Ipswich up to first after Chaplin winner against Blackburn

Ipswich Town have gone top of the Championship at least until this evening after a narrow win over Blackburn Rovers.

It was Conor Chaplin who proved to be decisive in what was a close encounter at Ewood Park with an early goal.

Chaplin won the ball in his own half before driving forward and spraying out a pass to Leif Davis. Davis then found Chaplin again to stroke the ball home at the near post where goalkeeper Aynsley Pears may have felt he should have done better.

The Tractor Boys will have felt they should have opened the scoring earlier though after Callum Brittain got away with what would, in the world of VAR at least, likely have a penalty against him for his shirt pull on Nathan Broadhead. As it happened, referee Stuart Attwell gave nothing.

Rovers thought they had equalised with just over a half hour gone when Joe Rankin-Costello finished from Tyrhys Dolan's pass. But the goal was ruled out by the assistant with Sammie Szmodics believed to have been obstructing Václav Hladký's view from an offside position.

The home side had a second goal disallowed as they went in search of an equaliser in the second half with Ipswich Town looking far off their best.

Scott Wharton was judged to have fouled Hladký just before Andrew Moran put the ball in the net – another let off for the visitors.

Hladký almost handed Blackburn an equaliser on a plate when he couldn't control a pass back allowing Szmodics in to steal the ball but the Czech goalkeeper just got back in time to prevent a certain goal.

Kieran McKenna's side eventually managed to hold on to their lead through stoppage time to, for now at least, take top spot in the Championship – a remarkable achievement for a team that was in League One last year.

Blackburn meanwhile will feel like their performance deserved at least a point but they still need to wrap up a few more points before they can be certain to avoid relegation this season.

GOOD FRIDAY.

— Ipswich Town (@IpswichTown) March 29, 2024