Bristol Rovers 0-0 Ipswich Town - Half-Time Tuesday, 14th Feb 2023 20:40 The Blues’ game against Bristol Rovers at the Memorial Ground remains 0-0 at half-time. Town boss Kieran McKenna made four changes from the team which started Saturday’s 2-2 home draw with Sheffield Wednesday. Janoi Donacien, Sone Aluko, Marcus Harness and Freddie Ladapo came into the side for Harry Clarke, Conor Chaplin, Nathan Broadhead and George Hirst, all of whom were on the bench. There was no place in the squad for George Edmundson and Massimo Luongo, who were injury doubts going into the match. Rovers handed on-loan Aston Villa midfielder Lamare Bogarde his debut and former Chelsea, Manchester City, Celtic and Swansea winger Scott Sinclair returned to the XI, which featured three changes from Saturday’s 1-0 loss at Lincoln. Former Blues midfielder Grant Ward started. Town, wearing their black and red away kit, went close to going in front in the second minute. Leif Davis played the game’s first corner from the left low to Humphreys, who hit a shot towards the far post. Keeper Ellery Balcombe saved, Cameron Burgess’s follow-up was blocked and the ball rebounded off the Blues defender and then hit Harness and bounced away. Two minutes later, the Blues threatened again. Davis sent over a corner from the right this time, Wes Burns knocked it back across goal to Ladapo and the striker’s header was nodded to Balcombe by Burgess. After Town’s energetic start, Rovers began to threaten and in the 13th minute went close to going in front. Burgess did well to hook a ball aimed for Sinclair out for a corner and from Anthony Evans’s flag-kick, Jarell Quansah rose highest and headed over with Blues keeper Christian Walton claiming he’d been prevented from getting to the ball, not without reason. Town quickly got back on top, however, Luke Woolfenden playing in Davis on the left of the box with an excellent cross-field pass and the former Leeds man’s cross was turned behind by Balcombe. On 20, Humphreys scuffed a shot from the edge of the box through to Balcombe, who had forced out a cross from the right, not entirely comfortably. Nine minutes later, Davis sent over another corner from the left and Burgess hooked wide at the near post, the former Australian U23 international having emerged as Town’s main set-piece danger. In the 33rd minute, with Town dominating play with the Pirates happy to sit back in numbers in their own half, Woolfenden brought the ball forward before clipping a ball towards Humphreys breaking into the left of the area but the ball flicked off Quansah’s head, then Humphreys’ and wide. Three minutes later, Ladapo held off his man on the right of the area before sending a dangerous ball across the area which no one was able to reach. Out of nothing in the 39th minute, Gas skipper Aaron Collins was played in on goal on the right of the box by Evans but the 14-goal frontman scraped a weak effort through to Walton when he will feel he ought to have given the keeper a sterner test. A minute later, Collins had another chance, James Gibbons crossing from the right and League One’s second-top scorer looped over when he again should have done better. On 42, Ladapo turned and struck a shot on the turn straight at Balcombe with the Blues ending the half totally dominating but without finding a way through the massed ranks of the Bristol Rovers rearguard. Town had started very strongly and might well have gone in front in the opening minute. From there, they remained in control for the most part but without forcing Balcombe into serious action enough. The Blues hadn’t had it all their own way with Collins having shown his threat on a couple of occasions towards the end of the half on rare Pirates forays forward. Bristol Rovers: Balcombe, Connolly, Gordon, Quansah, Sinclair, Ward, Collins (c), Anderson, Evans, Bogarde, Gibbons. Subs: Jaakkola, McCormick, Marquis, Coburn, Hoole, Lawrence, MacDonald. Town: Walton, Donacien, Woolfenden, Burgess, Burns, Morsy (c), Humphreys, Davis, Aluko, Harness, Ladapo. Subs: Hladky, Clarke, Edwards, Broadhead, Chaplin, Jackson, Hirst. Referee: Paul Howard (London).
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