An opening minute Luke Leahy own goal and Alan Judge's fourth of the season saw the Blues to a 2-1 victory over Bristol Rovers at Portman Road, Luke McCormick netting for the Gas. Leahy unluckily diverted into his own net after 48 seconds, Judge added the second on 11, before McCormick brought the Gas back into the game on 18.

Town boss Paul Cook made two changes with Kayden Jackson and Luke Woolfenden coming into the side

Cook was forced into one of those changes with Kane Vincent-Young picking up a hamstring injury on his return at Wigan last week. Woolfenden, his replacement from the bench at the DW Stadium, came in on the right of a back three.

Stephen Ward and Gwion Edwards were the wing-backs with Andre Dozzell and Teddy Bishop behind Alan Judge in midfield.

The Blues boss had been weighing-up whether to move away from his preferred 4-2-3-1 system in recent weeks and finally took the plunge with Jackson starting alongside James Norwood in a front two - for the first time since February last year - with Freddie Sears dropping to the bench. Bristol Rovers started former Town youngster Ed Upson in their midfield.

Town took the lead in only the 47th second in more than slightly fortuitous circumstances. Jackson and two defenders had gone to ground as they challenged inside the area to the right. David Totunda cleared against Edwards, the ball looping off the Welshman, and then Gas skipper Leahy’s out-stretched leg before crossing the line off the inside of the post.

In the 11th minute Town went 2-0 in front. After the ball had been cleared, Dozzell struck a volley from 25 yards which struck Pablo Martinez and deflected to Judge, who hit his first effort against George Williams. The ball fell kindly for the Irishman, who struck a second low effort past Anssi Jaakkola in the visitors’ goal, his fourth of the campaign.

After their nightmare start, Bristol Rovers began to see more of the ball and in the 18th minute they pulled a goal back.

Jonah Ayunga dispossessed Andre Dozzell midway inside the Town half and fed Luke McCormick, who took the ball on to the edge of the box and chipped the advanced Tomas Holy. It was a goal which was very preventable from a Town perspective.

The Blues were knocked off their stride having conceded and looked distinctly shaky with Rovers on top and looking for a leveller. On 22 Ayunga chased a ball behind the Blues’ backline, beat Holy to it and was sent flying by the keeper just outside the area to the right.

Holy was booked for his challenge - Rovers felt the Czech might have seen red - with the free-kick coming to nothing. A subsequent free-kick from 25 yards out to the left was smashed into the wall, then moments later McCormick shot wide.

Town had shown little threat since their second goal but just before the half hour, Norwood turned Judge’s low free-kick from the right past the post when he will feel he ought to have done better.

The Blues continued to look nervous on the ball, giving possession away all too regularly, with Rovers presenting the greater threat and in the 38th minute they should have equalised. Zain Walker crossed low from the right and an unmarked McCormick hit his shot the wrong side of Holy’s left post.

On 41 Ayunga hit a low shot from distance from the right that the Town keeper dealt with comfortably, then three minutes later Walker shot into Holy’s arms from the right.

Rovers continued to look the more threatening side in the two additional minutes with the Blues never really having recovered from conceding their goal.

After a perfect and to a significant degree fortunate start, Town were in a position to comfortably beat the lowly visitors but an unforced error led to the Rovers goal with the Blues not able to regain control of the game and by the end of the half were struggling to prevent the visitors from grabbing a leveller.

Town boss Cook was forced into a change at the start of the second half with top scorer Norwood making way for Aaron Drinan.

The Blues started the half much as they had ended the second with a Toto Nsiala error allowing Ayunga a run at goal and a shot which failed to trouble Holy.

On 51 Upson struck an effort from distance straight at the Town keeper, then a minute later Bishop struck a low shot through to Jaakkola in the Rovers goal.

In the 55th minute Judge’s free-kick from the left was punched out by Jaakkola but only as far as Edwards on the right of the area, but his low goal-bound shot was blocked by Williams. A minute later, a Drinan shot deflected wide off Martinez.

Bristol Rovers boss Joey Barton switched Tutonda for Zain Westbrooke on the hour mark before Bishop, comfortably Town’s most threatening player, burst into the area on the right and sent over a low cross which was cleared.

Three minutes later, McCormick scraped a shot wide from just inside the area after Nsiala had slipped.

Drinan was booked following an aerial challenge with Jack Baldwin on 65, before Jackson, who had had a quiet afternoon, was swapped for Troy Parrott.

Referee Stephen Martin spoke to Drinan for a second time following a clash with Baldwin in the 69th minute with the Bristol Rovers man appearing to have instigated the collision on both occasions before making an awful lot of the contact.

