Town climbed to third in the Championship table following a 3-1 home victory over bottom side Sheffield Wednesday. The Blues made heavy weather of the first half but took the lead through Cedric Kipre in the 33rd minute. The second half was more comfortable against a tiring Owls team with Jaden Philogene adding the second on the hour, before the visitors pulled one back via Liam Cooper on 71, then Jack Clarke sealed the three points in the 87th minute.

Town made two changes from the team which lost 3-1 at Leicester City last weekend with Sindre Walle Egeli, who missed the Foxes game due to illness, and Jens Cajuste coming into the side for Jack Clarke and Jack Taylor, who dropped to the bench. Sammie Szmodics was absent from the 20-man squad.

The Owls made one change from the team which lost 3-0 at home to Derby County last week with Liam Palmer coming in for Sean Fusire, who is at the Africa Cup of Nations along with Yan Valery. Former Town loan defender Dominic Iorfa started.

Town were first to threaten in the fifth minute, Jaden Philogene cutting back and crossing right-footed from the left and former Wednesday striker George Hirst, whose father David is an Owls legend, headed just over.

Soon after, the Scotland international took to the turf evidently having tweaked something and after treatment was replaced with Ivan Azon in the 10th minute but with the frontman having looked as if he was keen to continue.

With Town failing to impose themselves on the game, Wednesday came more into it and on the quarter-hour should have gone in front. Bailey Cadamarteri was given a free header from a corner on the left but planted his header well wide.

From the restart, the Blues played themselves into trouble, skipper Dara O’Shea taking too heavy a touch, Jamal Lowe robbing him and taking it into the left of the box. Christian Walton was quickly off his line to close the angle and the Jamaica international looped it over the keeper only for Kipre to nod off the line.

At the other end on 22, Azon headed wide under pressure from a Marcelino Nunez free-kick wide on the right after Darnell Furlong had been fouled by Charlie McNeill.

Two minutes later, Walton rolled the ball out to Leif Davis on the left just outside the area but the ball was stolen by Palmer, who sought to chip the keeper but lofted it over the bar.

It had been a slow and sloppy start from the Blues but in the 28th minute they put together a move which ought to have led to the opening goal.

Nunez played a clever pass into the right of the area for Cajuste, whose shot from an angle was saved by home keeper Pierce Charles. The ball looped into the air and Nunez headed the rebound wide.

Town began to get up a head of steam and went close again in the 32nd minute. Cajuste powered forward with the ball and fed Azon to his right. The Spaniard’s shot from the edge of the area deflected to Philogene on the left of the box, the ball looping up and the former England U21 international hit an overhead kick which looked to be going in but struck the inside of the post and ricocheted across goal.

Walle Egeli tried to cross back in and the ball was turned behind for a corner from which the Blues went in front.

Davis whipped the ball over and while Cajuste was wrestling with a defender on the line, Kipre headed his second goal of the season in off the underside of the bar.

Despite having gone in front, the Blues continued to huff and puff with no further serious threat before the whistle.

The lead was perhaps the only positive out of a disjointed and underwhelming first half. The Blues had come close early on through Hirst before the striker made way due to his injury.

Wednesday then had two very decent opportunities of their own with Town rarely causing much danger until Philogene hit the post and then Kipre headed the goal.

Within seconds of the second half getting under way, the game was stopped after Azon and Iorfa clashed heads, the ex-Blues loanee requiring treatment before briefly continuing.

Once the match got going again, Liam Cooper was booked for rugby tackling Azon after the on-loan Como man had rolled him on the right. Ahead of the free-kick, Iorfa made way having not recovered from the blow to the head. Gabriel Otegbayo replaced him before O’Shea looped a header over from the free-kick.

As the clock ticked past the 52-minute mark there was a round of applause for supporter Andrew Hammond, who died earlier in the week.

Town began to put the Owls under pressure, Philogene twisting and turning on the left of the box before aspirationally claiming a penalty, then Kipre scuffed a shot well wide from not far outside the area.

