Town’s goalless and winless run stretched to five games as their visit to Blackburn ended in a 0-0 draw, however, the Blues will feel they had enough chances to have won it. Adam Webster, Luke Chambers and Tom Lawrence all went close in the first half, while the on-loan Leicester man had the best opportunity after the break.

Webster and Freddie Sears came back into the Town side with Josh Emmanuel and Kevin Bru dropping to the bench, alongside Jonny Williams and Teddy Bishop.

Webster, who had been out with a hamstring injury, took up his usual right-sided central defensive role with skipper Chambers returning to right-back.

The Blues, wearing their Barcelona-style third kit for only the fourth time, lined-up in a 4-4-2 formation with Sears, without a goal in 37 games, joining ex-Rover Leon Best up front. Lawrence, a former Blackburn loanee, was on the left with Grant Ward on the right.

Williams was named among the subs for the first time since his return for a fourth loan spell having recovered from the ankle injury he suffered in pre-season with Crystal Palace.

Bishop was included in the 18 despite breaking his nose for the second time in a month in training on Thursday.

Ex-Blues loanee Liam Feeney was on the bench for the home side, while Martin Samuelsen, a player eyed by Town boss Mick McCarthy in the summer, was handed his first Championship start for the home side.

Blackburn started the stronger with a number of early crosses flying into the box from the flanks, Christophe Berra nodding the most dangerous away ahead of Marvin Emnes.

But it was Town who struck the first serious shot of the game in the 10th minute. Sears caught Ben Marshall - playing an unfamiliar right-back role with Rovers skipper Jason Lowe suspended - in possession on the left just outside the area and laid the ball off to Ward, but the former Spurs man’s strike was too close to Rovers keeper Jason Steele.

As an even game, more open than Town’s most recent few matches, moved towards the 20-minute mark Blues captain Chambers twice went close.

First Samuelsen misjudged Best’s cross from the left allowing Chambers a shot at goal, which deflected not too far wide off Guthrie.

Then, from the resultant corner, Chambers got ahead of his man but was only able to flick the ball across the face and wide when he will feel he ought to have hit the target.

Town threatened again from another Lawrence flag-kick, this time on the right, on 22. Best nodded back from deep and Webster powered a header from the edge of the six-yard box which Steele did superbly to keep out before Marshall turned the ball behind.

The Blues continued to look the more dangerous side and went close again on 28. Following a throw on the Town right, Webster brought the ball forward from halfway to the edge of the box and rode a tackle before laying it off to Lawrence, who scuffed wide when he should at least have tested Steele.

As the match moved past the half hour Town kept pressing for the goal which would end their drought. Ward saw a cross from the right after a fine ball from Cole Skuse cut out and then a shot blocked, before Best teed-up Lawrence, but his strike failed to trouble Steele.

Blackburn’s first significant chance of the game came in the 34th minute when right-back Derrick Williams, who regularly trained with the Town academy as a schoolboy, crossed from the left to Sam Gallagher, but the on-loan Southampton man was unable to control his far-post header and the ball flew well back into the stand housing the Town support.

On 41 Marshall exchanged passes with Samuelsen - who had swapped flanks to the right with skipper Craig Conway moving to the left - and Emnes but scuffed his shot - the home side’s first effort on target - through to Bartosz Bialkowski under pressure from Jonathan Douglas.

In the final scheduled minute of the half Douglas was dispossessed on halfway by Emnes and the ball was eventually laid off to Guthrie just outside the area and the former Newcastle midfielder hit a powerful striker just over Bialkowski’s bar.

However, despite the home side having had those two opportunities just before referee Geoff Eltringham blew his whistle, Town will feel they had had the better of a half which had been less of a midfield battle and therefore more entertaining - and with more penalty are action - than their recent games.

The Blues created more of the first-half opportunities and Chambers and Lawrence will feel they ought to have made more of their openings, while the excellent Webster was only prevented from scoring his first Town goal by an impressive Steele save.

Rovers switched centre-half Gordon Greer for Darragh Lenihan at half-time, the Irishman moving into an unfamiliar role at the heart of the defence. The Scotland international had been suffering with a groin injury earlier in the week.

Neither side threatened immediately after the restart but just before the hour Chambers brought the ball forward from deep and fed Best, who hit a shot on the turn from the right of the area which Steele palmed out for a corner, although it already looked to have been going wide.

On 62 Blackburn replaced Norwegian international Samuelsen with Elliott Bennett, another player the Blues were keen on in the summer, the on-loan West Ham man having shown his ability in patches but while largely on the periphery of the match. Two minutes later, Marshall shot wide from distance.

Ex-Rovers striker Best, booed by his old fans from the start, headed over in the 66th minute when Ward found him with a cross from the right after a short corner, much to the delight of the home support.

The Blues threatened again soon afterwards, Ward eventually sending over a dangerous cross from the right which was cleared ahead of Douglas.

