An Eiran Cashin own goal and Jack Taylor and Sammie Szmodics opening their accounts for the season saw Town to a 3-0 home victory over Blackburn Rovers, their sixth home win on the bounce in all competitions. Cashin turned in a Marcelino Nunez cross in only the third minute, Taylor stabbed home the second in the 12th minute and Szmodics added a third which really should have come much earlier two minutes from time.

George Hirst returned to the Town XI as Blues made seven changes from the team which beat Blackpool 2-1 in the FA Cup last weekend.

One-time Rovers loanee Hirst was back as the number nine having recovered from his groin injury with another one-time Blackburn loanee Christian Walton, Darnell Furlong, skipper Dara O’Shea, Leif Davis, Sindre Walle Egeli and Marcelino Nunez also returning to the team.

Alex Palmer, Ashley Young, Ben Johnson, Jacob Greaves, Wes Burns and Jack Clarke dropped to the bench, while Kasey McAteer and Cedric Akpom were absent from the 20-man squad due to injuries.

Blackburn made five changes from their on-penalties FA Cup defeat at Hull City last week with skipper Todd Cantwell, Sondre Tronstad, Sean McLoughlin, Yuki Ohashi and Moussa Baradji came into the team.

New signing Mathias Jorgensen, who joined from Bodo/Glimt in Norway earlier in the week, was on the bench but Lewis Miller, Kristi Montgomery and regular first-choice keeper Aynsley Pears missed out due to injury.

Town went ahead via the first attack of the game in the third minute. Nunez swept the ball wide to Jaden Philogene on the left, the Chilean then breaking forward and receiving a pass from the Blues’ top scorer before sending over a low cross which central defender Cashin, making his league debut for Rovers having joined on loan from Brighton, slammed into his own net.

Portman Road rejoiced the Blues taking the lead against Rovers for the first time this season having played almost two games at Ewood Park, while Cashin, who came close to joining Town in his time at Derby, grabbed the ball and looked to get straight back on with the game.

After successfully passing their way out of some tricky situations in their own area, the Blues threatened again on eight when Davis sent a free-kick towards the far post from midway inside the half to the left but O’Shea headed against a defender.

Soon after, Walle Egeli went closer, the Norwegian powerfully volleying from the edge of the area and looking certain to score until Rovers keeper Balazs Toth somehow got a hand to it to tip over.

Town were looking likely to score with every attack and in the 12th minute they doubled their lead.

Nunez sent over a corner from the left and O’Shea headed back towards goal from the far post, Taylor getting a toe on it as keeper Toth sought to save. The ball ran loose off the Hungarian’s legs and the Blues midfielder stabbed his first goal of the season - and first in a year and five days - over the line.

There was a scare for Town in the 22nd minute when Ohashi put the ball in their net but with the whistle having already been blown, referee Andrew Kitchen having adjudged - probably correctly - that Baradji had fouled Matusiwa on the edge of the area as the Blues passed out from the back.

Two minutes later, Ohashi was played in on the right of the box with the linesman surprisingly indicating he was onside before hitting a shot which O’Shea did well to dive in and block. On 25, Tom Atcheson was booked for a foul on Philogene.

Despite Blackburn’s couple of moments of danger, it was still mainly Town. On 31, Philogene brought the ball a long way forward before cutting inside and playing towards Walle Egeli, who had it stolen off his boot by Nunez as he was about to shoot from the edge of the box.

A minute later, Hirst worked space on the left of the area at the byline and cut back towards Nunez, but Axel Henriksson got in ahead of the former Norwich man to stab behind for a corner.

The Blues were forced into a change in the 40th minute when Philogene made way for Clarke, the former Aston Villa man having undergone treatment for a knock which he may have suffered in an earlier incident when Cantwell had collided with him having been fouled by Furlong.

A minute after the change, Walle Egeli cut in from the right but failed to get any power on his left-footed shot, Toth saving comfortably.

As the half moved into its final scheduled minute, Tronstad struck an effort from just outside the Town area to the right which deflected off a Blues defender, across the face of goal and wide with Walton momentarily looking concerned.

That was the last action of a half which the Blues had got the all-important early goal and then backed it up with a second during a spell in which they were creating chances with great frequency.

After that, the game had become flat with Blackburn seeing more of the ball but without looking particularly dangerous, while the Blues looked for a third on the counter-attack.

Rovers made a change at the break, new signing Jorgensen, a Danish forward, replacing Henriksson, whose knee had been strapped very heavily from the start.

Five minutes after the restart, Walle Egeli won the ball on the right, Nunez picking it up and playing in Hirst on the left of the box but at too tight an angle to shoot and his pass to Clarke was intercepted.