Two minutes later, with Town beginning to look more dangerous, Edwards crossed from the right, and keeper Jaakkola’s punch fell to Judge, who shot over.

The Pirates replaced Walker with Erhun Oztumer on 72 then four minutes later Brandon Hanlan shot across the face with more of the game being played in the Town half.

On 83 skipper Luke Chambers flicked a near-post head from a Judge corner on the left onto the roof of the net.

Four minutes later, the Blues switched Bishop, who had just undergone treatment on the pitch, for Josh Harrop.

Two minutes later, Armando Dobra replaced Judge, while Rovers switched Josh for Upson and Josh Barrett for Ayunga.

Moments before referee Martin ended the afternoon’s proceedings, Harrop shot wide from distance.

Having looked on their way to a comfortable win following their two early goals, the Blues in the end little more than crept over the line to the second victory of the Cook era.

Having conceded, Town again showed their shakiness when things start to go wrong and Rovers could well have been level before the break.

In the second half, there were few real chances at either end as Town huffed and puffed as they have in so many of their recent games. The change of system seemed to change the overall manner of the performance little. Rovers, who remain second bottom, will feel they should have taken a point from the match.

But the win sees Town climb to ninth in the table with the gap to the top six down a point to two with nine games remaining and a visit to rock bottom Rochdale on Monday.

Town: Holy, Woolfenden, Nsiala, Chambers (c), Edwards, Dozzell, Bishop (Harrop 87), Ward, Judge (Dobra 89), Jackson (Parrott 66), Norwood (Drinan 46). Unused: Cornell, McGuinness, Sears.

Bristol Rovers: Jaakkola, Leahy (c), Upson (Hare 89), Hanlan, McCormick, Tutonda (Westbrooke 60), Baldwin, Walker (Oztumer 71), Ayunga (Barrett 89), Martinez, Williams. Unused: Day, Little, Daly. Referee: Stephen Martin (Staffordshire).

Photo: Matchday Images

Edmundo added 17:38 - Apr 2 All a waste of space.
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runaround added 17:43 - Apr 2 As Paul Cook said after the Plymouth game, “nice to get a win isn't it” The result is the only positive today albeit it's the most important thing to get right. Hopefully it will give the players a bit of confidence and belief moving forward but bigger battles lie in the summer with Cook will hopefully be able to mold a team we can be proud us. Also Evans will hopefully step up or sell up

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WhoisJimmyJuan added 17:43 - Apr 2 I'd rather binge watch Hong Kong Phooey for 90 minutes than this c@ck anyway
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jas0999 added 17:44 - Apr 2 Just pleased to win the match, despite doing our best to throw it away! Tree points is certainly most welcome, but it remains clear that we need an overhaul in the summer.
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ArnieM added 17:51 - Apr 2 Yes it was a win, but bloody hell, what a shower of shyte we are. Week after week it's the same dross from this group of Town players. It's not the managers that are at fault. It's the players! The bigger picture needs to be looked at , not start to be critical of Paul Cook , who is the most able manager we've had here since Joe Royal. This Town squad simply isn't good enough. They negative feed off each other. Are collectively, mentally fragile. And Collectively can't be arsed ( it appears game in game out), So Get rid

20

Kickingblock added 17:52 - Apr 2 3 points, thanks to the own goal! Unfortunately I fell asleep during the second half. Come on you blues, entertainment is supposed to keep us awake. You must try harder!
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SickParrot added 17:53 - Apr 2 I don't watch us anymore because it's too painful, but comments suggest we were poir as usual. How can a team in 23rd position who go 2 down look more confident than us? I say again that the season can't end soon enough for me, so that the real Paul Cook era can begin. New owners would be nice too.
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mdsblue added 17:59 - Apr 2 Why is it we seem incapable of getting a decent shot away from anywhere near the box, anytime we do it seems to be scuffed and dribble to the keeper to make an easy save or harmlessly wide, assume it must be confidence but I would've thought professional footballers who do nothing else should at least be able to get a decent shot on target, every other team seems to be able to do it!

