Ipswich Town 3 Bristol City 1:

City experienced an unnerving case of Deja-vu as their worst East Anglian nightmare came back to haunt them.

Trounced 6-0 on their last visit to Portman Road 13 months ago, the Robins were determined to put the record straight against an Ipswich side supposedly lacking in confidence in the wake of a three-match sequence without a win.

And everything appeared to be going to plan for the visitors, who led at half-time, courtesy of Stern John's fifth minute header.

But they had not reckoned on the ferocity of the Ipswich backlash and were swept aside by a three-goal burst in seven minutes at the beginning of the second period.

A hat-trick hero when Bristol City were last in town, Jon Walters levelled matters on 49 minutes, Pablo Counago headed them in front two minutes later and the luckless Liam Fontaine then put through his own net to complete a stunning Ipswich fightback.

The manner in which the Robins collapsed was reminiscent of that ill-fated day in November last year. But whereas there were mitigating circumstances on that occasion, there were none to fall back upon this time.

If Bradley Orr's sending off turned the tide back then, it was the home side's sheer persistence in attacking a defence which eventually gave way which proved the decisive factor in the re-match.

Resilient in the first-half and dangerous on the counter-attack, City suffered a crazy seven-minute spell in which they lost their discipline and shape and ceded control to their opponents.

Given their performance in the opening 45 minutes, what followed certainly came as a surprise.

Under duress after a run of disappointing results culminating in bitter defeat at the hands of East Anglian rivals Norwich, Town manager Jim Magilton demanded an emphatic response from his players. But his words fell on deaf ears initially, and it was City who proved the more purposeful of the two sides in a pulsating opening five minutes.

If Ipswich players felt the world was against them in the wake of defeat at Carrow Road, the impression was confirmed when the home side were denied what they believed to be a legitimate goal from their very first attack.

Darren Ambrose floated a corner kick in from the right, Jon Stead's header seemed to go through Basso and struck Brian Wilson on the goal-line before being hacked clear. Ipswich players claimed the ball had crossed the line, only for referee Paul Taylor to wave away their appeals.

They were still protesting as the visitors launched an incisive counter-attack, Ivan Sproule delivering an early ball into the 18 yard box to present John with a straightforward chance to register his second goal since arriving on loan from Southampton in October.

And the Robins almost doubled their lead moments later, John trying his luck from 40 yards with Town keeper Richard Wright struggling to make his ground, only for his shot to drift agonisingly wide of the target.

Former England stopper Wright was called into more conventional action when demonstrating a strong wrist to keep out Nicky Maynard's angled drive, the product of a clever return pass from the ubiquitous John.

Ipswich finally gave their hard-pressed supporters reason to get out of their seats as, first David Norris and then Pablo Counago, forced Adriano Basso into smart saves, both at the expense of corners which came to nothing.

And City's keeper again proved up to the mark when Counago slipped his leash and fed Ambrose, whose powerful drive was gathered by the Brazilian at the second attempt.

Ambrose was again denied by City's busy keeper, Basso keeping out his snap shot from the edge of the box and then s mothering another effort from David Wright.

Booed off by their supporters at half time, Town emerged for the second half with renewed determination and turned the tables in startling fashion.

Adopting a more direct approach, right-back Moritz Volz played a lofted through ball into the right channel and Walters out-stripped Liam Fontaine to beat Basso with an angled drive which found the far corner of the net.

City were still recovering from that blow when the home side struck again a minute later. The visitors failed to deal with a long throw-in and Counago was left free to direct his header over Basso from 10 yards out.

And worse followed when Stead tried to play Walters in and Fontaine, under pressure from the winger, inadvertently put the ball past his own goalkeeper to complete an astonishing turnaround in fortunes.

City manager Gary Johnson's mood was not improved by the injury which caused Maynard to be stretchered off 19 minutes into the second half. He introduced Lee Trundle and took the opportunity to replace the tiring John with teenager John Akinde at the same time in an attempt to breath new life into his ailing team.

But all the fight and invention had drained from the visitors and they rarely threatened a recovery.

Ipswich (4-4-2): R Wright, Volz, McAuley, Bruce, D Wright; Walters, Norris, Shumulikoski, Ambrose (sub Garvan 63); Counago (sub Lisbie 82), Stead (sub Naylor 63)

City (4-4-2): Basso; B Wilson, Carey, McCombe, Fontaine; Sproule, Elliott, Skuse, McIndoe; Maynard (sub Trundle 64), John (sub Akinde 64)

Referee: Paul Taylor

Attendance: 17,749