Moments later, Nunez ended up grounded as a cross came in from the left but somehow still managed to get in a shot at goal, Toth batting it away. Walle Egeli picked up the loose ball but his strike was diverted over by Cashin, who had closed down quickly.

Clarke’s low shot from the edge was saved down at his left post by Toth.

On 58, Hirst fed in Walle Egeli on the right of the box, the Norwegian appearing to lose his footing as he was about to shoot. However, the former Nordsjaelland man was still able to find Nunez on the edge of the six-yard box, the Chilean back-heeling towards Clarke when he ought to have shot and only found a defender. A subsequent Walle Egeli effort was blocked.

Blackburn thought they should have won a penalty as the game moved into its final half an hour. Jorgensen was sent away in space on the right with Davis out of his ground and having suffered a knock. The Dane’s cross was aimed towards Ohashi, but the Japanese international threw himself to ground in front of Furlong with the Town defender not appearing to make any contact. Cantwell at the far post also claimed Walton had fouled him but referee Kitchen was unimpressed.

The Blues had gone very flat and in the 65th minute Blackburn threatened again following a break on the left. Taylor Gardner-Hickman’s blocked effort after breaking into the area at the back post fell to Baradji in space but the Frenchman shot wide of Walton’s left post.

To inject a bit of impetus, Town made a double change, Hirst, who could be happy with his return, and Walle Egeli making way for Burns and Ivan Azon.

Trodstad was booked for a foul on Clarke just outside the area to the left on 68, Nunez curling the resultant free-kick over.

Soon after, the game was held up for Cantwell to receive treatment after being inadvertently caught in the face.

Town will still be wondering how they didn’t score their third goal in the 78th minute. Azon’s excellent header sent Burns away in space on the right, the Welshman cutting back for Clarke, whose effort was blocked by Atcheson. The loose ball reached Nunez but the Chilean’s effort was saved by Toth.

The Blues swapped Nunez and Taylor for former Rovers hero Sammie Szmodics and Cajuste.

Almost immediately, the Sweden international brought the ball forward and played Azon in on goal. The Spaniard looked certain to score his third goal for the club until Cashin slid through the back of his heels. It looked an obvious penalty but referee Kitchen inexplicably waved away the Town protests.

The official got the Blues support back onside to some degree soon afterwards when he showed ex-Canary Cantwell a yellow card for a foul on Clarke.

In the 83rd minute, Szmodics sent Azon away behind the visitors’ backline but keeper Toth was off his line to clear.

Three minutes later, Cashin charged into Clarke but referee Kitchen allowed play to continue and Szmodics scraped his shot wide. Cashin was booked ahead of the goal-kick.

Town were creating chances every time the got the ball by now and in the 87th minute really should have added a third.

Azon took the ball in from the left across two defenders on the edge of the area and again appeared to be tripped. However, play was allowed to continue, the on-loan Como man taking it on further and stabbed towards Szmodics, the ball then bouncing away from Clarke at the far post and out for a goal-kick.

Town’s third goal finally came in the 88th minute. Cajuste brought the ball forward and played in Burns on the right of the area, the Wales international squaring to Szmodics to turn his first goal at Portman Road and first of the season into the net at the far post.

As the match moved into five additional minutes, Blackburn swapped Ohashi for Aodhan Doherty and Tronstad for Adam Forshaw.

There was no further incident before referee Kitchen blew the final whistle, confirming another home three points for the Blues, their fifth Championship home win in a row and sixth in all competitions.

Town, who have now won four in a row in all competitions, were comfortable for much of the afternoon with Walton not forced to make a save at any point, although there were a couple of concerning moments which the visitors might have made more from.

Once again the Blues made heavy weather of adding to their lead with chances galore having been spurned, while referee Kitchen was guilty of failing to award the most obvious of penalties.

Town stay third with second-placed Middlesbrough having won 3-2 at West Brom last night and Coventry having come from behind to defeat Leicester 2-1 this lunchtime. The Blues are in action again at home on Tuesday when Bristol City and former skipper Sam Morsy visit.

Town: Walton, Furlong, O’Shea (c), Kipre, Davis, Taylor (Cajuste 79), Matusiwa, Walle Egeli (Burns 68), Nunez (Szmodics 79), Philogene (Clarke 40), Hirst (Azon 68). Unused: Palmer, Young, Johnson, Greaves.

Blackburn: Toth, Atcheson, McLoughlin, Cashin, Gardner-Hickman, Tronstad (Forshaw 91), Baradji, Cantwell (c), De Neve, Henriksson (Jorgensen 46), Ohashi Doherty 91). Unused: Michalski, Pickering, Ribeiro, O’Riordan, Pratt, Powell, Jorgensen. Referee: Andrew Kitchen (Durham). Att: 26,715.

Photo: Matchday Images