Jaden Philogene’s seventh goal of the season in only the second minute was enough to see Town to a 1-0 home victory over Stoke City. Philogene curled in a trademark brilliant strike to see the Blues on their way to what ought to have been a more comfortable win, one which sees them move up to fourth in the table.

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 with a move which began with keeper
Christian Walton.

After Leif Davis had brought the ball forward, 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 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 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.

Philogene almost repeated the trick of scoring within the second minute at the start of the second period, bringing the ball in from the left and hitting a shot which deflected behind for a corner.

There was a scare for the Blues in the 49th minute, Kipre winning Talovierov’s long ball forward, Matusiwa getting on to it but inadvertently playing in Thomas on the right of the area. Fortunately for the Dutchman, O’Shea was quickly across to knock the Welshman’s cross behind.

Two minutes later, the ball was played to Azon in a promising area outside the box with his back to goal but the Spaniard’s lay-off to Jack Taylor was underhit.

On 55, Philogene played in Davis on the Town left and the full-back took it on into the area before hitting a shot across the face of goal, the former Leeds man perhaps having been in two minds whether to have a go at goal himself or cross for the teammates breaking towards the edge of the six-yard area.

Two minutes later, Azon swept a cross over from the right and former Colchester United right-back Junior Tchamadeu turned it behind ahead of Philogene at the far post. From Davis’s corner, Azon headed straight at Johansson. Either side of the keeper and it would probably have been a goal.

As the game reached the hour mark, Taylor belted a strike which evidently hit Bosun Lawal in the groin. The former Irish U21 international spent some time recovering and then was replaced, although it appeared a planned change rather than as a result of the ball hitting him. Tomas Rigo took over.

In the 65th minute, Philogene was fouled just outside the area and Nunez struck the wall with the free-kick. Stoke looked to break, but Matusiwa intercepted a pass and moved it on to Nunez on the right of the area and the Chilean won a corner on the right with Town having few options in the middle after retreating with admirable speed after the Potters had looked set to counter-attack.

On 67, the Potters swapped Cisse and Divin Mubama for Manhoef and Sam Gallagher, a Town target in January 2024.

Two minutes after coming on, the Stoke subs almost combined to equalise, Manhoef taking the ball into the area on the left before crossing just behind Gallagher.

Town made their first changes in the 75th minute to warm applause, Sindre Walle Egeli, Taylor and Azon making way for Clarke, Jens Cajuste, making his 50th appearance for the club, and Chuba Akpom.

Four minutes later, Akpom did well on halfway as the Blues played out from the back, then the ball was played through for Cajuste, who cut into the area but saw his shot blocked.

Moments later, Matusiwa was harshly booked for a challenge in the centre circle having looked to win the ball cleanly. The former Rennes man is now on nine yellow cards with a 10th leading to a two-match ban.

Town weren’t far away from making it 2-0 in the 83rd minute, Clarke breaking quickly and finding Nunez on the edge of the area, the former Norwich man curling a shot which Johansson pawed away for a corner to his left.

That was Nunez’s last action, Sammie Szmodics taking over as the Chilean left the field to a rousing ovation. Stoke switched Bae and Nzonzi for Robert Bozenik and Pearson.

Szmodics almost created a goal with his first involvement, sending in a low cross from the right towards Akpom, but with Talovierov somehow managing to get a toe in ahead of the Town striker.

The former Blackburn man, still to score for Town at Portman Road, saw a shot blocked from a Davis cross from the left in the 89th minute with the Blues finishing the stronger. Moments later, Talovierov was booked for pulling back Philogene, who remarkably still had the energy to take players on down the left.

As the match moved into two additional minutes, Stoke began to show some urgency but with the Blues backline remaining stubborn. O’Shea winning the ball in the air, then Walton palming away a cross to the far post for a final moments corner.

Johansson wanted to go forward but was sent back and Town dealt with the flag-kick, and were breaking away in numbers towards the Stoke half when referee Herczeg blew his whistle, initially to frustration from fans wanting a second goal but then to cheers.

The Blues thoroughly deserved the win and really ought to have made it more secure than a single goal having had plenty of chances or opportunities to create chances.

Stoke, who have now lost five of their last six and are down to eighth, managed only one shot on goal all evening and aside from the late cross and subsequent corner, Town never looked under any serious threat after the break.

A second home win in five days and third clean sheet in a row at Portman Road, the first time the Blues have managed that in the Championship since 2016, sees Town back up to fourth in the table, 10 points off the top and five from second ahead of Saturday’s trip to Leicester, who drew 2-2 at Bristol City having been 2-0 up at half-time.

Town: Walton, Furlong, O’Shea (c), Kipre, Davis, Matusiwa, Taylor (Cajuste 75), Walle Egeli (Clarke 75), Nunez (Szmodics 84), Philogene, Azon (Akpom 75). Unused: Palmer, Young, Johnson, McAteer, Greaves.

Stoke: Johansson, Tchamadeu, Cresswell, Wilmot (c), Talovierov, Lawal (Rigo 61), Nzonzi (Pearson 84), Bae (Bozenik 84), Thomas, Cisse (Manhoef 67), Mubama (Gallagher 67). Unused: Bonham, Seko, Bocat, Gibson. Referee: Adam Herczeg (Durham). Att: 27,008.

Photo: Matchday Images