Nemesis Jordan Rhodes scored two first-half goals to condemn the Blues to a 2-0 defeat at Blackburn Rovers. The former Blues striker, who has now scored six goals in six games against his old club, netted the first from the penalty spot in the 12th minute, then headed home the second four minutes later.

Town manager Mick McCarthy was forced into two changes with Jonny Parr and Larsen Touré coming into the side for Jonas Knudsen, who was ill, and Ryan Fraser, who picked up a minor knock in training on Thursday.

Parr was handed his first league start of the season at left-back with Touré’s inclusion seeing Ainsley Maitland-Niles switch to the left of midfield. Daryl Murphy and Freddie Sears continued up front with David McGoldrick and Brett Pitman on the bench.

For Rovers, midfielder Danny Guthrie missed out due to a thigh injury and was replaced by Hope Akpan.

The home side started on top but without threatening Dean Gerken’s goal and on five Sears’s cross to Touré was cut out by a defender.

Shortly afterwards the Guinean international won a corner but Maitland-Niles was unable to create an opportunity, then on nine Murphy headed the on-loan Arsenal man’s right-wing freekick over.

Despite the Blues having had a decent spell it was the home side who would go in front from the penalty spot in the 12th minute.

Referee Andre Marriner first denied Rovers a spot-kick when Ben Marshall’s shot struck Christophe Berra on the arm, but when Hope Akpan burst past Cole Skuse and Luke Chambers and into the area on the left Larsen Touré was adjudged to have tripped the midfielder. Rhodes confidently beat Gerken to register his fifth goal in six games against his old club.

It took only another four minutes for Rhodes, controversially sold to Huddersfield by Roy Keane during his time in charge of the Blues for a fee which eventually reached just over £1 million in the summer of 2009, to make it six in six.

Craig Conway whipped over a corner from the left and the Town academy product got ahead of Chambers to nod past Gerken.

Town, who had conceded two goals in quick succession for the second week running, looked to get back into the game via a freekick not far outside the area on 19 but Maitland-Niles stuck his shot into the wall.

A minute later a frustrated Touré picked up the game’s first yellow card for a foul on right-back Adam Henley.

Rovers continued to look the more dangerous side and on 23 left-back Markus Olsson had the ball in the net but having strayed into an offside position.

As the half moved towards its final 10 minutes the Blues were having a lot of the ball but without creating any serious chances. Rovers were defending determinedly - Maitland-Niles saw two threaded passes cut out - and then on 36 Jonathan Douglas screwed a shot wide from distance.

Chambers dived in to block from Conway a minute later after the winger had been fed in space on the left of the area by Marshall, then from the corner Grant Hanley beat his Scotland team-mate Christophe Berra at the far post but headed wide.

On 40 Conway shot wide from distance with the home side continuing to look more likely to add to their lead than the Blues were to reduce it.

However, in the 44th minute Murphy wasn’t too far away from opening his account for the season when he tested Rovers keeper Jason Steele for the first time with a 25-yard strike which the former England U21 international pushed around his left post. From the corner, Tommy Smith got away from his man but failed to connect with his header.

Town couldn’t complain about the scoreline at the break, the home side having been on top for the most part, aside from the spell just before the penalty.

Whether it was Touré’s challenge which caused Akpan to go to ground was probably debatable, the Blackburn man looked to have lost his chance to shoot when he went down, but Rhodes netted the kick with his usual confidence.

The striker’s second from the corner soon afterwards is likely to frustrate manager McCarthy more with the Blues having conceded too many preventable goals in recent weeks.

From there, Town huffed and puffed but never really looked like getting back into the game with Murphy’s late shot from distance keeper Steele’s only save.

The Blues began the second half unchanged and on the front foot, Steele claiming an early Berra header into the danger area.

Corry Evans was booked for a foul before David McGoldrick took over from Touré. Soon after, Henley was yellow-carded for a late challenge on Smith.

