ALAN Lee bagged his all-important first home goal for the Blues and claimed his new slim-line look has made all the difference.The 27-year-old striker has now scored three goals in his five Ipswich Town appearances, equalling the amount he scored in all of 2005 while at Cardiff City.

By Derek Davis

ALAN Lee bagged his all-important first home goal for the Blues and claimed his new slim-line look has made all the difference.

The 27-year-old striker has now scored three goals in his five Ipswich Town appearances, equalling the amount he scored in all of 2005 while at Cardiff City.

The Irishman puts it down to a new lease of life handed him at Portman Road and weight loss.

Lee said: “It was great to get my first home goal for Ipswich as I hoped I would. It is always important to score anyway but the sooner you get the first one the better, it puts any worries about it out of the way.

“It was a super game for me and I felt lively from the start.

“I have lost a couple of pounds over the past couple of weeks and I'm feeling good.

“That has come from the training here and playing every week, it has made a difference.”

Lee is proving to be a bargain buy for what could total £150,000 with £50,000 paid up front, another £50,000 at the end of the season, then a further £50,000 of other add-ons in the future, as he put in another man of the match performance.

Not only did he score but Lee won a contentious penalty that Matt Richards converted for the winner after Michael Ricketts had put Burnley ahead.

Wayne Thomas was sent off for arguing the decision against team-mate Michael Duff, after already being booked for a foul.

There was an extra touch of joy for Lee after scoring as it was against his old club, but it was not the first time he has done so.

After netting just once, in the LDV Vans Trophy, in 20 games for the Clarets, Lee has now scored three times against them after banging in two during Rotherham's 6-2 win, in December 2002.

His time at Millmoor has so far been Lee's purple patch during his career but already he is feeling Portman Road can be even more enjoyable.

He added: “My record while at Burnley was not very good but that was because I was only a young lad on the fringes behind Andy Payton and Andy Cooke and at that stage I still had a lot to learn.”

And Lee is confident the team spirit and current good form can make them contenders for a play-off place.

He said: “There is a nine-point difference but we may have played many of our hardest games and the top teams have to play each other.

“If we keep winning then we can put the pressure on.”