A quickfire first-half brace from former Ipswich Town striker Jordan Rhodes has given Blackburn Rovers a 2-0 victory over the Tractor Boys in the Championship clash at Ewood Park.
Blackburn won their first home league match of the season last weekend 3-0 against Charlton Athletic, but they were pinned back in the opening stages as the visitors looked for an opener.
However, after Christophe Berra had headed Ainsley Maitland-Niles's cross over the bar, Rovers were awarded a penalty when Hope Akpan was allowed to surge into the penalty area and was brought down by Larsen Toure.
Rhodes sent Dean Gerken the wrong way from the spot to give his side the lead, and just six minutes later the Scotland international struck again to double the advantage.
Craig Conway won a corner down the left side and whipped it in himself, and Rhodes's movement in the box worked himself some space to rise highest and thump a header home for his seventh goal in the last five games.
Marcus Olsson thought that he had marked his 100th appearance for Blackburn with a goal when his volleyed finish from Rhodes's flick was ruled out for offside as the hosts looked to add a third almost immediately.
Grant Hanley headed narrowly wide before Jason Steele had to palm Daryl Murphy's shot away as Ipswich briefly threatened, but Rovers looked in control and had a double chance to score just after the restart when Tom Lawrence and Corry Evans both saw shots blocked.
Rhodes nearly completed his hat-trick in style when he curled agains the post from range after good work from Evans before Steele had to deny Freddie Sears as the game opened up in the last half an hour.
Steele had to keep out a Luke Chambers piledriver from 35 yards before Gerken saved from Adam Henley at his near post as the full-back missed the chance to put the game to bed, and the Ipswich keeper clawed Rhodes's header away after the striker met another Conway corner.
Jonathan Parr could not quite bundle home as Rhodes's early brace proved enough to secure a second consecutive home victory for Rovers and make it four games without a win for Ipswich.
Tom Nightingale
