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Ipswich Town 0 Rovers 0

14 September 2019

Club News

Ipswich Town 0 Rovers 0

14 September 2019

Rovers maintained their unbeaten start to the season with an entertaining draw against Ipswich Town at Portman Road.

Rovers went close to claiming all three points, with Ben Sheaf rasping an effort against the inside of a post and Niall Ennis, Jon Taylor and Matty Blair going close.
 
At the other end Ian Lawlor twice had to react quickly to deny the home side on counter-attacking moves as Rovers claimed a creditable point against a side widely expected to challenge for the title.
 
Rovers opened brightly and had one of the first opportunities from a corner after eight minutes. Ben Whiteman peeled away at the back of the area to create space, but his shot was blocked then scrambled away.
 
The ball was worked back into the area by Rovers, with Tom Anderson ending up as the man getting a shot away - again it was cleared.
 
Taylor saw a shot from range blocked before Ennis forged the best opportunity yet of the first period for himself by winning the ball midway in the opposition half.
 
He ran into the area before letting fly with a low drive which Tomas Holy did well to palm away. Jon Taylor could not get a shot away from the rebound.
 
Judge was constantly a main threat for the home side, he tried a snapshot after 32 minutes which went wide. Flynn Downes skied an effort well over the bar after getting on the end of Judge’s free-kick - awarded after Reece James brought down Kane Vincent-Young, earning himself the first booking of the game - moments later.
 
Rovers had to remain disciplined and composed in the second period as the Tractor Boys enjoyed their best spell of possession.
 
Chances still came, with Matty Blair flicking a defy header just wide from a Ben Sheaf delivery and Taylor firing wide from a quick counter.
 
The home side make a double change just after the hour mark when Jon Nolan and Anthony Georgiou come on, replacing Flynn Downes and Gwion Edwards. 
 
They almost took the lead shortly afterwards when they won the ball on the halfway line allowing James Norwood to run on goal - Lawlor came out and superbly made himself huge to stop the effort.
 
It was another case of close but not quite close enough as great play down the left led to Ennis again receiving the ball in the area, only for another key block.
 
Darren Moore made a double change of his own, bringing on Alfie May and Kieran Sadlier for Blair and Coppinger.
 
May was immediately in the thick of the action with a pullback which was destined for Ennis at the far post, with only a vital block denying Rovers.
 
Rovers were continuing to play some great football, as a one-two between Sheaf and Whiteman ended with the on-loan Arsenal midfielder lifting an effort which was easy for Holy.
 
Sheaf could not have gone much closer moments later with a rasping effort from outside the area which came crashing back off the inside of the left-hand post.
 
The last real chance of the match fell to the home side, with Lawlor doing brilliantly to turn away Norwood’s effort from a counter attack.
 

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