Two goals from Pablo Couñago helped Town beat nine-man Rotherham at Portman Road on Saturday afternoon. The Spaniard struck either side of Martin Butler's goal for the Millers, who lost two men to red cards in the closing stages.

Joe Royle's side lined up with Shefki Kuqi making his first start at Portman Road and with Alan Mahon returning to the left of midfield. Kelvin Davis recovered from his throat infection and kept his place between the sticks.

It was Mahon who caused the first excitement of the game, crossing from the left towards Kuqi and Rotherham keeper Mike Pollitt doing well to get the ball away from the Finnish international.

The Millers' first opportunity of the game came not long after, a corner from Carl Robinson breaking to Martin MacIntosh inside the box but his shot cannoned against Chris Bart-Williams. A half-hearted penalty appeal was turned away by referee Andy D'Urso.

There was a scare for the visitors in the 11th minute when Shefki Kuqi almost made the most of a slip at the back by MacIntosh. His inaccurate backpass almost let in the on-loan striker but Pollitt did well to get in ahead of him.

Referee D'Urso has never been a popular figure at Portman Road and two bad decisions both giving Rotherham undeserved corners in the 15th minute got the abuse flying from the North Stand.

Two minutes later Pablo Couñago came close to opening the scoring. His shot on the turn inside the area being cleared off the line by Rob Scott. Not long after Fabian Wilnis had a shot blocked after the full-back had made a fine run forward.

Alan Mahon's corners have been a real danger since he joined the club and his kick from the right on 23 was no exception. The ball flew across the box at headable height just avoiding Shefki Kuqi's ample forehead.

Georges Santos, once again impressive at the centre of the defence, showed the more subtle side to his game in the 25th minute with a backheel in front of the Britannia Stand.

Just prior to the half hour Shefki Kuqi screwed a shot wide from a tight angle before Paul Warne put a shot well over Kelvin Davis' goal.

Chris Sedgwick irked the Blues' support when his elbow appeared to catch keeper Kelvin Davis in the head as the two challenged for the ball. Although awarding a freekick to Town D'Urso felt that a card was not warranted.

A Mahon corner bounced off the top of Pollitt's crossbar on 32. Ten minutes later Mahon and then Jermaine Wright both had shots blocked by defenders.

With two minutes remaining before the break a poor clearance from a Rotherham defender went towards Jim Magilton 30 yards out with keeper Mike Pollitt out of his goal. Magilton stabbed at the ball first time but skewed his attempt wide of the post.

Town had been on top throughout the half, Rotherham mainly kept to breaks involving pacy striker Darren Byfield. It had been pretty much the game that was expected with the physical visitors coming to frustrate Town, something they had largely succeeded in doing during the first 45.

The Blues made no changes at the break and Kelvin Davis was quickly into action, tipping a Martin Butler shot over the bar after Richard Naylor had mis-cleared.

Georges Santos, in a more than usually delicate mood, brought the ball forward in the 49th minute, backheeling to Jim Magilton before receiving a return pass but hitting a shot wide of Pollitt's goal.

Town went ahead in the 53rd minute after Alan Mahon had won a corner on the Town left. Jim Magilton swung the ball over and Pablo Couñago met it seven yards out, his header beating Pollitt. It was Couñago's first goal from open play this season and his third overall.

The Blues were enthusiastically looking for a second goal and two minutes later Alan Mahon sent Shefki Kuqi away in the clear on the right. The Finn overhit his first touch and Pollitt was out to collect.

Referee D'Urso again annoyed Town fans on 56 when he failed to give a freekick for former Blue Chris Swailes' hauling down of Pablo Couñago on the edge of the area as the former Celta Vigo player attempted to turn.

Two minutes before the hour Rotherham equalised. Chris Sedgwick made a strong run down the right past Matt Richards before crossing. Paul Warne shot from the edge of the penalty box, his strike deflecting off Martin Butler and past Kelvin Davis.

