ON TRAC FOR GLORY DAYS
Chaplin winner keeps Boys revved up
BLACKBURN 0
IPSWICH 1
Chaplin 9 KIERAN McKENNA’S Tractor Boys had to dig in as they continue to plough their way towards the Premier League.
The Ipswich boss will hope this is more than just an Easter rising with Southampton arriving at Portman Road on Monday and the Carrow Road derby against Norwich five days later.
But with one-time runaway leaders Leicester in meltdown and with eight wins from the last nine games the dream of football at the top table is rapidly becoming a stunning reality for Ipswich.
This was not an occasion for the purists but when there is a golden pot of Premier League cash in touching distance Ipswich wouldn’t have given a damn.
McKenna (above) admitted: “You have to show different attributes to win different games.
“It became a really challenging last 30 minutes. Of course we would have liked to have shown more composure and control.
“We have to remember where the boys have come from, what it means to them. This was a fantastic result.”
Blackburn, and the Championship’s leading score Sammie Szmodics in particular, were left wondering how they were left with nothing and are now mired in the relegation battle.
Twice Szmodics was foiled by the reflexes of Ipswich keeper Vaclav Hladky as Rovers laid siege to the Ipswich goal when the visitors’ early composure deserted them.
First a thundering close-range drive was finger-tipped over the bar and then Hladky atoned for spilling a back pass by recovering to turn the striker’s goalbound effort around the post.
Blackburn also had two goals disallowed after Ipswich had put down an early marker through Conor Chaplin’s 13th goal of the season.
McKenna’s side had counterattacked with speed and intent with Chaplin finding Leif Davis in space down the left before racing into the box to convert the low cross with assistance from Rovers keeper Aynsley Pears, whose right hand was far too flimsy.
They thought they had snatched a leveller on 32 minutes through Joe Rankin-Costello – only for the assistant referee’s flag to spot an offside Szmodics in front of Hladky as the ball flew in.
Substitute Andy Moran also thought he had scored from close range only for his fierce effort to chalked off by referee Stuart Attwell for a Scott Wharton challenge on keeper Hladky.
Rovers boss John Eustace said: “I felt it was a fair challenge. On the game itself I am frustrated but very proud. The effort of the group was outstanding.”
BLACKBURN ROVERS: Pears 5, Brittain 6, Hyam 6, Wharton 6, Pickering 6 (Carter 90), Tronstad 6, Rankin-Costello 6 (Ayari 62, 6), Hedges 6 (Telalovic 82), Szmodics 7, Chrisene 6 (Moran 62, 6), Dolan 7
IPSWICH TOWN: Hladky 7, Tuanzebe 7, Woolfenden 6, Edmundson 6, Davis 7 (Clarke 70, 6), Morsy 6, Luongo 6, Hutchinson 6 (Burgess 90), Chaplin 8 (Jackson 64, 6), Broadhead 7 (Sarmiemto 64, 6), Moore 6 (Al-Hamadi 64, 6)