Costly mistakes, familiar scoreline, Portman Road prices - Ipswich Town 3 Blackburn Rovers 2 Talking Points

COSTLY MISTAKES

WHILE there will have been mistakes in Rovers’ last three outings, in which they remained unbeaten, they weren’t shown up quite as they were at Portman Road.

Each goal, as Owen Coyle rightly pointed out, was avoidable from a Rovers perspective, even Tom Lawrence’s second-half wonder-strike.

Ben Marshall was hesitant in clearing his lines in the lead up to the free-kick from which Lawrence opened the scoring, while goalkeeper Jason Steele would likely be disappointed not to have kept his low strike out.

Steele will also likely rue his decision to try and throw the ball out some 50-yards, which after being cut out, allowed Ipswich the momentum to win a corner from which they scored their second goal.

Charlie Mulgrew’s slip prior to the corner being taken also didn’t help, as after losing the first header, it was his man who swept the ball home unmarked at the far post.

The third Ipswich goal, albeit a terrific strike from Lawrence, came about after a Liam Feeney misplaced pass gave the Leicester loanee the freedom to drive at the Rovers defence before firing an attempt in to the top corner.

Rovers were far more open than they had been in their previous three outings, not helped by their poor decision making which once again cost them.

FAMILIAR SCORELINE

HALF of Rovers’ last 10 league games have now ended with a 3-2 scoreline, coming out on the wrong end on four times.

Neither of their previous two league outings, against Huddersfield and Newcastle, ever looked like having so many goals, given Rovers’ more conservative approach.

However, at Portman Road they allowed the game to have much more of an open feel, with both sides having chances aplenty before Lawrence opened the scoring seven minutes before the break.

And it seems that the more open the game, the more Rovers struggle, as they conceded goals number 41, 42 and 43 of the season in just their 26th outing.

After letting in just a free-kick and penalty in their last three games, it was something of a surprise to see an unenforced change in the back four with the omission of Gordon Greer, but it was more the approach of the team, rather than a change in the back four which cost Rovers here.

They didn’t show the defensive discipline which had served them well, and helped eradicate the mistakes, of that four game losing run in December, three of which came by that 3-2 scoreline.

All but three of Rovers’ 14 Championship defeats have come via a one goal margin, and their inability to cut out mistakes will continue to prove costly.

PORTMAN ROAD PRICES

A NEAR 520 mile round trip to watch 15th v 22nd Championship in the second week of January was never likely to stir many people in to making the journey to Portman Road.

So throw in a scandalous matchday ticket price of £35 for the Rovers fans, and it was all credit to all of those who travelled, almost 300 in number, in support of their team.

They will have once again left frustrated as their side slipped to a first defeat of 2017, but it was good to see the Rovers players make a point of going to show their gratitude towards the supporters at the final whistle.

There has been plenty of talk of ticket prices, and vantage points, for Premier League away fans, but something must be done as well to make football affordable for supporters of EFL clubs.

While Ipswich aren’t responsible for the geography, nor league positions, quite how such prices can be justified remains something of a mystery.