It was a blow from Town who twice saw Rotherham come from behind to beat them last season.

On 59 Martin MacIntosh picked up a yellow card for a tackle from behind on Pablo Couñago.

Another incisive Mahon cross from the left caused danger in the Millers' defence, a mix-up allowing the ball to reach Kuqi at the far post. The striker put ball back into the box to Couñago whose header was well saved by Pollitt.

In the 63rd minute Darren Byfield wasn't that far away from a spectacular goal, his overhead kick going wide of Kelvin Davis' post. Not long later Georges Santos picked up a yellow card, his third of the season, for a foul on Julien Baudet in the centre circle.

The Blues would go back in front in the 68th minute. Pablo Couñago backheeled on the edge of the box to Chris Bart-Williams who shaped for a shot only for Sedgwick to bring him down from behind. Andy D'Urso had little doubt and pointed straight to the spot.

After arguments from a number of the visitors' players Couñago stepped up to put the ball low to Pollitt's left, the keeper going the wrong way. It was identical to his recent spotkicks against Notts County and Wimbledon.

On 72 Chris Swailes appeared to get away with catching Couñago in the face just in front of the dug-outs, Joe Royle clearly unimpressed with referee D'Urso's failure to act.

The Spaniard, doing well to keep calm given some of the physical treatment coming his way, set up a decent opportunity for Jim Magilton in the 74th minute but the Blues' skipper ballooned the ball over the bar.

Couñago, clearly after the second Town hat-trick of his career, came close to flicking a Richards cross past Pollitt in the 77th minute.

The resurgent number nine had proved a thorn in the Millers' side all afternoon and a minute later he beat McIntosh only for the defender to trip him on the 18-yard line. Andy D'Urso called McIntosh over and showed a yellow and then a red card, the Millers' player having received his first card for the earlier foul on Couñago.

Alan Mahon curled the freekick a long way over the bar with Rob Scott all over Couñago in the middle.

Andy D'Urso was at the centre of the action again in the 80th minute after Georges Santos clashed with Darren Byfield in the Town area. Clearly the visitors felt they should have had a penalty, several of them surrounding the referee who brandished a yellow card, probably to Carl Robinson.

There was further D'Urso centred action three minutes later when Julien Baudet reacted angrily after challenging Alan Mahon outside the Town area. The Frenchman had cleanly won the ball from the loanee, sending it out for a throw to the Blues and causing Mahon to somersault in the process.

Presumably Mahon had caught the Rotherham player in the leg as he tumbled and the Irishman appeared to be apologising as Baudet got to his feet and pushed him in the face. The Rotherham player went back to ground where he received treatment, Andy D'Urso showing him a straight red card as he returned to his feet.

The Millers' number six hobbled off with the help of their physio, although he continued to remonstrate with Mahon as he made his way to the touchline.

The Blues kept possession for most of the remainder of the game without threatening Pollitt's goal further. With a minute left Ian Westlake replaced the tiring Alan Mahon.

A difficult game for Town against physical opposition who last season frustrated them home and away and gaining six points.

Shefki Kuqi was an important factor in the Blues' victory. His hold-up play and aerial dominance something that Town have lacked for some while. Alongside him Pablo Couñago had his most effective game of a hitherto disappointing season, the pair most dangerous in the second half when Jim Magilton took control of the game.

There seemed little doubt regarding the penalty or the sendings off and Rotherham can think themselves lucky that one or two other decisions went their way, although the clash between Santos and Byfield may well have been seen as a penalty by some officials.

At the back there were a couple of shaky moments but Kelvin Davis was rarely troubled, Richard Naylor again solid alongside the increasingly influential Georges Santos.

The first in a long run of games Town should gain decent results from with another three points at Bradford next week a further chance to improve the league position.

Town: Davis, Wilnis, Richards, Naylor, Santos, Magilton, Wright, Bart-Williams, Mahon (Westlake 89), Couñago, Kuqi.

Photo: Action Images

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