st half and yes they had a bit of go 2nd half but only scored from a set piece, which yet we need to better at. Win our game in hand and we’re up to 4th/5th. Bizarre!
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BlueRuin69 added 20:07 - Sep 27 Well done boys COYB
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blueboy1981 added 20:20 - Sep 27 londontractorboy57 ….. speak for yourself Fella ! - don’t judge others by yourself !!
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blueboy1981 added 20:23 - Sep 27 Paulc ….. I’m not like you and some - satisfied with anything. And I don’t need your advice or permission to have an opinion - so keep both !!
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Dissboyitfc added 20:49 - Sep 27 No blueboy you arent satisfied with anything,,,,at all, not ever! Really good first half with signs of the team gelling, no signs of a club in disarray blueboy! I still have high hopes for the season. This team is stronger than the last time we were promoted!
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Billysherlockblue added 21:41 - Sep 27 Linkbor13 of course all that matters is the result. Would you prefer if we were world class and lose one nil. Beggars belief
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Dozzells_Bobblehat added 22:15 - Sep 27 Blueboy , we all know the Championship is a long hard slog. You're not some sort of football genius to predict that . In other news, water is wet.
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Dozzells_Bobblehat added 22:17 - Sep 27 For all of those giving Philogene a hard time a few weeks back, please just take note . Sometimes players need to bed in and get a run of games and confidence. He looks like a different player at the minute .
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bobble added 22:32 - Sep 27 Groovy...
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IpswichToon added 23:26 - Sep 27 blueboy1981 sorry to hear you're not satisfied by anything. Your poor missus must find it tough.
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Rimsy added 23:43 - Sep 27 Well, it was another win, but Portsmouth were poor and we should have had a hatful. Dominated the first half, but seemed content to drift through the second and could have easily thrown it away. Good signs though and we are moving in the right direction and will only get stronger.
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