Rovers suffer a 6-0 defeat to Ipswich Town at Portman Road in Sky Bet League One.
Macauley Bonne opened the scoring tapping in from a Wes Burns cross with just under 15 minutes on the clock. The goal gave the home side’s fans and players a lift and they doubled their lead just after the half-hour mark when a corner delivery found Lee Evans at the back post with the Welshman able to side foot into the net.
The score remained at 2-0 until 71st minute when a disastrous ten minute period for Wellens’ men saw Bonne get his second and Evans get a hat-trick before George Edmundson compounded things further when he toed in from close range to make it 6-0 to Ipswich Town.
Wellens made one change with Ethan Galbraith not named in the squad. Dan Gardner started in a midfield three with Ben Close and Matt Smith while 19-year-old Lirak Hasani earned a place on the bench.
The first chance of note in the game turned into the first goal in the game. An intercepted pass in the midfield allowed the home side to break in numbers. Wes Burns used his pace to outstrip the Rovers defence and hit a cross which Bonne was able to tap in at the back post just before the quarter of an hour mark.
What had been a subdued crowd until that point came alive and began roaring the home side into the ascendancy. Burns was soon making the same run again with very nearly the same outcome. On this occasion – he was flagged offside.
The home side doubled their lead just after the half-hour mark. Tom Anderson got his head to the corner kick delivery but could only flick it as far as Evans who was able to slot the ball away under little pressure.
An effort from distance skipped off the wet surface forcing Dahlberg to tip the ball around the post for a corner. This time the ball was worked short and eventually fell to Sam Morsy whose shot from 25 yards is over the crossbar.
Anderson stepped in with an important header in injury time to deny Bonne a second tap in at the back post. This time, the corner-kick delivery was punched clear by Dahlberg and referee Carl Brook called time on the half.
Wellens opted to make a double change at half-time with Joseph Olowu coming on in place of Jordy Hiwula and Rodrico Vila replacing Dan Gardner.
Rovers best move of the evening came just after the hour-mark, Ben Close and Tommy Rowe linked up well down the left before Vilca got the ball to Cukur. The young striker couldn’t quite find Dodoo’s run with his through-ball.
At the other end, Burns’ acrobatic effort from just outside the six-yard box was straight into the face of Anderson – play stopped for the skipper to be treated but he was ok to continue.
Rovers fashioned two half-chances with just over twenty minutes to go. Kyle Knoyle’s cross needed a touch from George Edmundson to prevent Dodoo from heading on target and seconds later Cukur did really well to turn away from his marker and curl a left-footed effort on target, but it was comfortable for keeper Vaclav Hladky.
Any hope of a comeback for Rovers, however, was ended in a disastrous ten minute spell which saw Wellens’ men concede four.
Evans was unmarked in the box when he headed in his second and Ipswich Town’s third before Bonne made it 4-0 with a half-volley from the edge of the box.
Just four minutes after getting his second, Evans curled the ball in from 18-yards to secure his hat-trick and a fifth for the home side.
With ten minutes of the match remaining, George Edmundson made it 6-0 when he toed in a cross from close range.
It could have been worse for Rovers, but substitute Rekeem Harper’s effort in the 88th minute collided with the upright and bounced away from danger while fellow sub Sone Aluko wasn’t able to latch onto a bouncing ball into Rovers box after beating the offside trap which left him one-on-one with Dahlberg.