Second-half goals from Danny Graham, from the penalty spot, and sub Joe Nuttall saw Blackburn to a 2-0 victory over the Blues at Ewood Park. Callum Elder felled Adam Armstrong for the spot-kick converted by Graham on 65, then Nuttall added the second nine minutes later with his first touch seconds after coming on.

Alan Judge, who joined Town from Brentford for a nominal fee earlier in the week, was handed his Blues debut against Rovers, a club where he has had two spells.

Jack Lankester, celebrating his 19th birthday today, dropped to the bench as manager Paul Lambert, a former Rovers boss, named an otherwise unchanged team.

As for last weekend’s 1-0 home defeat of Rotherham, the Blues lined-up in a 4-4-1-1 system, with Judge on the right side of midfield.

Skipper Luke Chambers continued at the centre of the defence wearing a strapping on the wrist he injured against the Millers.

Former Town captain and coach Tony Mowbray made three changes to his Blackburn team with Jack Rodwell, Corry Evans and Bradley Dack returning to the XI and Ryan Nyambe, Richie Smallwood and Ben Brereton dropping to the bench having started the 4-2 midweek after-extra-time FA Cup defeat to Newcastle.

There was a big scare for the Blues in the seventh minute when Cole Skuse was uncharacteristically caught in possession not far outside his area. Lewis Travis eventually worked the ball to Graham in space inside the box but fortunately for the Blues the former Swansea striker’s shot at goal was diverted wide by Chambers.

Town, wearing their all orange away kit, began to pass the ball around confidently, despite a bumpy-looking pitch, with new boy Judge very much involved. However, they weren’t able to carve out an opportunity to test David Raya in the Rovers goal.

The home side spurned another chance to go in front in the 22nd minute when skipper Elliott Bennett was found breaking into the area on the Rovers right with a low Bradley Dack ball from the other flank. Luckily for Town, the one-time Norwich winger or right-back blazed well over the bar.

Blackburn had another opportunity in the 24th minute, Dack hitting a 25-yard freekick towards goal which scuffed off the wall and went behind.

Rovers went even closer following the resultant corner. Corry Evans hit a low shot through a crowd of players from distance which Rodwell turned on to the inside of Gerken’s left post. The loose ball ran across the six-yard box but the keeper dived on it just ahead of Dack.

The Lancastrians had by now got up a head of steam and the Blues were struggling to get out of their own half.

In the 25th minute Dack chased a ball into the left of the Town box and tried to lift it over the advancing Gerken, however, he scuffed his effort and James Collins cleared.

Four minutes later, Armstrong struck a shot from the edge of the box which Gerken pushed wide of his right post.

The pressure eventually subsided and the Blues began to get their passing going again and started to get on top, Judge and Sears having swapped flanks.

And in the 39th minute, with the home fans starting to become frustrated their their side, they might have gone in front.

Keane was played in on goal and beat the advancing Raya to the ball but took it too wide to the right to slip into the net. The on-loan Hull City man waited for team-mates to lay it back to but eventually tried to sneak a shot in at the near post and the ball was bundled behind.

A minute later, from a Judge freekick, Collins got his head to the ball but was unable to divert it towards goal.

The Blues found themselves back under pressure as the half moved into one minute of injury time with Blackburn winning a succession of corners and throws, but Town were able to hold out to go in with the scoreline 0-0 at the break.

Blackburn will feel they had had enough chances to have gone in ahead, Graham failing to take advantage of Skuse’s early error and then a number of players coming close during their dominant spell midway through the half.

Town just about kept the scoreline blank during that period and might have gone in ahead themselves had Keane not taken the ball quite as wide when rounding Raya and had a team-mate been placed for him to cut back towards.

At times the Blues had long spells of possession but equally there were moments when they had surrendered possession and had looked like the scratch side that to a great extent they are given the turnaround in personnel with five of the six January signings starting.

Blackburn swapped on-loan Southampton man Harrison Reed, who had suffered a knock in the midweek game against Newcastle, for Joe Rothwell ahead of the second half.

The home side began the second period as they left off the first, winning a number of set pieces. However, with Town able to prevent Gerken’s goal from being threatened.

Eleven minutes after the restart a wayward Collins pass gifted the ball to Rothwell midway inside the Town half but Matthew Pennington stabbed the ball away from the sub to Gerken as he prepared to shoot.

A minute later, the Blues’ first attack of the second half ended with Sears crossing for Collin Quaner, who looped a ball which was behind him wide of Raya’s right post.

But in the 65th minute the home side took the lead from the penalty spot. Armstrong got ahead of the rather pedestrian Elder as they chased a ball into the right of the box and the Australian left-back, on loan from Leicester, hauled down the former Newcastle man. Referee Darren England took his time before pointing to the spot.