And on the hour, the Blues made it 2-0. Cajuste made a powerful run down the middle following a rare Wednesday attack, fed Nunez ahead of him, who in turn played in Philogene to his left and Town top scorer smashed his eighth of the season - all at Portman Road - past Charles in the Owls goal.

Four minutes later, Azon curled a shot wide from the left of the area trying to reprise his late strike against Coventry. Ahead of the restart, Wednesday were forced into another change, George Brown replacing Max Lowe.

Town should have made it 3-0 in the 67th minute, Nunez having been sent away on the right. The Chilean cut inside a defender, then laid back to Walle Egeli, but the Norwegian’s shot was forced wide by Charles.

From the corner, the Blues were denied what looked a certain penalty. Davis’s ball to the far post reached O’Shea, who seemed set to stroke home until sub Brown hauled him over. Somehow referee David Webb failed to see it and waved away the Town protests.

The Blues had another opportunity on 70, Azon crossing for Philogene, who shot high into the North Stand.

A minute later, the Owls pulled one back. Barry Bannan’s free-kick from the left dropped loose eight yards out at the near post and Cooper slammed a low shot into the corner of the net.

The goal gave the visitors a boost and in the 75th minute they weren’t far from levelling when a ball from the right was stood up to the far post and Cajuste took it off the head of Otegbayo, who otherwise would have nodded into the net.

The ball was kept in and around the area until Bailey Cadamarteri scuffed a shot which finished nearer the corner flag than the goal.

Walton suffered a knock in the incident and while the keeper was undergoing treatment, the Blues swapped Walle Egeli, Cajuste and Philogene for Kasey McAteer, Taylor and Clarke.

After Furlong had been booked for a foul on Brown, Wednesday made further changes on 81, Jarvis Thornton replacing Svante Ingelsson, Reece Johnson coming on for McNeill and Ike Ugbo taking over from Cadamarteri.

Town settled any jitters among fans in the 87th minute when they scored their third goal. Matusiwa played in Clarke on the left and the winger took it on into the area but looked to have squandered the chance as Otegbayo got across in front of him but somehow the sub lost his footing and the former Sunderland man stabbed his seventh of the season into the net off the inside of the post.

The Blues swapped Nunez for Ashley Young, the former Norwich man receiving a warm ovation as he left the field.

McAteer stung the keeper’s hands with a strike from the edge of the area from Clarke’s pass, then, after the fourth official indicated nine additional minutes, Azon cut back from the right to the former Leicester man, whose low shot was saved at his post by Charles.

Town almost made it 4-1 in the 96th minute when McAteer crossed low for Azon and keeper Charles kept it out with his trailing leg. As the Spaniard went to hook the rebound home, he caught Otegbayo in the face with his boot as the Wednesday sub bravely headed away.

That was the last action with the Blues almost certainly leaving the field feeling they should have increased their lead in the latter stages with Azon and McAteer both having been denied by sharp saves from Charles in the Owls goal.

After the disappointing first half display, the Blues were better in the second and having gone 2-0 in front, it was comfortable aside from the short spell after Wednesday pulled a goal back.

Town go into Christmas third in the table, five points behind Middlesbrough in second, the Teessiders having lost 2-0 at Bristol City this afternoon, and 11 off leaders Coventry, who drew 1-1 at Southampton.

The Blues are next in action at Millwall, who lost 2-0 at Blackburn this afternoon, on Boxing Day.

Town: Walton, Furlong, O’Shea (c), Kipre, Davis, Matusiwa, Cajuste (Taylor 76), Walle Egeli (McAteer 76), Nunez (Young 89), Philogene (Clarke 76), Hirst (Azon 10). Unused: Palmer, Johnson, Greaves, Akpom.

Sheffield Wednesday: Charles, Palmer, Iorfa (Otegbayo 50), Cooper, M Lowe (Brown 66), Amass, Ingelsson (Thornton, 81), Bannan (c), J Lowe, McNeill (Johnson 81), Cadamarteri (Ugbo 81). Unused: Horvarth, Emery, Alao, Shipston. Referee: David Webb (Lancashire). Att: 28,680.

Photo: Matchday Images