Ipswich Town 1-2 Blackburn Rovers - Half-Time Saturday, 4th Aug 2018 16:02 Gwion Edwards netted the first goal of the Paul Hurst era but Blackburn Rovers have come from behind lead Town 2-1 at Portman Road at half-time, Danny Graham and Bradley Dack having scored their goals. Much-targeted Blues striker Martyn Waghorn was left out of the 18 with last season’s 16-goal top scorer expected to join either Derby or Middlesbrough before Thursday’s deadline. Bartosz Bialkowski started in goal with Jordan Spence at right-back, Jonas Knudsen at left-back and Janoi Donacien making his Blues debut in the centre with skipper Luke Chambers in Hurst’s preferred 4-2-3-1 system. Trevoh Chalobah was another debutant alongside Cole Skuse with Flynn Downes ahead of them and Freddie Sears on the left. Debut-makers three and four, Edwards and Ellis Harrison, were on the right and up front respectively Andre Dozzell was on the bench alongside Town’s other new summer signings, Jordan Roberts and Tayo Edun. Tristan Nydam was also absent from the 18, presumably due to injury. Former Blues skipper, coach and caretaker-manager Tony Mowbray, who has former Portman Road favourites Mark Venus and David Lowe on his staff, included ex-Town loan striker Dominic Samuel in his side. The first goal of the Hurst era took only five minutes to come and the honour of scoring it went to one of the new manager’s summer signings, Edwards. With neither side having previously threatened, Sears sent over a deep cross from the left and the former Peterborough man ran in at the back of the box and diverted a header across Blackburn keeper David Raya and just inside the post. The Welshman celebrated gleefully in front of the Co-op Stand and was joined by his new team-mates. Blackburn levelled with their first significant attack in the 20th minute of an otherwise chance free half. A freekick from deep on the left was nodded back across goal by Darragh Lenihan and Derrick Williams flicked it towards goal. Bialkowski was only able to paw it into the air and his subsequent punch hit Donacien and fell to Danny Graham 10 yards out, from where the striker smashed into the net. The game continued to be a very even affair of few chances but with Rovers slightly having the edge and in the 29th minute the visitors went in front via their second chance of the game. Williams, who spent time training with the Town academy as a youngster before opting to join Aston Villa, was sent away down the left by Graham and crossed to the untracked Bradley Dack, who slammed home from a matter of feet. Ten minutes before half-time Harrison was booked for a foul on Williams and moments later Town were forced into a change when Spence was forced off with a knock and Luke Woolfenden took over. The academy product joined Chambers at the heart of the defence with Donacien moving to right-back. On 42 Harrison used his pace and strength to get to a ball down the middle but was unable to find Sears with his pass. Town ended the half strongly, more confident in possession than they had been earlier in the period with the impressive Chalobah increasingly involved and Edwards getting opportunities to run at the Blackburn defence on the right. Just before the fourth official announced an additional four minutes, Sears crossed from the left and Skuse nodded down but wide of the target. Seconds before the whistle, Harrison laid the ball back to Edwards on the right of the box from where the Blues scorer smashed a shot from tight angle not too far over. Despite the scoreline, the Blues were applauded off at the break having ended the period on top. Town got off to the perfect start with Edwards’s well-taken goal but the Blackburn equaliser was rather a comedy of errors defensively from a Town perspective. The Lancastrians were shading the game when they went in front via what from their angle was a well-worked goal, however, the Blues will again believe they should have defended far better. But as the break approach, Town for the first time began to show the passing football which so caught the eye in last week’s friendly against West Ham. Town: Bialkowski, Spence (Woolfenden 38), Donacien, Chambers (c), Knudsen, Skuse, Chalobah, Downes, Sears, Edwards, Harrison. Subs: Gerken, Roberts, Dozzell, Edun, Kenlock, Morris. Blackburn: Raya, Nyambe, Leniman, Mulgrew, Williams, Smallwood, Evans, Dack, Samuel, Bennett, Graham. Subs: Leutwiler, Rothwell, Bell, Nuttall, Travis, Conway, Palmer. Referee: Andy Davies (Hampshire).
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