Town’s players debated furiously with referee England - Chambers was eventually booked for scuffing the penalty spot - but it looked a correct decision and somewhat needless with Armstrong not going anywhere. Graham took the spot-kick and slammed his 10th goal of the season past Gerken.

It might have got even worse for the Blues just over a minute later, sub Rothwell smashing a powerful shot from the left which Gerken superbly tipped on to his left post.

Chambers headed over from a Judge freekick for Town, then on 67 boss Lambert switched Quaner for Lankester, the sub moving to the right, Keane forward and Judge swapping into the number 10 role. Six minutes later, Blackburn replaced Graham with Nuttall.

And with his first touch of the ball the sub all but sealed his side’s victory. Armstrong broke away down the right and crossed low for Nuttall, who slammed into the net from a matter of inches.

Nuttall was booked for a foul on Chambers, then in the 77th minute Dack shot just wide from the edge of the box on the right with Blackburn sensing that there were more goals for them in the game.

On 81 Elder crossed deep from the left to Judge breaking in at the back of the box but the new signing’s shot was blocked. Soon after, Teddy Bishop replaced Sears for Town and Smallwood took over from Evans for Rovers.

Town went close to pulling a goal back in the 85th minute when Keane made the most of some hesitancy between Raya and Bennett, the ball bouncing out to Bishop with the keeper well out of his goal.

The sub’s shot looked goalbound but Elliott somehow managed to deflect it wide, with his hand claimed Town’s players, not overly convincingly, but with his chest according to the referee. Replays suggest the Blues squad were the more correct and they ought to have been awarded the game's second penalty.

Dack curled a shot wide for Rovers as the match entered its final scheduled two minutes, then in four minutes of injury time Rothwell shot over from the left of the box.

Neither side threatened again before England’s whistle ended the match. As against Rotherham, the Blues never got going after the break having had bright spells before half-time.

Whereas they held out against the Millers, this time they were made to pay after Elder’s rash challenge on Armstrong before Nuttall made an immediate impact having come off the bench to seal it.

Even after the first goal a Town comeback looked unlikely but after the second the game looked done and dusted, as so often recently. The Blues have now conceded two or more in each of their last 13 Championship games on the road, all but their opening away game at Rotherham which ended 1-0.

Results elsewhere were kind for Town and the Blues remain seven points plus goal difference from safety ahead of next week’s trip Aston Villa, one of only 18 games left to play.

Blackburn: Raya, Bennett (c), Lenihan, Rodwell, Bell, Evans (Smallwood 82), Travis, Reed (Rothwell 46), Dack, Armstrong, Graham (Nuttall 73). Unused: Leutwiler, Nyambe, Brereton, Conway.

Town: Gerken, Pennington, Chambers (c), Collins, Elder, Skuse, Chalobah, Sears (Bishop 83), Judge, Keane, Quaner (Lankester 67). Unused: Bialkowski, Downes, Nsiala, Kenlock, Dawkins. Referee: Darren England (South Yorkshire). Att: 12,762 (Town: 562).

Photos: Pagepix

ITFCsince73 added 22:17 - Jan 19 Itfclegend. It was MM decision to let Webo. MC, Garns, Wags leave. As they wanted to. Hurst took the job knowing this. Great to add to your leaving cv. Bought for peanuts, sold as diamonds. In true MM style. Up yours!!!
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shakytown added 22:32 - Jan 19 Why do we keep playing so many defensive midfielders???? Either Skuse or Chabolah are ok in this role but with both we just play to deep and invite the opposition to attack us. This is no different than the wonderful days of Skuglas except we have no threat on the counter attack and even long balls we used to use at the likes of Murphy are not an option. The squad has improved but the tactics have not. We now need to attack and throw caution to the wind if we are going to get out of this mess.

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RobsonWark added 22:35 - Jan 19 ITFCsince73 you are so right. Chambers is an absolute joke! I assume he only gets in the team because he talks a good talk...it's certainly NOT on his football abilty. The guy wouldn't get in Ipswich Wanderers football team. I felt sick when I saw him putting his arm around Paul Hurst...shown what a two faced c### he is by moaning about him soon as he got sacked. I'm not a Paul Hurst fan i just can not stand Chambers in our team. I've said this so many times on here that we will go down with him in the team.

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blueboy1981 added 23:04 - Jan 19 Why are some of you so vindictive after today's result ? - anyone with a grain of common could see we've been a certainty for League 1 for weeks now - not just today. Whatever you call it - is bliss, I guess with some who still talk about survival ........ !!!!! You're living in 'cloud cuckoo land' if you can't / don't accept it. Who the hell would be so naive to expect a win today at Blackburn after last week ? - that's if you had any idea of what you were watching. The win put the blinkers on so many obviously. Rome wasn't built in a day, or a few weeks - neither will the rebuild of ITFC. Get used to it.

