TOWN were made to work hard for their win but scored two cracking goals in the process.

Stunned by a 12th-minute opener from Miguel Raman for the Island XI, after a terrible mistake by David Mirfin, Town didn't equalise until four minutes from half-time.

The goal was worth the wait, however, as John McAliskey chested down an Anthony Lloyd cross for Tony Carss to score with a neatly lobbed right-foot volley.

This was far from the intense performance which Town produced against Coventry the previous night, but they still took the spoils with a goal seven minutes from time from substitute Jonathan Worthington.

The skipper had gone on for Danny Schofield, who got involved in a tangle with home midfielder Manuel Requena after 72 minutes and was lucky to avoid a red card for pushing the Spaniard in the chest.

Worthington's goal brought relief for Town's large travelling support, but they were still indebted to Phil Senior for turning a David Garcia shot onto the right-hand post just seconds after going ahead.

The Ibiza side, beaten 5-0 by QPR on Monday, played well above themselves last night with Ramon and right winger Jesus Fraca impressive, and Town couldn't find the rhythm which had so upset Championship side Coventry just 24 hours earlier.

Manager Peter Jackson opted for a 4-4-2 formation with Tom Clarke and Mirfin in the centre of defence and Carss and Michael Collins in the centre of midfield.

New signing Mark Hudson played wide left with Chris Brandon on the right, with McAliskey and fresh arrival Gary Taylor-Fletcher leading the attack.

Taylor-Fletcher had an early goal ruled out for offside against Brandon and Town were rocked when Mirfin, uncharacteristically, turned a back-pass straight into the path of Fraca, whose cross for Ramon left a simple heading chance.

Ramon twice went close in the following minutes, but Town then grabbed the bulk of possession with Hudson, Taylor-Fletcher and McAliskey all having decent chances.

Carss' goal came at just the right time and, had Hudson hit the target with a fierce right-foot drive moments later, Town could easily have gone on to net four or five.

Schofield gave some much-needed verve in the opening minutes of the second half - Jackson made two changes at half-time before sending on Pawel Abbott for McAliskey on the hour - and his flare-up with Requena was the only unfortunate incident of the night.

There was a big worry on 80 minutes, however, when skipper Andy Holdsworth suffered a nasty ankle injury in a block tackle with Requena.

He was able to hobble off to the cheers of the Town fans, although they could have been for coach Martyn Booty, who stepped onto the bench because of injuries to Danny Adams, Andy Booth and Nathan Clarke!

Just before that, Taylor-Fletcher had been unlucky to see a cracking cross shot hit the upright, while substitute Martin McIntosh crashed a firm header inches over the top.

Town continued to press, but penalties were looking on the cards until Worthington smashed in a cracking winner.

Town: Senior, Holdsworth (Booty, 80mins), Lloyd, Hudson, T Clarke, Mirfin (McIntosh HT), Brandon (Schofield HT, Worthington, 72), Taylor-Fletcher, McAliskey (Abbott, 60), Carss, Collins.