Maitland-Niles joined him in the book for a foul on Conway on 57 then two minutes later he was replaced by Pitman with the Blues now having all four strikers on the pitch.

On the hour, McGoldrick headed Pitman’s corner from the right over the bar, then Rhodes was inches from claiming a hat-trick, his strike from the edge of the area from Evans’s pass hitting Gerken’s left post.

Sears did well to get away from Henley on the Town left in the 64th minute before cutting into the area. The ex-Colchester man might have laid the ball back to one of a number of team-mates but instead shot and saw his effort blocked. Moments later, Berra was booked for a foul on Rhodes as Blackburn broke.

Skipper Chambers stuck a powerful effort from fully 40 yards which flew not far wide with the help of a deflection on 69 following a corner with the Blues having a lot of the ball but without being able to find a way through a Rovers backline which was defending solidly.

The home side continued to look a threat on the break, however, and probably should have been three in front in the 69th minute when Evans played in Henley on the right of the area, but Gerken was quickly off his line to block.

Rhodes shot into the side-netting from a tight angle off Berra in the 76th minute, then from the corner Hanley headed over.

In the 81st minute the former Town striker was only prevented from completing his hat-trick by a superb Gerken save. Rhodes glanced Conway’s freekick from the left towards the corner of the net but the Blues keeper somehow got across to push the ball away.

A minute later, Tommy Oar was handed his league debut for Murphy, who had had another frustrating afternoon.

With five minutes remaining, after Berra had been penalised for another foul on Rhodes and the home fans had been calling for a second yellow card, the Blues conjured a chance. McGoldrick won the ball on the right, Oar crossed towards Sears and Parr but Steele was out quickly to clear, catching the Norwegian’s shin as he did so.

Pitman required treatment after colliding with Steele as the keeper punched away a cross from deep on 87 but was OK to carry on.

The Blues continued to look in vain for a goal as the fourth official’s board indicated an additional four minutes.

In truth, Rovers’ victory never looked in doubt once Rhodes, whose sale Town seem to have cause to regret more every time they face him, had netted his two goals in quick succession.

The home side saw the game out professionally with Town, who have now lost five in a row at Ewood Park where they are without a league win since August 1991, unable to cause keeper Steele to make too many serious saves.

Town, who failed to score for the first time in 22 league games, go into the international break having dropped to 12th and with one win in six league games.

Blackburn: Steele, Henley, Duffy, Hanley (c), Olsson, Marshall, Evans, Akpan, Conway, Lawrence (Williamson 90), Rhodes. Unused: Raya, Spurr, Delfouneso, Taylor, Petshi, Lenihan.

Town: Gerken, Chambers (c), Parr, Berra, Smith, Skuse, Douglas, Touré (McGoldrick 53), Maitland-Niles (Pitman 59), Murphy, Sears. Unused: Bialkowski, Malarczyk, Emmanuel, Bru, Oar. Referee: Andre Marriner (West Midlands). Attendance: 12,672 (Town: 642).

Photo: Action Images

BillBlue added 18:59 - Oct 3 After 62 years of being a keen Town fan this is the first match ever where I haven't bothered to try to find out what was going on. When I pulled in this Match Report about twenty minutes ago that was the first Confirmation I had of yet another disaster and, being honest, I have only really looked at the comments posted but unfortunately there appears to be a dearth of those (probably we are missing all the McCarthy worshipers)! What this is telling me is that the impossible has happened and I have lost interest in Ipswich Town but hopefully it will return when this moron is fired which, IMO, cannot be soon enough.