Town should have gone in front in the 75th minute after Conway’s dreadful backpass had almost played Sears in on goal. The Blues striker initially couldn’t quite reach it but he brought the ball back in from the left and hit a shot which Steele batted away.

Knudsen reached the loose ball first and cut it back to Lawrence, who scuffed against Steele at the near post from the edge of the six-yard with the rest of the goal gaping. Moments later Bishop took over from Ward.

Town continued to take the game to the home side and had most of the ball. On 80, soon after Bishop had been crowded out as he skipped into the area, Knudsen smashed a low drive wide.

Marshall shot over from just inside the right of the box on 85 before Williams was introduced for the Blues in place of Lawrence, the on-loan Crystal Palace man making his fourth Town debut.

Two minutes later, Gallagher picked up the game’s first booking for a foul, then following the freekick Best blazed over after the ball had been cleared to him on the edge of the box.

Town finished the game the stronger and still pressing for that elusive goal but referee Eltringham’s whistle confirmed the goalless draw.

The Blues will feel they had the chances to win a match - Lawrence’s was the best in the second half - which was a livelier affair than the games immediately before the international break and a number of players will feel they might have done better with their opportunities.

At the other end, Bialkowski had one of his quietest afternoons and Town recorded their fourth clean sheet in their last six games.

The Blues, who are now 17th, are next in action against Burton Albion, a place above Town on the same points following their 0-0 draw at Wigan today, at Portman Road on Tuesday evening.

Blackburn: Steele, Marshall, D Williams, Greer (Lenihan 46), Hoban, Guthrie, Evans (Evans 72), Conway (c), Samuelsen (Bennett 62), Gallagher, Emnes. Unused: Raya, Feeney, Stokes, Mulgrew.

Town: Bialkowski, Chambers (c), Webster, Berra, Knudsen, Skuse, Douglas, Lawrence (Williams 85), Ward (Bishop 75), Sears, Best. Unused: Gerken, Emmanuel, Kenlock, Grant, Bru, J Williams. Referee: Geoff Eltringham (County Durham). Attendance: 10,820 (Town: 564).

Photo: Action Images

Mick_Mills_Tache added 17:11 - Oct 15 Enough is enough. Over 8 hours (probably closer to 8.5 hours if you include stoppage time) without a goal! Still Douglas and Skuse are untouchable...just waiting for the usual 'different class today, was Dougie' from the dinosaur. Why, if we're trying to win the game, do we take off two creative players in Ward and Lawrence for two creative players who are apparently struggling for fitness and leave the two most unimaginative, uncreative and damn well worst central midfielders in the last 20 years on the pitch?! How many of us said that as soon as either Webster or Smith were fit, he'd drop Emmanuel in favour of putting the worst 'right back' in the league back in place. All because he's another untouchable. Even though Josh was man of the match in one of the two games he got to play. If I was Josh, I'd be handing in a transfer request in January along with Kenlock, Bishop and Dozzell. How anyone can try and defend Mick is beyond me. Time to either vote with our feet (I already am) or to make our voices heard. Foxtrot Oscar Mick.

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jcITFC added 17:11 - Oct 15 Clean sheet*
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iaintaylorx added 17:12 - Oct 15 On the plus side, at least i won my bet of Under 1.5 goals!!
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carlo88 added 17:13 - Oct 15 The most obvious 0-0 in history just made me a tidy profit.
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Elizabeth added 17:14 - Oct 15 For goodness sake change this dire team / formation / tactics whatever you want to call it because it is simply NOT WORKING !!! We are now twelve points behind the leaders and we know who they are !! What a bitter pill to swallow !! We desperately need new ideas at this club and a manager that can motivate or change the team .. sadly it's not going to happen with this lot !! I'll be there on Tuesday night .. Who knows I could be a lucky omen .. it's a six pointer and nothing less than three points will be acceptable .. the banners will begin to appear pretty soon if we continue with this garbage !!

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manualthetisfanclub added 17:14 - Oct 15 "Always a great point away from home" can hear him now!! Ffs boring me to death this crap. Who cares if they played well, bottom line is barn door and banjo springs to mind!
13

TractorBoy666 added 17:16 - Oct 15 Mick McCarthy got us out of relegation and took us on to be a top six contending side, never forget that people! Wait, aren't we 17th? Is he now taking us into a relegation side again? Get the boring, annoying, arrogant man out NOW. Bring off Ward and leave on Skuglas, wonderful tactics! Don't worry though, we have Bishop, Didzy, Williams to come back for about 3 games before they get injured again. Another thing, nobody can turn this around except the messiah McCarthy? PLEASE. Who the hell is Wagner??? Look at Huddersfield ripping up the league! The Bristol City Manager ain't half doing bad either. But remember, there is no one else out there better than big mick. Christ, listening to the radio annoys me as you can probably tell.

