Promotion-chasing Ipswich failed to get back to winning ways despite a dominating display against Blackburn Rovers at Portman Road.

George Burley's side - who were beaten for the first time in 19 games against Portsmouth on Saturday - were always in command but couldn't find the vital breakthrough.

Town created a catalogue of chances but their normally lethal strike duo of Marcus Stewart and David Johnson were unable to cash in and open the scoring.

To their credit, Tony Parkes' men defended resolutely for the entire 90 minutes and could even have snatched a winner in the dying minutes.

The result means Ipswich reclaim second place in Nationwide One ahead of Manchester City, but Town have now played two games more than their rivals and are only one point ahead.

Ipswich were always in control and their Northern Ireland midfielder Jim Magilton, who had an excellent game in midfield, saw his eighth-minute effort fizz narrowly wide.

It set the tone for a first-half performance which was dominated from start to finish by the Suffolk side.

Rovers had a lucky escape when skipper Gary Flitcroft could only clear the ball as far as Jamie Clapham whose his 25-yard strike clipped the post with goalkeeper Alan Kelly well beaten.

The visitors only chance of the half came in the 22nd minute when Per Frandsen's free-kick whistled over Richard Wright's goal.

But Ipswich were soon back on the attack and Fabian Wilnis saw his cross beaten away by Kelly, Johnson went wide with another effort in the 25th minute and then Jermaine Wright blasted his chance over the crossbar.

Rovers were more positive in the second-half and substitute Matt Jansen weaved his way into the box, but his effort was well stopped by England keeper Wright.

The home side continued to pour forward in search of the winner and Johnson saw another effort cleared off the line by some desperate defending.

Rovers were looking to snatch one on the break and Ashley Ward had a header go just wide of Wright's post late on, but they were unable to snatch a winner.

Richard Naylor summed up the night for Ipswich as he sent his header from a Wilnus cross high over the bar in stoppage time.

Teams:

Ipswich: R. Wright, Wilnis, Thetis, Mowbray, Brown, Clapham, J. Wright (Stockwell 76), Holland, Magilton, Johnson, Stewart (Naylor 85).

Subs Not Used: Branagan, Croft, Axeldal.

Blackburn: Kelly, Grayson, Dailly, Broomes, Davidson, Gillespie, Flitcroft, Frandsen, Duff, Ward, Blake (Jansen 46).

Subs Not Used: Johnson, Peacock, Dunn, Miller.

Att: 18,871

Ref: M Fletcher (Warley).