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jollyroger added 19:00 - Oct 3 Mick says he is loyal to his players or does he mean favorites well mick its about time you get loyal to us supporters and pick the team with our best players in Bart bru Mac g and get a proper rb in
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alfromcol added 19:00 - Oct 3 If MM starts the next game with Chambers at RB and Smith on the right CH position then I can only think that he watches a different game to the rest of us. So, so disappointing. Team selection is now "all over the place".
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warktheline added 19:02 - Oct 3 @irishtim, to be fair to blueboy, I think he's referring to people such as essex57 and oddball , who don't provide rational explanations in posts, unlike yourself and others who balance situations.
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essex57 added 19:04 - Oct 3 Well thats it sack the managment the scouts Borough council sell the ground put you all out of your angst and misery
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alfromcol added 19:05 - Oct 3 Our defence is the worst around, however, just look at appearance to date this season. Out or 10 league matches: Gerken 7 Chambers 10 Smith 10 Knudson 9 Douglas 9 Skuse 10 Berra 8 (would have been 10 if not for last season red card) How can MM justify continuing to pick them?
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stevelincsexile added 19:13 - Oct 3 On a happier note nice to see Marriott score 2 more today.
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warktheline added 19:33 - Oct 3 Typical essex57, total nonsense post. Your turn Oddball!!
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billlm added 19:38 - Oct 3 We have the players just not the balance, to many favourites, bad managment
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StowTractorBoy added 19:39 - Oct 3 Than goodness I can have a good night out in Blackpool after another awful result thanks mainly to a shambles of a first half display. We may have a better squad than last season but the players being put out on the field are not performing and the balance of the team is so wrong. Gerken made two excellent saves today but he never commands his box and I shudder every time a cross comes in as do our defence I am sure. What has gone wrong with Berra who is just a shadow of our player of the season and could easily have been sent off. We made Blackburn look good and the likes of Evans, Marshall, Conway and Lawrence had the freedom of Ewood Park. What is the point of playing two holding midfielders in Skuse and Douglas when we still concede goals. Douglas was awful and why oh why Bru did not feature I don't know. McGoldrick added some class when he came on but Murphy apart from one shot may as well have not been on the pitch as he was non existent. Parr is not a Knudsen and Toure is not a Fraser which did not help our cause and the penalty was oh oh soft. Sears worked very hard and can be exempt from any criticism but he was flogging a dead horse and often ploughing a lone furrow. The much maligned Tommy Smith at least gave his all for the Club but MM must make changes for Huddersfield as his present state of mind is not brining results and before long the fans will turn against him which would be a shame as he has done a lot for the Club in raising expectation levels which are falling fast.

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BriggEnd added 19:57 - Oct 3 Garbage,Gutless,Spineless,Pathetic,Prima Donners,Dinosaurs from back to front what a frigging mess we are in. Goes from bad to worst 2 or 3 weeks ago it was a horror show on a friday night now it is the saturday afternoon horror show. Are we Chelsea in disguise lol
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blueherts added 19:58 - Oct 3 Pathetic - pick players based on last season - Berra and Murphy , Play the worst central midfield pairing I can remember in recent times - For two such 'defensive players - how come we concede SO MANY GOALS - yes MM and TC have done some good things for the club , But until you out the right players in the right positions this downward slide is only going one way
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Hegansheroes added 20:02 - Oct 3 Irish Tim-Taricco& Poyet are available I believe. Can't be worse than the rather useless pairing of a pretty useless ex centre half & a less than average centre forward who some how blagged their way into management
0

portmanteau added 20:27 - Oct 3 what is continuous and predictable is the responses on here week in week out. win and we are the best thing since sliced bread , lose/draw and we arent fit to clean rooney's boots. a little perspective required perhaps? here are some comments from another club's forum today: " I like the way we play. I like the endeavour and the fans get it too". " I thought it was a very decent performance. overall I'm pleased with the progress we are making as a team. we look more balanced and are passing the ball. the new players are showing good potential and are still adjusting to the championship. this team is building and we need to stick with it". guess who? Nottingham Forest, who have just lost 3 in a row at home and 8 out of last 10 at home. enough to make you jump off the stand roof, but no, they're quite happy it seems.

