Jaden Philogene’s 10th goal of the season has given the Blues a 1-0 half-time lead in their third-round FA Cup tie against Blackpool at Portman Road.

Town made seven changes from the side which beat Oxford United on New Year’s Day with Wes Burns making his first start since returning from injury and Ashley Young skippering.

Young, an FA Cup winner with Manchester United and the oldest player ever to captain the club, started at right-back with Ben Johnson at left-back and Jacob Greaves and Cedric Kipre the centre-halves. Alex Palmer was in goal for the first time since returning from the calf injury he sustained in October.

Azor Matusiwa continued in central midfield alongside Jack Taylor with, from the right, Burns, Jack Clarke and Jaden Philogene the trio behind number nine Chuba Akpom.

Leif Davis, Sindre Walle Egeli and Marcelino Nunez dropped to the bench, while Christian Walton, Dara O’Shea, Darnell Furlong and Jens Cajuste were left out of the squad.

Sammie Szmodics was on the bench having returned to training this week having been ill over Christmas, while David Button, former Tangerines loanee Elkan Baggott and Fin Barbrook all came into the squad.

League One Blackpool’s head coach Ian Evatt, one of two Seasiders sent off when the teams last met in the FA Cup in 2010 when Town won 2-1 at Bloomfield Road, brought former Blues midfielder Lee Evans and winger CJ Hamilton into their XI, while Josh Bowler and Scott Banks dropped to the bench.

Town weren’t far away from going in front in the fourth minute when Kipre nodded Clarke’s corner from the right goalwards but Bailey Peacock-Farrell tipped over.

Two minutes later, the Blues counter-attacked after a Blackpool free-kick and Philogene played in Burns in space breaking into the right of the area, however, the Wales international slipped as he prepared to shoot and the ball ran wide.

On eight, Johnson rather scuffed a shot from the left of the box having begun the game in a very advanced left-back role.

In the 11th minute, Taylor, who scored twice in the Blues’ 3-0 FA Cup third round victory at Portman Road last season, curled one from outside the area into Peacock-Farrell’s arms.

Two minutes later, the game was held up for Zac Ashworth to receive treatment after clattering into the advertising hoardings after he and Burns had slid in to challenge for a loose ball. The former West Brom left-back was fine to continue.

Once play restarted, Young fed Burns on the right and the wideman clipped over a cross which Akpom did well to win in the air but sent just over.

On 20, Taylor sent a free-kick from the left to beyond the far post and Burns diverted it to Peacock-Farrell having done well to battle his marker to win it.

Two minutes later, Philogene nutmegged Danny Imray, then exchanged passes with Taylor before hitting a shot from a tight angle on the left which Peacock-Farrell saved low.

Town captain for the day Young was shown the game’s first yellow card in the 22nd minute for pulling back Hamilton as the winger sought to run round the outside of him. The resultant free-kick was cleared and Evans shot well into the North Stand.

Blackpool went very close to going in front in the 25th minute, Hamilton playing a one-two with Albie Morgan before cutting back from the byline and finding Imray in space towards the back of the box. The on-loan Crystal Palace right-back seemed certain to score but Greaves dived in to make a vital block.

Three minutes later, Town will feel they should have gone in front. Greaves rose highest to win Young’s corner from the right at the far post and headed to the edge of the six-yard box where Taylor nodded over when the Irish international will think he ought to have done better.

Just after the half-hour, Clarke found Philogene with a cross-field pass and the Blues’ top scorer juggled the ball a couple of times before his latest Goal of the Season attempt looped over into the Sir Alf Ramsey Stand.

Town’s pressure and numerous goal attempts finally paid dividends in the 36th minute when Philogene netted his 10th of the season.

Burns moved the ball from the right to Clarke, who brought it inside and moved it on to Johnson on the edge of the box to the left, the former West Ham man played it out wide to Philogene, who shot across Peacock-Farrell and into the corner of the net.

In the 41st minute, Young curled a free-kick from just outside the area into Peacock-Farrell’s arms, Taylor having been tripped as he looked to receive a return pass.

There was a scare for the Blues on 44 when Johnson appeared to be fouled by Imray as he looked to see the ball back to Palmer, however, referee Thomas Parsons saw no infringement and Greaves was forced to slide in and concede a corner.

Within a minute, Town broke quickly and Akpom was played in in space on the left just outside the area by Clarke, but Peacock-Farrell saved the on-loan Ajax man’s well-struck shot.

As the half moved into two additional minutes, Kipre looped Young’s corner from the right high and wide.

Just before the whistle, Clarke’s shot was blocked and the loose ball fell to Johnson on the edge of the area but the full-back’s strike flew wide, perhaps off a defender.

The Blues were well worth their lead at the break having dominated throughout and having carved out plenty of chances before and after Philogene’s excellent goal, his 10th of the season, all at Portman Road with the last seven all at the Sir Alf Ramsey Stand end of the ground.

Blackpool had rarely got into the final third but might well have gone in front from their one real chance, but Greaves made an important block.

If Town maintain their performance in the second half, progress to round four ought to be relatively routine.

Town: Palmer, Johnson, Kipre, Greaves, Young (c), Matusiwa, Taylor, Burns, Clarke, Philogene, Akpom. Subs: Button, Baggott, Davis, Barbrook, Nunez, McAteer, Walle Egeli, Szmodics, Azon.

Blackpool: Peacock-Farrell, Lyons, Casey, Ashworth, Imray, Evans, Morgan, Honeyman (c), Hamilton, Bloxham, Fletcher. Subs: Ravizzoli, Nwankwo, Brown, Upton, Knight, Finnigan, Bowler, Banks, Ennis. Referee: Thomas Parsons (Rochdale).

Photo: Matchday Images