Jaden Philogene’s seventh goal of the season in only the second minute has given the Blues a 1-0 half-time lead against Stoke City at Portman Road.

Town made one enforced change from the team which beat Coventry 3-0 on Saturday with Ivan Azon starting for the suspended George Hirst.

The Scotland international missed out having amassed five bookings and the on-loan Como frontman was handed his fifth start for the club.

Keeper Alex Palmer was back in the squad and on the bench for the first time since injuring his calf in the home game against Charlton. Ben Johnson also returned to the subs.

Stoke made four changes from the team which lost 4-0 at Sheffield United on Saturday, handing centre-half Maksym Talovierov his first league start for the club having signed from Plymouth in the summer with Ashley Phillips suspended, also for reaching five yellow cards.

Former Blues left-back Aaron Cresswell, Steven Nzonzi, a World Cup winner with France in 2018, and Lamine Cisse also came into the team.

Million Manhoef, Eric Bocat and Tatsuki Seko all dropped to the bench. Midfielder Ben Pearson was also back among the subs after injury.

Following a minute’s applause for ex-Blues keeper David Best, who died yesterday, aged 82, Town went ahead after a minute and 44 seconds.

Philogene brought the ball in from the left and played it to Marcelino Nunez on the edge of the area, the Chilean tapping it back to the former England U21 international, who curled a brilliant strike into the top corner of Viktor Johansson’s net.

With the home fans still celebrating Philogene’s seventh goal of the season, another one for his personal Goal of the Season competition and taking him clear of Hirst and Jack Clarke as this season’s top scorer, Stoke came close to levelling.

In the fourth minute, Cisse cleverly played in Bae Jun-Ho on the left of the area and the South Korean seemed set to score until skipper Dara O’Shea got across to divert his strike behind. From the corner, Talovierov sent a header from deep wide of the post.

The Potters threatened again in the ninth minute, Cisse finding Sorba Thomas in acres of space on the left of the Town box. The Wales international cut inside Darnell Furlong but Christian Walton was quickly off his line to block.

Just after the quarter hour, Nunez shot too close to Johansson from distance as Town broke when he might have been better off feeding a teammate.

Three minutes later, Azon spurned a great chance to double the lead. Johansson was quickly off his line and out of his area to intercept a brilliant cross-field pass for Philogene to chase, but his clearance only found Leif Davis. The left-back took a touch before shooting towards goal, Johansson, having got back into his area, parrying to Azon, who blazed over with the keeper down and the goal gaping.

Town kept up the pressure, however, Nunez shooting over on 19, then a minute later Philogene ominously cut in from the left but hit his effort into Johansson’s arms.

Just before the half hour, Azor Matusiwa deftly played a ball into the left of the area for Philogene, who tricked his way to the byline, then cut back but without finding a teammate.

The Blues, who had passed their way out from the back more slickly than at any time previously this season, had another opportunity in the 43rd minute.

Davis intercepted a Stoke pass on halfway, took it forward and then found Nunez, whose shot appeared to catch a visitors defender on its way wide. However, referee Adam Herczeg gave a goal-kick.

Moments later, a Blues cross from the left reached Azon battling with two Stoke defenders, the ball appearing to catch Cresswell’s arm but without too many appeals from Town players and referee Herczeg indicated he saw nothing to concern him.

Town successfully defended a Stoke free-kick from the left in the last of four additional minutes before the referee ended the half.

The Blues will feel they should have gone in more than a goal in front having had more than enough opportunities to add to Philogene’s early stunner with Azon guilty of a glaring miss but with Town not making the most of a number of other openings.

Stoke, who had seen a lot of the ball, had created a couple of good chances in the spell after the Blues went in front but thereafter Walton had been untroubled.

Another goal in the second half should be enough to secure a second home win in five days, a result which would take the Blues back up to fourth in the table.

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

Stoke: Johansson, Tchamadeu, Cresswell, Wilmot (c), Talovierov, Lawal, Nzonzi, Junho, Thomas, Cisse, Mubama. Subs: Bonham, Pearson, Bozenik, Seko, Bocat, Rigo, Gallagher, Gibson, Manhoef. Referee: Adam Herczeg (Durham).

Photo: Matchday Images