Blackburn Rovers 2  Ipswich Town 1:Blackburn Rovers maintained their League Cup-winning momentum with this narrow victory over fellow relegation-strugglers Ipswich Town last night, although they were often hard-pressed to hold on to their advantage in the second half.

Goals from Damien Duff and Andy Cole had seemingly put the home side well in control at half-time, but Marcus Stewart's 55th-minute header from Mark Venus' corner transformed Ipswich into something approaching a Premiership side as the game wore on.

This was Blackburn's seventh point from their three games since defeating Tottenham at the Millennium Stadium and lifted them out of the bottom three to be replaced by Bolton. For Ipswich it was a fourth consecutive defeat and they are now in real danger of sliding back into dark waters, having swum clear of the bottom once.

Duff's star continues to rise, however, with Blackburn looking to travel in the same direction. His goal was a gem, demonstrating his control, persistence and eye for goal. Tight on the left and seemingly isolated, he wriggled inside and set off on a diagonal run that left at least three men wondering what had happened. The Irish winger knew exactly where he was going though, and what he was going to do, finishing with a low right-foot shot from outside the area and which defeated the goalkeeper Matteo Sereni all ends up.

Duff was engulfed by his team-mates and small wonder. It was a goal of exceptional quality, manufactured out of nothing save his own skill.

There was considerable relief among the home supporters just before half-time when Alun Armstrong, having put the ball into the net from close range, was adjudged offside. Ipswich hardly had time to rue their luck, when Cole struck. Dunn was put into the clear by Tugay Kerimoglu and when he cut the ball back from the byline, Cole spun to make it 2-0 with a low left-foot shot. It was exactly the sort of goal that manager Graeme Souness expected when he bought him from United for £7.5 million.

Guardian Service

BLACKBURN: Friedel, Neill, Johansson, Berg, Unsal (Taylor 82), Dunn (Gillespie 72), Flitcroft,Tugay, Duff, Yordi (Hughes 64), Cole. Subs Not Used: Hignett, Miller. Booked: Unsal, Neill, Flitcroft. Goals: Duff 20, Cole 43.

IPSWICH: Sereni, Makin, McGreal, Venus, Hreidarsson, Wright, Holland, Magilton (Peralta 56), Clapham (George 80), Stewart, Armstrong (Marcus Bent 57). Subs Not Used: Counago, Marshall. Booked: Makin, McGreal. Goals: Stewart 55.

Referee: P Dowd (Stoke-on-Trent).

Stephen Bierley