BLACKBURN Rovers were once again on the end of a 3-2 defeat as former loanee Tom Lawrence scored twice to inflict a first defeat of 2017 on Owen Coyle's side.

Rovers, who lost three successive games by the same scoreline in December, were downed by Lawrence's brace, a player who spent time on loan at Ewood Park last season. 

The Leicester City man scored a stunning second half goal, to add to his first half strike, as Rovers remained in the Championship relegation places.

Hope Akpan's second goal of the season had seen Rovers go in level at the break, but they failed to build on that after the break in which they were second best.

Results elsewhere leave Rovers still one point from safety as they enter a run of three successive home league games.

Owen Coyle made two changes from the side which won at QPR in the FA Cup seven days earlier, with Jason Steele returning in goal and Darragh Lenihan in central defence.

An open start to the game saw both sides having attacking opportunities, but the best of the early opportunities went the way of Ipswich.

Rovers failed to fully clear a Tom Lawrence free-kick, which eventually found its way to Freddie Sears, but his half volley was just wide of Steele's left-hand post.

The hosts started the brighter and Jonas Knudsen would fire wide from the edge of the box on the turn at the end of another promising burst forward.

While Steele had been able to watch those two efforts go past his posts, he had to be alert to the danger in the 11th minute.

Sears tried to make the most of a Charlie Mulgrew slip, but the Rovers stopper was quickly off his line to smother the danger, before Jason Lowe hacked the loose ball clear.

There was a feeling that Rovers would have to weather something of an early storm, but in the 14th minute they almost took the lead themselves.

Liam Feeney led a Rovers break, and having progressed towards the edge of the Ipswich area, he played in Gallagher, who fired goalwards, but was expertly denied by Bialkowsi.

The two would do battle moments later, but this time it was somewhat easier for the keeper to palm over the striker's header from Ben Marshall's cross.

After two tight and cagey affairs in their previous two league outings, there was a much more open feel to this one, with both sides enjoying good spells of territory.

Feeney certainly looked in the mood against his former side, and after his cross was cut out, Elliott Bennett thumped a 25-yarder over the bar.

Sears was Ipswich's liveliest threat going forward, with his movement causing Mulgrew some problems.  Ten minutes before the break he ran off the back of the Scot, but his effort was straight at Steele who palmed it behind.

Six minutes before the break however, Ipswich were to take the lead. Ben Marshall conceded it with a trip on Jonas Knudsen on the edge of the Rovers box.

Ipswich worked the ball short to the former Rovers loanee who hit a low effort which squirmed under Jason Steele.
However, Rovers wouldn't be behind for long, levelling things up three minutes before the break.

Hope Akpan calmly slotted from the edge of the box after being teed up by Danny Graham who was found by a Liam Feeney cross.

He may have been disappointed with his role in the Ipswich goal, but Steele made up for that with two key saves before the break.

The first was to deny Lawrence, who worked his way in to a shooting position from the edge of the box, while then keeping out a Knudsen volley from the resulting corner.

The second half wasn't two minutes old before Lawrence and Steele were re-united, but this 25-yarder was much more straightforward for the Rovers stopper who hung on well.

Jason Lowe was first to take a shot at goal for Rovers after the re-start, though there wasn't much conviction in his 48th minute strike.

The hosts were to restore their lead however, in the 55th minute. Christophe Berra had the simplest of tasks to tap-in at the far post after Cole Skuse flicked on a right-wing corner.

Lawrence was to then inflict more pain on his former side three minutes later.  He picked up the ball 30 yards from goal, before sending an unstoppable shot in to the top corner which Steele could only watch fly in to the top corner.

That's what Feeney was trying to do at the other end moments later, but Bialkowski was able to watch his strike fly just wide of the target.

Coyle sent on Marvin Emnes on the hour mark in a bid to spark a reaction from his side, but it was Ipswich who looked most likely to score again.

They almost did when Freddie Sears forced an excellent point-blank save out of Steele, as Rovers were left all at sea.

But with 16 minutes left, Rovers were handed something of a lifeline. Tenacious play from Hope Akpan was rewarded when he was hauled down in the box.

Referee James Linington pointed to the spot, allowing Danny Graham to stroke home his 10th of the season as he sent the keeper the wrong way.

Nerves began to build in the hosts, but try as they might, Rovers just couldn't force that stand-out chance in their attempts to draw level, as they fell to another defeat.