NOGOALS –BUT MICK’S HOPING FANS WILL TURN
MICK MCCARTHY called on his Ipswich side to combine defensive solidity with putting the ball in the back of the net after their goalless draw with Blackburn.
In a clash of few chances, Rovers’ run without a win extended to three games while the Tractor Boys’ goal drought increased to five in the league.
But after their fourth clean sheet in six games, Town boss McCarthy hopes the performance at Ewood Park helps to bring the Portman Road faithful back on side.
“What we’ve got to try and do is create chances, which we did, but still maintain that solidity, because if you lose that, it doesn’t matter,” he said. “If you concede and you’re playing catch-up, it’s very difficult.
“That’s the hardest thing in the game – putting the ball in the back of the net. If we play like that, more often than not, we’ll win games.
“I would really love to get our fans back on side with me and with the team and be excited by us. That was a start.
“We’ve had more shots, more crosses, more attempts at goal than probably in the last two or three games.”
When Ben Marshall dawdled in possession, he was robbed by Freddie Sears to set up Grant Ward, who stung Jason Steele’s palms with a fierce effort in the 10th minute.
West Ham loanee Martin Samuelsen misjudged a header and Luke Chambers’ 19thminute effort was deflected just wide, while the Ipswich man glanced a header wide from Tom Lawrence’s subsequent corner.
Steele produced a magnificent save in the 22nd minute after Lawrence’s corner was met by Adam Webster, who drew a top-class reaction stop from the Rovers goalkeeper.
Webster drove through the Rovers midfield unchallenged to set up Lawrence on the edge of the box but he fired wide as the Tractor Boys enjoyed the best opportunities.
Neat passing between Marshall, Marvin Emnes and Samuelsen on 40 minutes led to the former firing a weak effort under pressure towards Bartosz Bialkowski.
Craig Conway set up Danny Guthrie on the edge of the box as his thundering effort sailed just over the bar on the stroke of half-time.
Conway inexplicably gifted possession to Sears with a poor backpass and Steele failed to hold onto his 74th-minute curling shot, but parried Lawrence’s rebound away from danger.
Marshall cut inside and took matters into his own hands to drill a shot through a crowded penalty area and just over.
Despite seeing his side draw a blank for their third successive game, Rovers boss Owen Coyle praised his players as they recorded their first clean sheet of the season.
“We’ve learned a number of lessons,” he said. “There was a real resilience, a real mentality to get that clean sheet.
“Could we do better in terms of being more aggressive in our early passing and then quicker and sharper? Absolutely.
“Clean sheets have so much importance because we do believe there’s goals in the team. If we can get that platform with the clean sheets, it’ll result in instead of one point being three points because we know we have that.”