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warktheline added 20:30 - Oct 3 @portmanteau, what's your point? How can you compare us to Forest? Please explain!
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irishtim added 20:34 - Oct 3 Sometimes we have to take a step back to take a step forward. I'm really p....d of with Mick. Have been a really big supporter. But if we are real fans remember where we were. Investment by the owner is the problem. Gurantee that is what is the only thing. No funds invested = no results. Mick doing as good as he can imo
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irishtim added 20:42 - Oct 3 @hegansheroes. Did you ever manage anything? If so tell me what we should now?
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portmanteau added 20:54 - Oct 3 warktheline, I was curious to see what supporters of a club in a similar position to our own (League table wise) were saying about their team. from the comments on here I think we would be burning down PR if we had lost 8 out of last 10 at home. I jest of course but do feel we need to calm down and accept you win some you lose some. I can remember a time when losing only 0-2 to Blackburn away would not have been considered apocalypse now.

-3

Minneapolis_ITFC added 21:07 - Oct 3 Regardless of being the away team today I expected to get something out of this. Blackburn are an average side and we played Pitman, McGoldrick, Sears and Murphy today and not a goal to show for it. There will be those who were in attendance and have a better understanding and you can't go by scoreline alone, but appears we can't convert enough chances. Had the greater possession second half by all accounts and had opportunities but in the end it appears the same sorry story. Worth noting there's a greater increase in the 'McCarthy must depart' group than before and can appreciate the frustrations but at least prepared to give him until end of season. Going to be ample time for the manager (and players) to redeem themselves in the weeks and months ahead but we're losing touch on the promotion places by each passing week so something needs to be done soon to avert this decline.

0

Jimmy86 added 21:08 - Oct 3 Another poor result and performance. We must strive to stop the rot ASAP. We are slightly better going forward this season, but since getting beaten by Brighton it's gone remarkably downhill ever since. Mick has done an outstanding job thus far, with what he's had, that's without question. But what is alarming, is where has our hard to beat and well organised team, that Mick prides himself gone. The soft under belly that was often the hallmark of a Keane and Jewell team has sadly reared it's ugly head. There's a number of things that us fans, who pay hard earned money have all been able to identify, 1. The constant talking up of opposition before a ball has even been kicked, getting in excuses early?? Hardly sets the tone, 2. Mick's loyalty to players, not performing to the required standard, "favourites" of you like and 3. The fact Mick is 1 of the most stubborn people on this planet, that goes hand in hand with his above and beyond loyalty. This squad is now as good as it has been for a number of years, but the fact remains, just how much of the 8 million did Mick have at his disposal?? Or did he just chose not to spend it?? Could be that Mick is scared of paying bigger fees, in case it doesn't work out, like a certain monsieur Wenger. Let's use the break to iron out these mistakes and crack on again. COYB

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warktheline added 21:09 - Oct 3 @portmanteau, as a club we are, or should be unquestionably showing consistency parallel to a team chasing ,at the vey least, a play off position . Unlike Forest, who have been hampered with embargo, and change of managers on a ridiculous level, we have had one manager, and a core of players over a reasonable period. As such expectations levels are therefore higher at PR than the City Ground.

4

Westy added 21:14 - Oct 3 I am losing faith. The Club employed Simon Clegg who knew nothing about football as Chief Executive who employed a phyco' as Manager who sold the best player we had in the Youths in a generation for a bargain basement price. We have a current Manager who insists, before every game, talking up the virtues of the opposition and so putting doubt in our own player's minds and puts by far our best keeper on the bench !

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Taricco_Fan added 21:19 - Oct 3 I don't understand why Mick persists with clogging-up the centre of midfield with Skuse and Douglas. Two very limited, immobile, sideways pass specialists. One of them is fine to 'do a job', we don't need both.
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bobble added 21:56 - Oct 3 Damn,ah well at least the wallabies had a nice easy win......
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blueboy1981 added 21:57 - Oct 3 Quite simply McCarthy HAS to turn this around right now - a good start would be to 'eat humble pie' and not be so stubborn - that in itself could yield something. Either that, or he has to walk, because we are only going in one direction - that being the wrong one.
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