Ipswich Town produced the perfect response as they made light work of Morecambe at Portman Road.
Following defeat at Oxford on Saturday, in which they were a long way from their best, Kieran McKenna’s side cut loose on home turf and produced a dominant victory.
Braces from Freddie Ladapo and Conor Chaplin put the hosts 4-0 up at half-time, as they pulled their opponents around the pitch, punished them down the flanks and produced a clinical display of finishing to record their first league victory since Boxing Day.
With the points secure, Town continued to dominate in the second period but couldn’t add to their tally before full-time, as they kept their opponents at a safe distance throughout.
With neither Plymouth or Sheffield Wednesday in action this evening, the Blues have been able to close the gap on League One’s top two, with Argyle now seven points ahead and Town four back from Darren Moore’s Owls.
Next up is Saturday’s FA Cup clash with Championship leaders Burnley, before a visit to Cambridge on February 4.
McKenna made five changes to his side, following Saturday’s 2-1 defeat by Oxford United.
Nathan Broadhead and Harry Clarke came in for their first Ipswich starts, having come off the bench on Saturday, with Marcus Harness and Janoi Donacien dropping out of the side.
Ladapo replaced George Hirst up top, while the Town boss changed his centre-back pairing, as Richard Keogh and George Edmundson took the places of Luke Woolfenden and Cameron Burgess.
The Blues made the perfect start, with a corner won inside the first minute being swung into the box by Leif Davis and Ladapo the quickest to react and turn home after the ball bounced loose.
Town had their foot on the gas early, with Broadhead forcing a good low saw from Morecambe keeper Connor Ripley and Lee Evans then rattling the outside of the post as he fired in an excellent shot from range.
After a brief lull, the Blues soon had their fans on their feet again as Broadhead picked up possession in the middle of the pitch and threaded a beautiful through-ball to Ladapo, who took on the shot from a tight angle as he shot across Ripley. The ball hit one post, flew across the line and hit the other before finding the net.
Town were well on top and were working the ball round the field perfectly, using striker Ladapo to pop neat balls off into the path of others while stretching their opposition in wide areas.
And the right flank is where the Blues’ third was born, with Morsy finding Clarke, who in turn played the ball perfectly up the line for Burns, who pulled a perfect ball back into the path of Chaplin. The No.10 did the rest as he fired back across goal and into the bottom corner, prompting Burns to crack out a full Macarena in celebration.
Edmundson headed over from a Davis corner, as Town pushed for their fourth, with Ladapo the next to try his luck as he connected with an excellent Burns cross with a shot which ultimately drifted over the top.
The fourth did arrive before the break and, just like the third, it saw close friends Burns and Chaplin combine, with the later firing home after being picked out well inside the box.
The game was won by the break, after which Town returned without Burns, who made way for Kayden Jackson.
Town picked up where they left off after the break, working the ball wide and pulling at Morecambe, with skipper Sam Morsy having the first shot of the half as he landed on a Jackson cut-back and shot straight at the goalkeeper.
McKenna turned to his bench again to introduce Cameron Humphreys, Kyle Edwards and Hirst in place of Morsy, Broadhead and Ladapo, before Chaplin exited for Harness 10 minutes later.
Town remained in control but couldn’t net again, as they eased to the comfortable victory they had wrapped up by the interval.
Ipswich Town: Walton; Clarke, Keogh, Edmundson, Davis; Morsy (Humphreys, 64), Evans; Burns (Jackson, 46), Chaplin (Harness, 73), Broadhead (Edwards, 64), Ladapo (Hirst, 64)
Subs: Hladky, Donacien
Morecambe: Ripley, Rawson, Bedeau, Delaney (Simeu, 46); Cooney, Gibson, Weir, Watts (Crowley, 46), Mayor (Mellon, 46); Stockton (Hunter, 84), Shaw
Subs: Smith, Love, Gnahoua
Att: 21,948 (102 Morecambe fans)
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