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blueboy1981 added 23:11 - Jan 19 ..... as for Chambers - it's obvious that a few certain people on here know more / better than the last three Managers - maybe they should have applied for the job, and now be doing it. I have my view on Chambers, but accept I know LESS than Managers on high salaries (one of which was on a £million bonus each season to maintain Championship status) - plus Salary.
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RobsonWark added 23:14 - Jan 19 blueboy1981 you are soooooooooooooo right! That's because we have an absolutely useless captain playing week in week out! Hopefully he won't get a new contract at the end of the season and we will win a few games next season. Get that useless (i can't even call him a footballer) out of our club!!
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blueboy1981 added 23:22 - Jan 19 RobsonWark ........ how you can continuously blame one player is beyond all sensible comprehension - you make it so obviously that Chambers blind you to all the other contributory factors - and there are many - Chambers is just one of the many. You'll be blaming Chambers for the price of the Portman Pie next, and not the Caterer, or the Club.
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blueboy1981 added 23:32 - Jan 19 ........ you strike no credibility with your personal vindictiveness towards ONE player.
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RobsonWark added 23:36 - Jan 19 blueboy1981 why are you so blind. Look at the SkySports video today and see how far behind his opponent he was for their second goal. It's the same week in week out. He doesn't have a footballing brain. He doesn't mark anyone just blames all around him when we concede a goal which is usually HIS fault! I DON'T BLAME CHAMBERS FOR THE PRICE OF THE PORTMAN PIE OR THE CATERER OR THE CLUB as that is nothing to do with being a highly paid so called professional footballer. I would LOVE £15-20 grand a week to play that bad!! PL please hit me up - I'm available for Saturday. My fist pumps are just as good as Chambers!!

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barrystedmunds added 00:03 - Jan 20 Gcon Really? He saved our arses but over stayed his welcome by about 3 years. His footballing philosophy was dated, boring but painstakingly functional. Sure, we'd all take mid table mediocrity just now, who wouldn't?, but it's just delaying the inevitable. Our club has been in decline for years and something had to give. I have long resigned myself to the fact that we're for league 1, I just hope that we can regroup, reorganise and return stronger and better prepared and organised. But that's just my opinion.....

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westernblue added 00:40 - Jan 20 It seems to me too much to expect a distinctly poor-to-average footballing side to be largely replaced not once but twice in the space of just six months of a season. And it's harsh to be simply blaming the defence (whoever - Knudsen, Chambers, Spence, and now Elder) or Hurst's oh-so green strikers/wingers. Clearly we have brought in players who are struggling at this level (so far, and maybe for a lot longer). But the real problem lies in midfield. I would be reluctant to place too much pressure on Dozzell, or even the improving Downes, yet the rest of the midfield is extremely imbalanced. Chalobah is a defender, Skuse so deep he is nearly a defender, Sears is no midfielder, Nolan has so far been a peripheral figure, and Edwards seems to have lost any semblance of a first touch. Given these weaknesses, how is pressure released from the defence? Who gets hold of the ball with any degree of craft and supports the strikers? It's asking an awful lot for near-strangers to gel in this unforgiving league, especially in the midfield. Still, if we are to have the remotest chance of staying up it has to be through a midfield of Bishop, Judge, Huws (if ever fit?), and possibly Downes. A long shot, but for me that offers the barest hope.

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blueboy1981 added 00:46 - Jan 20 ...... RobsonWark you completely miss my point - I am NOT defending Chambers - merely trying to point out to you that you CANNOT just blame Chambers for everything. Far more anomalies than just him.
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Steve_ITFC_Sweden added 07:02 - Jan 20 Depressing times, but you can't lose 60 goals and then attempt to replace them with untried lower league players. PH was an honest bloke, but his inexperience got found out. So ITFC fans have a few choices to make: Stick with the PL attempt to revitalise the club, or ...well, yes...what is the alternative? More moans and negativity? Give up supporting the club? PL may have gone overboard in his praise of the ITFC support - in reality we are probably much like any other club of similar stature - but he is offering us an illusion to buy into - an illusion that can become a reality the more we allow ourselves to be persuaded: something to sustain us until results on the pitch finally turn the corner.

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norfolkbluey added 08:00 - Jan 20 To be frank I thought this was a likely outcome today. Tony was a brilliant defender and we were unlikely to find a way through his defence with the forwards we have, Lucky for us those ahead of us are not much better so we have to remain optimistic for now and hope PL can work some magic with his new additions who will take a few matches to gel. What else can we hope for? Miracles still happen.

