Town’s game at Blackburn Rovers remains goalless at half-time.

Anthony Wordsworth and Frank Nouble were recalled to the Town starting line-up with Stephen Hunt dropping to the bench and Paul Anderson out of the 18.

Nouble began on the left with Wordsworth on the right and Jonny Williams behind lone striker Daryl Murphy.

Lee Williamson hit a weak first-minute strike through to Dean Gerken but the Blues had the better of the opening minutes with Williams seeing a lot of the ball. On seven the Wales international sent over a cross which Murphy shot well over on the turn.

There was a scare for the Blues on 17 when Christophe Berra made an uncharacteristic error and surrendered possession to Rudi Gestede midway inside the Town half on the Blackburn left. Craig Conway broke forward but Smith was on hand to cut out his cross.

The home side were beginning to get on top and in the 19th minute Gerken claimed Corry Evans’s flick goalwards. Then, after Nouble had cheaply given the ball away, the Northern Irishman broke in from the right and his low shot was deflected wide.

Nouble whipped a low ball over from the left but too far in front of Murphy in the 25th minute, then three minutes later Williams sent in an even better cross but the Irishman’s header flew over.

Tom Cairney curled a 25-yard strike into Gerken’s arms just past the half-hour mark, then on 32 Gestede shot powerfully over from distance.

Five minutes later Wordsworth picked up the game’s first booking for a foul on Tommy Spurr on the Rovers left. From the freekick, Michael Keane flicked Conway’s header to Gerken’s left and the keeper did well to get down to scramble it away from goal.

It was Town’s turn to threaten next, Wordsworth sending Murphy away down the left with a superb pass. The striker cut it back to Aaron Cresswell, whose strike was blocked, then the loose ball fell to Williams but his shot was saved by Paul Robinson.

Blackburn felt they ought to have been awarded a penalty in the 43rd minute when Berra appeared to push Gestede over as a freekick came into the box. The home side might have had a case, although Berra himself appeared to have been inadvertently nudged into the ex-Cardiff man by Smith as a crowd of players went for the same ball.

Skuse shot over just before the fourth official’s board revealed two minutes of additional time at the end of an evenly balanced first half.

Both sides had had spells on top and a few opportunities with the Blues at their most dangerous when Williams was involved. Overall, the level scoreline was a fair reflection of the half as a whole.

Blackburn: Robinson; Keane, Hanley (c), Kilgallon, Spurr; Cairney, Evans, Williamson, Conway; Gestede, Rhodes. Subs: Eastwood, King, Dunn, Varney, Taylor, Etuhu, Feeney.

Town: Gerken, Chambers (c), Cresswell, Berra, Smith, Skuse, Hyam, Wordsworth, Nouble, Williams, Murphy. Subs: Loach, Hunt, Green, Mings, Tabb, Richardson, Ebanks-Blake. Referee: Keith Stroud (Hampshire).

Photo: Action Images

blueboy1981 added 16:37 - Apr 5 Rhodes again - just a reminder to those who said such things as : won't make it at higher level, not proven, etc; etc; when he was shown the door of our Club - anyone care to check how many goals he has scored since ?? Good to see him doing good - shame he's not hitting the back of the net for the Club he should be, and would prefer to.
1

Ipswich Town Polls