Blackburn manager Valerien Ismael felt his side should have been awarded a penalty and Town ought to have been reduced to 10 men during their 3-0 defeat to the Blues at Portman Road, and called for the immediate introduction of VAR into the Championship.

Ismael, whose sacking Rovers fans were calling for during the second half, admitted that conceding twice in the opening 12 minutes gave his team a mountain to climb.

“I think that the first goal, the two goals in the first half just killed the momentum and everything in the game,” Ismael said.

“Honestly, in the first half, for me, there was nothing for Ipswich, just the two goals. Apart from that, I said to the guys, it can be possible that we concede every time and then try to come back into that difficult game away against a strong team.

“We tried in the second half. I think it’s another clear penalty on Yuki [Ohashi]. I think at some point, the ref has to do the job.

“It’s another one, another big decision. You’ve got a penalty now, it’s 2-1, it doesn't mean you win the game, but at least it’s a game on and it’s something different.

“It’s a clear red card on Toddy [Todd Cantwell, who was caught by Darnell Furlong in the face]. It means that we need urgently VAR in the Championship because the players allow themselves to make bad tackles in situations like that.

“I think if you know the VAR is there, then we won’t have those situations and discussions every time.

“It’s just embarrassing every time. Every week, week in, week out, a massive decision. Penalty, not penalty. Charlton was not a penalty, now it’s a clear penalty for us.

“It doesn’t change the first half. We conceded the two goals, but at least in 90-minute games it can maybe be the key moment in any game when you come back into the game.”

Ismael, who gave a similar list of refereeing injustices against his team following the 1-1 draw at Ewood Park earlier in the season, was asked whether he was concerned that his side didn’t manage a single shot on target against the Blues.

“Yes, but we lost another player through injury, Lewis Miller,” he said. “Now we are playing without 10 players on the pitch, the new one [Mathias Jorgensen] just arrived. Try to find any solution every time to deal with the situation.

“We need to stay calm, to ride the storm now, to wait until the players are coming back and to have more and more energy, more and more competition, otherwise it’s difficult to have an impact from the bench. We know that.

“But in those games you have to be really clinical, no mistakes, stay strong and then that can help you to come through.

“But after two minutes, to concede the first goal and just an own goal and then a set piece, after that it’s difficult to come back in that game.”

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