Josh Carson’s first two senior goals saw the Blues to a 2-1 victory over Crystal Palace at Portman Road. The 17-year-old netted in each half before Patrick McCarthy pulled one back for the Eagles.

Both managers named unchanged sides with Darren Ambrose the only one of the legion of ex-Blues in the Palace side with Owen Garvan and Lewis Price on the bench.

In front of Town’s highest home league gate of the season, Connor Wickham hit the first shot of the game wide from the edge of the area in the ninth minute with the ball always curling away from the target.

A minute later, Grant Leadbitter feinted his way past Kagisho Dikgacoi and forced Julian Speroni to get down to his right to save.

The Blues had started the stronger but on 14 the Eagles were given a freekick 25 yards out after Damien Delaney had fouled James Vaughan, however Ambrose slammed the ball into the Town wall.

A minute later, Vaughan did well to bring the ball into the area and find Ambrose in space on the left but the ex-Town midfielder looped his shot well over.

There was a scare for Town on 20 when, after a run in from the left by Ambrose, Danns was dispossessed as he was about to shoot from the edge of the box by Mark Kennedy. The ball broke to Dikgacoi, his ball in from the right was headed away by McAuley, then Ambrose looped a shot over Lee-Barrett from a tight angle, but across the face and out of play.

The Blues went similarly close within a minute, Josh Carson, who had started the game strongly, crossed from the right only just too far ahead of Jason Scotland and Wickham coming in at the far post.

On 26 Carson made a strong run into the area past a number of defenders from the right and found Scotland with his back to goal but the ball was stabbed away from the Trinidadian.

Norris shot weakly to Speroni on 32 with the Blues continuing to have the better of it but without really threatening to score.

At the other end, Ambrose forced his former Town academy schoolboy team-mate Arran Lee-Barrett into a save with a strike from the edge of the box after a quick Eagles break had followed a long spell of Town possession.

Wickham shot into the sidenetting in the 37th minute after a Carlos Edwards attempt from 20 yards had deflected into his path on the left.

Within a minute, the Blues were in front via 17-year-old Josh Carson’s first senior goal. The Northern Irishman cut in from the right and hit a right-foot shot across Speroni and into the net. The academy second-year had thoroughly deserved his goal after an impressive first 45 minutes.

Bullard shot well wide, then slightly closer with strikes as the first period moved into its final five minutes with the Blues looking to increase their lead. On 44 Patrick McCarthy headed wide for the visitors from an Ambrose corner on the left.

Town had been the better side for most of what had been an entertaining half, enjoying plenty of possession without threatening too often prior to Carson’s goal, which, given that it was struck with his weaker right foot may or may not have been intended to be a cross. Palace had taken a more direct approach and Ambrose and Vaughan had both looked dangerous when they were on the ball in and around the penalty area.

David Norris struck the first shot of the second half after receiving the ball from Carson just inside the area but the ball flew wide of Speroni’s right-hand post.

On 48 Edwards went closer with a low 20-yard left-foot strike which hit the outside of the post before going out of play.

Palace should have been on terms in the 52nd minute when Vaughan was found in space on the left of the area. Lee-Barrett saved but the ball ran loose to Dikgacoi on the edge of the box with the Town keeper still getting to his feet but the South Africa, who is on loan from Fulham, shot wide.

It was a lucky escape for the Blues, who, despite the early strikes, had started the second period less convincingly than they had ended the first.

Ambrose headed wide for the Eagles on 53, then two minutes later Wickham nodded Norris’s right wing cross goalwards, but failed to test Speroni.

Vaughan forced Lee-Barrett to save down to his right on the hour, Delaney and then Edwards clearing. A minute later, the Irishman was booked for a foul on Neil Danns.

After a bizarre incident where referee Graham Salisbury stopped play with Palace breaking to allow Leadbitter to receive treatment, Ambrose was given another opportunity to get his side back on terms when sent through one-on-one with Lee-Barrett on 65, but the keeper blocked his former Town academy comrade’s early strike.

Moments later, the Blues were two in front with Carson netting his second of the game and of his professional career. Jimmy Bullard sent in a corner from the right, which reached Delaney at the far post but neither the centre-half nor Scotland could get in a shot, the ball eventually running loose to Carson, who slammed home.

Leadbitter shot through to Speroni, then went wide before Blues boss Paul Jewell replaced the quiet Jason Scotland with Kieron Dyer, Connor Wickham moving up front. Palace swapped Ambrose and Vaughan for Wilfried Zaha and Sean Scannell.

On 72 the visitors went in front via a goal as soft as they come. Danns sent in a freekick from deep on the left with the Town defence appearing asleep. The ball flew over one-time Palace player Kennedy and reached McCarthy, who deftly took the ball down on his thigh before hammering past Lee-Barrett.

The goal gave the visitors a lift and in the 77th minute sub Zaha came close to equalising with a shot from the right of the area which flashed across the face of goal.

On 82 Leadbitter was booked for a foul on Danns, then Colin Healy replaced Bullard in the Town midfield.

Danns hit a freekick into a Town wall as the game entered its final five minutes with the Blues very much on the back foot for the first time.

After Dyer had been fouled by McCarthy just outside the area, Leadbitter’s freekick deflected out for a corner off the wall.

The game moved into five minutes of injury time with Danns having a great chance to put his side back on terms after another freekick had been crashed into the wall, this time having been taken by Dikgacoi. The ball was subsequently sent back in from the right and the former Colchester man shot across the face when he should have made Lee-Barrett work.

Town were finding themselves under pressure again as the final whistle approached but Zaha’s shot over was as near as Palace would get to an equaliser.

Paul Jewell’s side deserved their win but as last week at Burnley probably sat back too much having gone two goals in front and allowed Palace back into the game which should already have been well won when they conceded a sloppy goal.

In the first half the Blues were well in control but enjoyed less of an upper hand after the break, particularly after the Eagles had scored their goal.

The visitors threatened more in the closing stages than Burnley did a week ago but in the end the Blues backline and Arran Lee-Barrett did enough, occasionally riding their luck, to help their side to their third successive league victory.

Town: Lee-Barrett, Edwards, Kennedy, McAuley, Delaney, Leadbitter, Bullard (Healy 83), Norris, Carson, Wickham, Scotland (Dyer 71). Unused: Fülöp, Peters, Civelli, O'Dea, Drury.

Palace: Speroni, Clyne, McCarthy, Ambrose (Zaha 71), Danns, Iversen, Vaughan (Scannell 71), Moxey, Gardner, Agustien (Cadogan 84), Dikgacoi. Unused: Price, Davis, Garvan, Mahon. Referee: Graham Salisbury. Att: 24,378 (Palace: 1,622).

Story syndicated from TWTD.co.uk

Photo: Action Images

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