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franco added 17:17 - Oct 15 Mick the mug has made football and supporting Ipswich very very boring
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superblue70 added 17:21 - Oct 15 For people who say the defence is doing well,what do you expect we play with at least 6 of them every game and some times 8 when ward and Sears have to double up as full backs as well, any idiot could set a team up like that, and we have the biggest one in football doing it for us MM OUT NOW !!!!!!!!,!,
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grumpyoldman added 17:22 - Oct 15 Ashinbarnsley, look up the word fickle, to be that we would have to change our opinions all the time, most of us morons do not change whether we win, lose or draw. I don't think he sets up for a 0-0, but his system is utterly a defensive outlook, against a team that is languishing near the foot of the table, who up until today had not kept a clean sheet, why not try a bit of adventure, you never know we could actually win.

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Swn98 added 17:24 - Oct 15 So because the front men can't put the ball between the posts it's the managers fault take your chances every ones happy. Be careful what you wish for.
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blue75 added 17:24 - Oct 15 Well done Mick 0-0 nearly a win you'll be so pleased as I've said before leave now whilst we remember what you did!!!!
6

Spanishblueblood added 17:26 - Oct 15 More shocking than Micks team selection and tactics is the fact that there are some fools on here that are still backing the dinosaur
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surgery added 17:28 - Oct 15 Love the Ashin"Barnsley" one. Is it him?
4

Spanishblueblood added 17:30 - Oct 15 Just listened to Mick saying that Josh told him he thought he had played good enough to keep his place to which Mick replied 'yes you have but no way am I dropping my captain' What a wonker McCarthy is!
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12th_Man added 17:35 - Oct 15 On my way back better then last away game v Leeds
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hinchers1066 added 17:35 - Oct 15 Didn't watch or listen. Watched Toulon v Saracens and had the best Saturday entertainment for a long time. Pointless baying for MM's head cos he won't leave and ME quite possibly hasn't got the available cash to do so if the spending in the transfer market since MM arrived is anything to go by. I voted with my feet long ago. Nothing will change unless we the fans of ITFC make it VERY clear to both MM and ME that we at the club do what many others have already done. I want my club back, how about you!!!!!!!!!

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Tractorboy1985 added 17:39 - Oct 15 Ashinbarnsley... Go support your local team... U might see some goals!!
8

Mick_Mills_Tache added 17:40 - Oct 15 Sat in 17th spot. Only scored 4 goals in the last 11 matches. Preston, Derby, Cardiff, Villa, Blackburn, Rotherham and Wigan below us. Derby, Cardiff and Villa will all start climbing the table and I think Preston will as well...good point away at Brighton for them today. That only leaves Blackburn, Rotherham and Wigan below us....are we really much better than any of them. We're in almost exactly the same position and mess that we were in when Mick first started. When Mick does eventually go, Swn98, maybe you can follow him to his new club?

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carsey added 17:47 - Oct 15 I getting almost as fed up with BBC Suffolk and Brenner's sycophantic interviews as I am with McCarthy and his negative boring inept tactics. If he wants his captain on the pitch drop Berra not Emmanuel who ought to be guaranteed a starting place. To those still backing McCarthy and saying be careful what you wish for I say no one could do any worse and he owes it to us the people who will be here after he has gone to at least try and win and try to entertain.

17

Swn98 added 17:47 - Oct 15 Tache please dont tell other supporters what to do just because they have different views to you there's a good fella.
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TimmyH added 17:47 - Oct 15 'Should have, could have, would have'...I'm hearing that a lot this season - at the end of the day this means nothing, makes you wonder if they score any goals even in training. So that's lack of goals, lack of entertainment but plenty of post match cobblers from Mick coming up... BUT if ever there was a game destined for 0-0 this was it, so popped down to Coral's and got 3-1 and put a fiver on it...silver lining to every cloud and all that, other than that a desperately desperately dire time at this club. 4 years almost into the job and it really doesn't look like Mick's taking us up does it?...and the so called progression the club was supposedly making under him has done a big U-turn!!

15

prebsa added 17:48 - Oct 15 Sen98 be careful what you wish for?! Yes I wish for boring dull football week on week with a team of favourites and uninspiring footballers. I even have dreams of all of that happening. And thankfully we have magical Mick to make my dreams a reality. Or we could wish for something better that what we get right now! Just a though.
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calvin added 17:50 - Oct 15 McCarthy is a joke. I think next home match the supporters of this great club should stick together and make some noise to get him out before he ruins this club. As for brenner on radio suffolk. I think he Loves kissing his a*se
15

Seasider added 17:52 - Oct 15 Well done for Josh speaking up as he did,bet the Dino didn't like that. Pity a few more don't have the guts to do so,but arrogant people like McCarthy and Trump surround themselves with sycophants who toady up to them,and they never think they are wrong. Understand from commentary team that Ipswich had several chances today which they thought was great,but saying Town had more belies the fact that that chances created in recent games can be counted on one hand. Needless to say 'mighty Mick'thought that his team had played well,and would take performances like this every week.Er but we didn't score any goals and gave a very poor Blackburn side a clean sheet for the first time this season. Oh yes and the team sits 17th in the table

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