Town continued their unbeaten home run and moved up to second in the table with a comfortable 3-0 win at home to Preston North End. The Blues should probably have scored more but had to be content with first half efforts from Shefki Kuqi and Tommy Miller, with Darren Bent adding the third.

Town lined-up 4-4-2 with skipper Jim Magilton returning in midfield and Pablo Couñago dropping to the bench. Lewis Price continued in goal with Kelvin Davis likely to be back in contention next week.

Preston's Paul McKenna hit the first shot of the game some distance over the bar in the second minute, after Guylain Ndumba-Bsunga had seized on Kevin Horlock's wayward pass just outside the Town penalty area.

Soon after, Drissa Diallo headed a Magilton corner over the bar as the Blues took control. On four, Kuqi and Westlake exchanged passes on the left, the Finn taking the ball into the area but shooting weakly at Lilywhites' keeper Gavin Ward.

There was a scare for the Blues in the sixth minute when Richard Cresswell broke on the Preston left. However, Drissa Diallo and Richard Naylor got back to avert the danger.

A minute later, Magilton threaded through Kuqi who took the ball round Ward but took himself wide in doing so. The striker laid it back to Ian Westlake whose shot was blocked on the line by John Curtis, although the ball may well have already crossed the line.

Town tried to replicate Watford's freekick goal from last week in the ninth minute, a defender blocking Tommy Miller's strike. Shortly afterwards, Darren Bent forced Ward into tipping his top-corner-bound 20-yard shot over the bar.

Referee Iain Williamson took note of Guylain Ndumbu-Nsungu's name on 14 after the striker had fouled Ian Westlake inside the centre circle.

The Blues continued to dominate and go looking for their first goal and thought they had come close when Darren Bent was played through by Jim Magilton. The onrushing Ward blocked, the ball falling to Shefki Kuqi who put his rebound against the post, referee Williamson pointing out shortly afterwards that both Town players had been offside.

On 28, a slip from Fabian Wilnis allowed Ndumbu-Nsungu shot inside the area, but Lewis Price got down well to his left to block at his near-post.

But the action was mainly at the other end and Tommy Miller ought to have scored when put through by a Kuqi knockdown, the midfielder hitting his shot straight at the keeper.

Town felt they should have had a penalty in the 34th minute when Lucketti appeared to shove Bent over when the pair were chasing a ball over the top, however referee Williamson, who was not impressing home supporters in any case, was not interested. Lucketti got his name in the book a minute later for a foul on Kuqi just in front of the dug-outs.

Ward did well to save Bent's edge of the area effort before Richard Naylor headed Jim Magilton's right wing corner straight at the keeper.

It seemed the Blues wouldn't turn their possession and chances into goals until they struck twice in two minutes just before the break.

First Kuqi flicked the ball past Lucketti and took the ball on into the area before sliding it under Ward and into the net. The Finnish international celebrated with his customary dive.

As the game entered injury time, and less than a minute after the first goal, Town added their second. Darren Bent crossed from the left, Westlake was prevented from getting to the ball by a defender but Tommy Miller was behind him to slam the ball home from eight yards.

Despite the goals both coming so close to half-time, the Blues thoroughly deserved their lead at the break with Preston providing little threat, although not defending in the depth that Burnley did a few weeks ago.

Town weren't too far from adding to their goals shortly after interval when Jim Magilton curled a 25-yard freekick just wide. Soon after, Wilnis went wider from a similar distance.

On 50 Bent headed a Price kick down to Kuqi who took the ball on before blasting his shot wide. At the other end Ndumbu-Nsungu headed into the net but from an offside position. Town made a change two minutes later, with Matt Richards replacing Tommy Miller who appeared later with a bandage on his calf.

Westlake had a snapshot saved before Diallo became the first Town player to get his name in the book for a foul on Eddie Lewis on the edge of the Blues' box. The subsequent freekick was belted into the wall.

Paul McKenna added his name to the referee's list of cautions for a foul on Horlock, just prior to Richard Naylor making two important challenges inside the Town area as Preston enjoyed their best spell of the game. Kuqi broke strongly after Naylor's second block but his cross from the right was way too strong for Darren Bent.

A minute later, Town were three-up. Kuqi flicked the ball to Westlake who rode a challenge before finding Darren Bent just outside the area on the right, the striker lashing a shot into the corner of Ward's net.

At 3-0 and Town looking comfortable, Joe Royle decided to withdraw Jim Magilton, the skipper having been a doubt due to a knee strain this week. Striker Dean Bowditch replaced the Northern Irishman.

Within a minute Town were forced to make another change after Fabian Wilnis picked up a hamstring injury making a challenge inside the area. Pablo Couñago replaced the Dutchman, the Blues moving to a 4-4-2 formation with Darren Bent and Dean Bowditch on right and left of midfield respectively.

Preston sub Omar Daley lashed a shot into the sidenetting on 82 but a Preston consolation goal seemed less likely than a fourth for the Blues.

That ought to have come in the 87th minute when Kuqi was sent away in the clear on the left by Westlake. The striker should have played the ball across to Bent and Couñago as they sprinted into the area but instead decided to check inside a defender and was dispossessed.

Dickson Etuhu went wide when he might have done better as the game entered injury time, Eddie Lewis picking up a yellow card for a somewhat cynical foul on Couñago as the Spaniard sought to played the ball to Bent in the clear to his right.

As the whistle got close Kuqi hit a 25-yarder which Ward claimed and Etuhu again shot wide.

A win which should have been more comfortable than 3-0, Preston perhaps the least effective side to come to Portman Road this season. Town's 17 shots on target and six off demonstrates their dominance and the Blues were in control virtually throughout.

At the back, Lewis Price wasn't overly tested and he and the much-maligned back four will be pleased to have kept a clean sheet, Price's first in the league.

A defeat for Reading sees Town up to second in the table and without a defeat in eight games. The home run now stretches back to nine matches in all competitions this season plus two more at the end of last year.

Town: Price, Diallo, Wilnis (Couñago 77), De Vos, Naylor, Magilton (Bowditch 74), Horlock, Miller (Richards 55), Westlake, Bent, Kuqi.

Photo: Action Images

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