Jason Steele helps Blackburn keep first clean sheet of season
Blackburn recorded their first clean sheet of the season with a 0-0 draw against Ipswich at Ewood Park.
Both of these struggling teams are finding wins and goals hard to come by and it showed in a game that will not live long in the memory.
Mick McCarthy's men had the best chances through the returning Adam Webster's first-half header which Jason Steele brilliantly saved, and he had to be at his best to stop Freddie Sears after the break.
Rovers showed plenty of endeavour but aside from long range shots, did very little to trouble the opposition and they remain in the bottom three following a third game without a goal.
The Tractor Boys saw their winless and goalless run stretch to five matches.
Blackburn handed a league debut to on-loan Martin Samuelsen in one of three changes, which saw Danny Graham and Jason Lowe miss out through injury and suspension respectively, while McCarthy welcomed back Webster from injury as he made two alterations.
Rovers started brightly enough but were almost caught cold in the 18th minute when Ben Marshall dithered and was dispossessed before Ipswich's top scorer Grant Ward fired a ferocious 25-yard shot that Steele parried.
Despite doing most of the defending, the Tractor Boys highlighted Blackburn's set piece weakness when Luke Chambers glanced a 19th minute header wide from close range.
Moments later, Steele produced a wonderful point blank save as ex-Rover Leon Best headed on a corner for Webster, whose own header was somehow kept out.
The mood was not helped in the 28th minute when Webster was allowed to roam forward virtually unchecked, setting up another former Rover, Tom Lawrence, who side-footed wide.
Rovers showed signs of life 10 minutes before the break when Derrick Williams hammered over a left wing cross that Sam Gallagher headed over, before a superb passing move that just lacked the finishing touch from Marshall.
Just before the break, Danny Guthrie let fly with a powerful drive that whistled over the Ipswich crossbar.
The second half started quietly but Best went close to punishing his former employers on the hour mark when he held the ball up well before seeing his near-post effort parried behind by Steele.
Marshall then lashed one wide for Blackburn before Ward's deep cross was headed over by Best, as both sides toiled for that all important breakthrough.
It almost came through some terrible Rovers play 16 minutes from time, as captain Craig Conway inexplicably chipped a pass towards his own goal that Sears intercepted and hammered a shot that bounced off Steele, who then blocked a Lawrence rebound from close range.
And despite late Ipswich pressure, the uneventful afternoon ended in a stalemate.
Source : DSG
Source: DSG