Wes Burns’s eighth goal of the season has given the Blues a 1-0 half-time lead over Peterborough United at the Weston Homes Stadium.

Town made one change with George Hirst replacing Freddie Ladapo up front with the team otherwise the same as the one which beat Port Vale 2-1 at Portman Road on Tuesday.

Peterborough included former Blues loanee Will Norris in goal, while Joe Ward, who was expected to be out for the season with an injury, and Dan Butler came into the team for Nathan Thompson, who is injured, and Kwame Poku.

Posh switched from their usual 4-2-1-3 to a back three and front two of Ephron Mason Clark and skipper Jonson Clarke Harris as the front two.

At a packed and noisy London Road, the Blues, wearing their red and black away kit, struck the first shot in the opening minute, Wes Burns cutting back from the right and Leif Davis running in and rather scuffing a shot through to keeper Norris.

Town continued to take the game to Posh, top scorer Conor Chaplin winning a seventh-minute free-kick on the right which Morsy looped in but was cleared.

Oliver Norburn picked up the game’s first yellow card in the 12th minute for kicking out at Morsy’s ankles as the Town skipper moved away from him with the ball. The Egypt international subsequently made his thoughts clear to Norburn, who had already been involved in a minor dust-up with Chaplin.

On 14, Morsy played a corner from the right low to Broadhead just inside the area but the Welshman’s low shot was blocked by Ronnie Edwards.

It had been virtually all Town aside from a couple of Peterborough breaks and in the 17th minute they went in front.

Following a throw-in on the left, Broadhead struck a powerful shot which Norris could only bat away to his left. The ball fell to Burns, who had plenty to do from a tight angle, but the Wales international shot back across Norris and into the far corner of the net.

Burns celebrated his eighth goal of the season and his first away from home delightedly in front of home fans, who minutes earlier had been berating him after he’d been down injured in front of them. One supporter was seen to spit at the Welshman and was later arrested.

Town quickly went about looking for a second goal, Chaplin scraping a low shot wide from 25 yards.

The Blues claimed a penalty in the 22nd minute when Hirst skipped away from Ronnie Edwards on the right of the box and was felled. The Town players surrounded referee Gavin Ward but the official awarded a corner.

Posh threatened for the first time in the 26th minute from a corner on the left. Frankie Kent nodded back at the far post and Mason-Clark’s overhead kick was superbly stopped at point-black by Christian Walton.

As the game moved towards the half-hour mark, Davis was left in a heap by Norburn, much to the fury of Morsy and a number of Town players. However, while Norburn was spoken to at length by the referee, the former Shrewsbury man had won the ball, even if the challenge was a little wild, and the game restarted with a drop ball.

In the 38th minute, Hirst was fouled five yards outside the area and Chaplin struck his free-kick well but straight at Norris.

On 43, Morsy was shown Town’s first yellow card of the game for a foul on Mason-Clark, although referee Ward clearly wasn’t looking to book the Blues’ skipper until reminded of a couple of earlier fouls by Peterborough players.

The fourth official indicated three additional minutes in which Posh had their best spell of possession of the half which ended with Clarke-Harris smashing a shot from the edge of the box which Walton did well to save down to his right.

Harry Clarke cleared for Town but eventually the ball was sent back in from the right and Clarke-Harris scuffed a header wide.

Referee Ward ended the half with the Blues back on the attack and Town went off at the break deservedly in front.

As has so often been the case in recent weeks, the Blues made a strong start and were well worth their goal when it came, Burns doing well with the rebound after Broadhead’s powerful strike had been too much for Norris to hold onto.

Town had had one or two other chances but without seriously testing Norris further, while Mason-Clark and Clarke-Harris had both forced Walton into impressive stops, a warning that the game is far from won at 1-0.

Elsewhere, Sheffield Wednesday, 0-0 at home to Exeter, and Plymouth, 1-1 with Cambridge at Home Park, are both drawing at the break, while fourth-place Barnsley are 1-0 up against Oxford at Oakwell.

Town: Walton, Clarke, Burgess, Woolfenden, Burns, Morsy (c), Luongo, Davis, Chaplin, Broadhead, Hirst. Subs: Hladky, Donacien, Ball, Edwards, Harness, Jackson, Ladapo.

Peterborough: Norris, Butler, Edwards, Kent, Taylor, Clarke-Harris (c), Mason-Clark, Ogbeta, Norburn, Kyprianou, Ward. Subs: Blackmore, Watts, Knight, Poku, Burrows, Thompson, Tshimanga. Referee: Gavin Ward (Surrey).

Photo: Matchday Images

ipswichboi added 16:04 - Apr 22 Strong start 2nd half required, get that 2 goal cushion and I'd be almost 100% confident of seeing it through
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