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dirtydingusmagee added 10:25 - Jan 20 to me it seems like we are still going around in circles, we need strikers, then we need mid fielders,then defenders, then we have go back to start , Strikers ect, basically we have not got a team that can compete, we dont seem able to put other teams under pressure and spend most of time struggling to get going . Possession counts for everything,while we have the ball the oppo cant score. We are limited to a few strikes on target.[sometimes very few] and just are not good enough for Championship , Its not good saying that ,but its a fact. At the moment Paul Lambert is having to do things quickly to try and prevent relegation, [he cant say i give up lets concentrate on Lge 1.] Hopefully as soon as the fat lady sings he can make most of the time to get a strong functioning team together for a serious effort in Lge 1.He IS the man for ITFC, BUT cant be expected to save what has been a nightmare past year , without support and TIME. .

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Gcon added 11:11 - Jan 20 barrystedmunds. You say he overstayed his welcome, I say he was completely unsupported by the owner. To the point that he was left with no choice but to focus completely on getting points on the board, at the expense of expansive, attacking football. He should have been appreciated for that rather than hounded out. Don't get me wrong, I think Paul Lambert is great, but you can already see that the damage Evans has done to this club and the lack of financial support over many years means we can not play exciting football and win games. we just don't have the resources to do so. McCarthy largely papered over the cracks to the benefit of Marcus Evans. Meanwhile attendances become ever diminished and exciting, skillful players are not something Evans will fork out for. The ongoing apathy from supporters enables Evans to continue destroying our club.

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Bluearmy_81 added 11:50 - Jan 20 Well said Gcon. All your comments are so obvious to some. The apathy of the average Town fan to Evans destruction of ITFC is astounding and pitiful in equal measure.
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barrystedmunds added 12:28 - Jan 20 I'm not sure it's fair to criticise ME over the lack of financial support especially thinking back to the Dark Lords time in charge. I think his biggest failing has been his manager selection. Not one, with the possible exception of Monotonous Mick, has lived up to expectations, and only then because he staved off almost certain relegation. Was that just plain bad luck or has he been wrongly advised? I'm no fan of ME, I don't think this “at arms length” stuff is a good way to run a club, especially ours, and I really do fear for our future.

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BlueMachines added 12:29 - Jan 20 We're now bottom but the atmosphere at the club has improved immeasurably. Explain that Gcon.
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runningout added 12:40 - Jan 20 We need clever scouts that are permanent part of club
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IpswichT62OldBoy added 12:41 - Jan 20 This is the first time since PL took over that there has been snippiness between people on here, (other than usual background radiation), I had been enjoying the recent sense of togetherness. I agree with those who say the atmosphere at and around the Club has improved, I think to a surprising extent, highlighting how unpleasant and toxic had become around M Mc, Hurst just generated apathy and despair. I look forward to Saturdays , and the odd Tuesday, again.

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ITFCsince73 added 13:05 - Jan 20 Gcon. MM couldn't produce expansive, attacking football if his life depended on it. Every team has and is relegated the following season, after him leaving. A great shame the Irish now have to go through his rubbish, outdated way of playing the game.
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warktheline added 13:41 - Jan 20 Gcon, I appreciate your angle on McCarthy but nevertheless it's highly debatable McCarthy could or would have produced expansive football! He spent 3 years 'idle' or if you prefer 'papering over cracks', which ultimately has been detrimental to himself ( ended up temporarily in Irish hot seat) and to Ipswich! In hindsight I'm sure McCarthy would have walked after 'no backing' play off campaign ( don't accept the flimsy explanation of him not wanting 'proper financial help! ) . A club from top to bottom 'free wheeling' for an eternity has caused our current plight ( hapless Hurst quickly loosened the wheel bolts! ) The 'elephant' in the room is Evans, a totally clueless owner who was 'happy' for McCarthy to keep Championship status as he himself 'stayed away' without interest! Problems arose when supporters refused to go watch such dire football and crowds plummeted! Anyhow again Evans 'misjudged' McCarthy's replacement ( as predicted ) and now we sit bottom of the Championship! And no, I don't miss McCarthy's style on the field and certainly not off it!!!!!! BUT things could have turned out differently!

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Gcon added 15:40 - Jan 20 Bluemachines. It's simple. We now have a manager that has immediately recognised that Evans has refused to engage with the supporters or the local community for ten years. Paul Lambert has come in and recognised the disconnection and decided to do all he can to fix that. He engages with past legends, he is very appreciative of the support and he's trying to fix the damage done by Evans. That has lead to a massively improved atmosphere, which is great. But in footballing terms, we are still on the brink of relegation due to years of no funding.

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Kirbmeister added 15:54 - Jan 20 Gcon - totally agree. Whatever happens this season we can't be hard on Lambert at all IMO. The new players will take weeks to get match fit and, as we know, it's already too late. We just have to battle it out as best we can. The rest of the season will be torture and probably the next few seasons too. I don't think we're even a decent league 2 side at present. It's a hell of a long road back.

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