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![Conor Chaplin celebrates scoring for Ipswich Town against Blackburn Rovers](https://shortlynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Ipswich-beat-Blackburn-to-go-top-of-Championship.jpg)
Conor Chaplin’s early goal sent Ipswich Town top of the Championship as they squeezed past Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park.
Chaplin’s mis-timed strike in the ninth minute should have been saved but it beat Rovers keeper Aynsley Pears at his near post and proved enough to take the Tractor Boys two points clear of Leeds United, who visit Watford at 20:00 GMT.
Blackburn thought they had equalised through Joe Rankin-Costello but the goal was ruled out for Sammie Szmodics interfering with keeper Vaclav Hladky’s line of vision when stood in an offside position.
Rovers were then much the better side after the break and had a second goal chalked off from Andrew Moran for a foul on the keeper before Hladky saved with Szmodics about to tap into an empty net.
Victory was an eighth in nine games for Ipswich but they were forced to hang in to earn three more points in Lancashire.
By stark contrast Rovers have now not won in eight league games and are just three points outside the relegation zone.
The home side would have cursed their ill fortune that began with Pears’ early error as Chaplin slipped away up the right wing, cut infield and played a ball to Leif Davis, whose cross back to Chaplin was hit first time with his left boot and crept past Pears.
Rankin-Costello then turned in Tyrhys Dolan’s cutback from the left only for referee Stuart Atwell to consult with his assistant and decide that Szmodics, who was in an offside position, had got in the eyeline of the keeper.
Rovers pressed hard in the second half and saw another goal disallowed for a foul by Scott Wharton on Hladky before Moran’s excellent right-foot finish.
They were then almost gifted an equaliser when Hladky took far too long inside his six-yard box and Szmodics blocked his clearance, spun and seemed certain to score, only for Hladky to dive and make a desperate save with his left arm.
It seemed like Ipswich needed a second goal and they created two chances on the break but Ali Al-Hamadi shot well over the bar from Kayden Jackson’s cutback before Jackson himself fired wide from a narrow angle.
It left a slender lead for the visitors to cling on to and they held firm among a flurry of late corners and Harry Pickering’s shot that was deflected over the bar.
Line-ups
Blackburn
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 1Pears
- 2Brittain
- 5Hyam
- 16S Wharton
- 3PickeringBooked at 6minsSubstituted forCarterat 90+5′minutes
- 6Tronstad
- 11Rankin-CostelloSubstituted forAyariat 62′minutes
- 19HedgesSubstituted forTelalovicat 82′minutes
- 8Szmodics
- 45ChriseneSubstituted forMoranat 62′minutes
- 10DolanBooked at 45mins
Substitutes
- 12Wahlstedt
- 14Koumetio
- 17Carter
- 18Markanday
- 22Gilsenan
- 24Moran
- 30Garrett
- 33Telalovic
- 44Ayari
Ipswich
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 31Hladky
- 40Tuanzebe
- 6Woolfenden
- 4Edmundson
- 3DavisBooked at 3minsSubstituted forClarkeat 70′minutes
- 5Morsy
- 25LuongoBooked at 81mins
- 20HutchinsonSubstituted forBurgessat 90+5′minutes
- 10ChaplinSubstituted forJacksonat 65′minutesBooked at 84mins
- 33BroadheadSubstituted forSarmientoat 64′minutes
- 24MooreSubstituted forAl Hamadiat 64′minutes
Substitutes
- 1Walton
- 2Clarke
- 11Harness
- 14Taylor
- 15Burgess
- 16Al Hamadi
- 19Jackson
- 21Sarmiento
- 30Humphreys
- Referee:
- Stuart Attwell
- Attendance:
- 18,235
Live Text
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Match ends, Blackburn Rovers 0, Ipswich Town 1.
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Second Half ends, Blackburn Rovers 0, Ipswich Town 1.
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Corner, Ipswich Town. Conceded by Hayden Carter.
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Substitution, Ipswich Town. Cameron Burgess replaces Omari Hutchinson because of an injury.
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Substitution, Blackburn Rovers. Hayden Carter replaces Harry Pickering.
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Corner, Blackburn Rovers. Conceded by Kayden Jackson.
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Attempt missed. Harry Pickering (Blackburn Rovers) left footed shot from the left side of the box misses to the right.
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Harry Clarke (Ipswich Town) wins a free kick on the left wing.
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Foul by Callum Brittain (Blackburn Rovers).
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Offside, Blackburn Rovers. Sammie Szmodics is caught offside.
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Attempt missed. Kayden Jackson (Ipswich Town) right footed shot from the right side of the box misses to the left. Assisted by Jeremy Sarmiento following a fast break.
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Offside, Blackburn Rovers. Semir Telalovic is caught offside.
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Kayden Jackson (Ipswich Town) is shown the yellow card.
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Corner, Blackburn Rovers. Conceded by Kayden Jackson.
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Substitution, Blackburn Rovers. Semir Telalovic replaces Ryan Hedges.
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Foul by Omari Hutchinson (Ipswich Town).
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Sammie Szmodics (Blackburn Rovers) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Massimo Luongo (Ipswich Town) is shown the yellow card.
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Corner, Blackburn Rovers. Conceded by George Edmundson.
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Attempt missed. Andrew Moran (Blackburn Rovers) right footed shot from the centre of the box is too high following a corner.
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