Match ends, Blackburn Rovers 2, Ipswich Town 0.
BlackburnBlackburn Rovers2IpswichIpswich Town0
Jordan Rhodes grabbed his 50th league goal for Blackburn Rovers to help them to victory over fellow play-off hopefuls Ipswich Town.
Both sides had chances in the first period but it was the hosts who went ahead when Rhodes scored against his former club with a superb low shot.
Rudy Gestede sealed the win late on with a close-range header.
Rovers are still seven points off the play-off places but are now just two points behind Ipswich.
The Tractor Boys will rue a missed opportunity to stay within one victory of the top six having had several decent first-half opportunities.
They should have been ahead after 26 minutes when Daryl Murphy headed over with the goal gaping following a Jonathan Williams cross, while Williams also forced a fine save from goalkeeper Paul Robinson.
At the other end Tom Cairney went close with a bending effort that Dean Gerken did well to save and the away goalkeeper also had to be at his best to tip away Michael Keane's glancing header.
Williams was the most likely source of an Ipswich goal and again went close with a low strike after a superb run and Robinson then pulled off an acrobatic save to tip away Frank Nouble's long-range strike.
But it was Rovers who went ahead just past the hour when Rhodes latched on to Gestede's clever flick and found the bottom corner with a powerful strike from the edge of the area.
Gestede should have made it two only to shoot wildly over, but it did not matter as he made amends by heading in Craig Conway's free-kick through a flurry of players.
Blackburn Rovers manager Gary Bowyer praised the club's record signing Jordan Rhodes:
"I thought it was an outstanding goal. A through-ball from Rudy and he's took it with his left foot and it's a fantastic finish.
"I find it difficult to find more words to say about him other than 'phenomenal' and 'outstanding'.
"That's 13 clean sheets for the season and the effort and energy levels of our lads today was superb."
Ipswich Town manager Mick McCarthy:
"I think we were equally as good or equally as bad as the opposition up until that goal went in because it wasn't a great game. But it's an £8m striker's goal.
"We've got to come back and do it again. Six games to play, see how many points we can get.
"We're not in the best position to get in the play-offs. Reading are in that and it's theirs to lose now."
Line-ups
Blackburn
Formation 4-4-2
- 1Robinson
- 16Keane
- 3Spurr
- 17WilliamsonBooked at 63minsSubstituted forEtuhuat 90+2'minutes
- 5Hanley
- 4KilgallonBooked at 56mins
- 45Cairney
- 29EvansSubstituted forVarneyat 78'minutes
- 11Rhodes
- 39GestedeSubstituted forDunnat 83'minutes
- 32Conway
Substitutes
- 7King
- 8Dunn
- 13Eastwood
- 15Varney
- 19Taylor
- 20Etuhu
- 22Feeney
Ipswich
Formation 4-3-3
- 22Gerken
- 4ChambersBooked at 51mins
- 3Cresswell
- 8Skuse
- 6Berra
- 5Smith
- 14WordsworthBooked at 37minsSubstituted forEbanks-Blakeat 73'minutes
- 19HyamSubstituted forGreenat 90'minutes
- 9Murphy
- 35Nouble
- 25WilliamsSubstituted forHuntat 86'minutes
Substitutes
- 1Loach
- 12Hunt
- 15Mings
- 16Green
- 18Tabb
- 24Richardson
- 27Ebanks-Blake
- Referee:
- Keith Stroud
- Attendance:
- 13,281
Match Stats
Home TeamBlackburnAway TeamIpswich
- Possession
- Home54%
- Away46%
- Shots
- Home19
- Away11
- Shots on Target
- Home5
- Away4
- Corners
- Home5
- Away3
- Fouls
- Home14
- Away15
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, Blackburn Rovers 2, Ipswich Town 0.
Post update
Attempt blocked. Tom Cairney (Blackburn Rovers) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Post update
Attempt missed. Daryl Murphy (Ipswich Town) left footed shot from outside the box misses to the right. Assisted by Tommy Smith with a headed pass.
Post update
Attempt blocked. David Dunn (Blackburn Rovers) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Post update
Attempt blocked. Tom Cairney (Blackburn Rovers) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Luke Varney.
Substitution
Substitution, Blackburn Rovers. Dickson Etuhu replaces Lee Williamson.
Post update
Tom Cairney (Blackburn Rovers) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Post update
Foul by Stephen Hunt (Ipswich Town).
Post update
Hand ball by Jordan Rhodes (Blackburn Rovers).
Substitution
Substitution, Ipswich Town. Paul Green replaces Luke Hyam.
Post update
Foul by Lee Williamson (Blackburn Rovers).
Post update
Frank Nouble (Ipswich Town) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Substitution
Substitution, Ipswich Town. Stephen Hunt replaces Jonathan Williams.
Post update
Foul by Jordan Rhodes (Blackburn Rovers).
Post update
Christophe Berra (Ipswich Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Substitution
Substitution, Blackburn Rovers. David Dunn replaces Rudy Gestede.
Post update
Attempt blocked. Sylvain Ebanks-Blake (Ipswich Town) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Jonathan Williams.
Goal!
Goal! Blackburn Rovers 2, Ipswich Town 0. Rudy Gestede (Blackburn Rovers) header from the centre of the box to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Craig Conway with a cross following a set piece situation.
Post update
Jordan Rhodes (Blackburn Rovers) wins a free kick on the right wing.