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cat added 18:05 - Apr 2 Decent start to the game and nice to get a two goal cushion, but as soon as we make a mistake we lose what little self belief we have. All about the points at this stage, but we need to get on a run with a performance to build confidence.
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cornishnick added 18:15 - Apr 2 Poor, poor, poor. While it would be unfair on Cook to have expected him to have turned things around after 8 games, I was expecting a little bit more of a bounce. The players are under performing as much as ever.
6

Nobbysnuts added 18:20 - Apr 2 Garbage....kvy out for the rest of the season me thinks...and as for Jackson...what a sorry excuse of a so called professional footballer...absolute rubbish.
3

Saxonblue74 added 18:21 - Apr 2 Just to put this into perspective, we were 2 up inside 10 minutes and struggled to hang on let alone go on to win by a clear 3 or 4. Our opposition today have won 11 games from their last 54!
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BeattiesBackPocket added 18:22 - Apr 2 Paul Cook must be dreading the size of the job he has in the summer he literally has to get a whole squad of players in brand new with all those out of contract and not worthy to wear the shirt. This is the poorest squad I can remember in the 30 plus odd years watching this team home and away I thought john Duncan's era was sh!te I would gladly have that time back again!

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Cloddyseedbed added 18:26 - Apr 2 Despite all the talk from Edwards about playing for his future and getting into the playoffs. Well his future isn't very good now then. If he gets a contract elsewhere it will be a miracle. Same goes for each and everyone of the underperforming players on that pitch again today. It seems whatever Cook does or says he just can't get a reaction or tune out of this mottley lot. They can talk the talk all they like, they are not physically or mentally up for it, for whatever personal beliefs they have in their heads. If they are let go by Cook at the end of the season, lets face it, contracts any better than what they are on now are going to be very hard to find......if at all. Message to Paul Cook. Please don't offer any contracts to any of these players who's contracts come to an end. They don't appreciate ITFC and they don't want or deserve to be here. Nor do the ones who still have contracts. We won, but I still don't know how. My god that was bad.

10

Blue_Meanie added 18:33 - Apr 2 They are just very very very very average. Or just below.
6

Bluroo added 18:36 - Apr 2 If you've got us finishing in the playoffs on the league calculator, have another go!
3

therein61 added 18:37 - Apr 2 Whatever happens in the rest of another sorry season in our history the one apparent thing is that we need to unload big time that means all the so called pro's who have free loaded in the past 4 seasons, My message to you gentlemen is that you have brought disgrace to this once proud club and through your inept(don't give a toss performance) ham acting as so called footballers has left us on our knees(you are to well paid to fail but you carry on week in week out) and you don't give a toss starting from the now devoid of any direction captain(and his premiership class mate) who commands no respect at all and it shines through the whole side they just ignore him on the park and then work downwards on a clear out get your broom Mr Cook and shove them down the A12 where they can cheat Colchester while going through the motions.

6

Skip73 added 18:57 - Apr 2 RobsonWark, you ask what the players do in training? According to PC, not much as the little darlings can't cope with hard graft.... ..or being told off either for that matter.
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algarvefan added 19:01 - Apr 2 We all know deep down building a better side is going to take PC some time, nothing will change between now and the end of the season. We have to go with what we have and YES we can still make the play offs, which in itself is something! The history books will show we won 2-1 today and that's all, so move on, another game Monday, they are all must win at this time of the season. There is no point moaning, there is no magic trick to save us, just support the lads.

4

dirtydingusmagee added 19:02 - Apr 2 we got 3 points today but didnt win the game, Rovers lost it .Gifted a goal in first minute so cant get a better start added to it ,then for much of the game we were 2nd best of two poor teams,I know people are clinging on to hope of playoffs ,and lord knows we all want out of this awful league,but seriously, as poor as this league is we havnt got what it takes to get promoted.Yet again there were players who should be flattered to be playing at this level. VERY POOR.

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BartonBluee added 19:07 - Apr 2 I had re-root canal yesterday... That was both more successful and less painful, than watching Ipswich today. Great to obviously get the 3 points, but not very good was it...
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Wishing4arightback added 19:11 - Apr 2 Poor, poor, poor! Running out of words. If I performed like that at work I would be getting my P45! Not hoping to get another crack at getting how many thousands of pounds a week. There are much better players in non league who would play for Ipswich for free! Last moan, if Emyr Hughes can't get picked above Dozzel, who does nothing for the team at all, well Mr Hughes i would change careers because either your injury has done for you or your dad can't have been a true club legend.......

5

RobsonWark added 19:42 - Apr 2 If I was ME I would be taking all these professional CLOWNS to court for FRAUD!! So called professional footballers being paid thousands each week and never performing on the day. Sue all their agents too!!!
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runningout added 19:50 - Apr 2 Cook will always have my backing. This is his trickiest job to date. We are damaged and we don't have one player that can read the game. Afraid I wouldn't renew any contract and move on more. Surely players must realise a more suitable club is out there for them
2

RobsonWark added 19:58 - Apr 2 Paul Cook's post match interview... "Luke Chambers has been outstanding, playing really well, he's a leader, he's a captain he's doing great" WE HAVE NO HOPE!!! Get the next manger in please!!!
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