14.02.23 Match Report - Rovers v Ipswich Town

Rovers and Ipswich played out an entertaining goalless draw on Valentine's Day.

The Gas made three changes from Saturday as they looked to put an end to a four-match losing streak in the league. Sinclair, Bogarde and Anderson replacing Loft, McCormick and Coburn.

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Rovers began brightly and should have been ahead after thirteen minutes, when Quansah rose highest to meet an Evans corner, only to head over the bar.

Three minutes later, Scott Sinclair made a lightning break and beat three men, before his run was halted by what looked like a foul; referee Howard was unmoved.

The experienced Aluko was looking to provide a spark for the visitors, dropping into space on the right flank. Burns went close from a corner, volleying narrowly wide from a tight angle.

As an Ipswich attack broke down in the 35th minute, Evans arrowed a sixty-yard ball from inside his own area to the feet of Collins, but Woolfenden cleared the danger.

Rovers' best chance came in the 38th minute when the impressive Evans waltzed past two challenges and slid in Collins, whose shot was on target but lacked sufficient power to beat Walton. A minute later, the striker fired over following a fine run down the right flank from Gibbons as the Gas upped the heat.

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Ladopo wriggled free on the edge of the area and fired on target, but Balcombe was right behind it.

Rovers got us back underway for the second half, attacking the Thatchers End. Ipswich won a free-kick in the opening minute, but Aluko dragged his shot wide. A minute later, Ladapo latched onto a flick-on but blazed over the bar. Up the other end, Harry Anderson won the Gas a free-kick by the corner flag.

Rovers coach Danny Ventre was shown a yellow card after 52 minutes for impeding an Ipswich throw-in. The Gas were soon back on the attack, with Evans and Anderson to the fore.

Anderson's flick-on found Collins and his shot was turned behind by Walton for a corner; unfortunately, Evans' delivery curled out before it went back in.

Collins ran through the heart of the Ipswich defence in the 58th minute, but the ball was scrambled away. 

Rovers were inches away from taking the lead in the 69th minute as the ball was spilled by Walton and Sinclair's touch looked like it had dropped over the line but the officials disagreed. 

Ipswich tested Balcombe in the 74th minute, but he beat away Broadhead's fierce close-range shot. Rovers brought Coburn and Hoole on for Bogarde and Anderson in the 77th minute.

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Evans' corner in the 80th minute was met by Connolly, but his header was off target. Quansah threw his body on the line to block an Ipswich shot. From the corner, Clarke's shot was tipped behind by Balcombe.

Luca Hoole's run down the wing was halted by a crude challenge from Clarke, for which the Ipswich sub was rightly shown the game's first on-field booking of the game in the 87th minute.

As the game drew to a close, Collins and Coburn raced away but the former couldn't quite execute the killer pass. Ipswich won a corner in injury-time but man-of-the-match Quansah rose highest to head clear.

Next up for Rovers is a Sky Bet League One home game with Burton Albion on Saturday 18th February, kick-off 3pm.

ROVERS: Balcombe, Anderson, Connolly, Quansah, Gibbons, Gordon, Evans, Bogarde, Ward, Sinclair, Collins.

Subs: Jaakkola, Hoole, Marquis, McDonald, McCormick, Lawrence, Coburn.

IPSWICH: Walton, Davis, Morsy, Woolfenden, Burns, Ladapo, Harness, Burgess, Aluko, Humphreys, Donalden.

Subs: Hladky, Chaplin, Jackson, Hirst, Edwards, Broadhead, Clarke.

Attendance: 8,542

Referee: P Howard

Read Time: 3 mins