Blackburn 0-1 Ipswich: Conor Chaplin nets winner after Aynsley Pears' gaffe as Kieran McKenna's side go top of the Championship... with the hosts having three goals ruled out by the officials

Ipswich climbed into the automatic promotion places after a blunder by Blackburn’s Aynsley Pears gifted Conor Chaplin an early winner.

Chaplin’s tame shot squirmed through the goalkeeper’s hands after nine minutes to allow the Tractor Boys to leapfrog Leicester who had lost earlier on Good Friday.

They had to ride their luck at times with Blackburn having three goals ruled out and visitor’s goalkeeper Vaclav Hladky being forced into a number of saves.

But with seven games left, Kieran McKenna’s are looking good for back-to-back promotions, a remarkable feat as they are competing with three clubs who were in the Premier League last season.

The Blues boss admitted: ‘It was a really challenging last 30 minutes but you have to enjoy every win away from home.

‘It was a mixed performance. We were slick in the first half but there was tiredness after that and we couldn’t keep control.’

Rovers are still looking for their first win under manager John Eustace after 10 attempts and are only three points above the relegation zone.

They were fuming as their celebrations of an equaliser were cut short on three occasions.

In the first half, Ben Chrisene was ruled offside after he’d “assisted” George Edmondson to put into his own net and then the Championship’s top scorer Sammie Szmodics was standing in an offside position as Joe Rankin-Costell fired home.

After the break, Scott Wharton was judged to have barged into Hladky before Andy Moran drove home from eight yards.

Not surprisingly, the managers had very different views of the incidents.

Eustace said: ‘I don’t think Scott fouled the goalkeeper. It was a fair challenge for the ball. The referee was late with his whistle, I think he got some information from somewhere else.

‘I feel hard done by. Sammie was not in front of their goalkeeper for Joe’s shot either.’

The Rovers fans serenaded Attwell with “You’re not fit to referee” but McKenna disagreed. ‘Their player (Szmodics) was a yard in front of Vaclav and jumping.

‘The foul on the ‘keeper was clear and everyone heard the whistle. I thought the referee did well.’

Ipswich had seen Leicester lose as they watched TV in their hotel at lunchtime and they started quickly to take advantage.

Nathan Broadhead had already appealed for a penalty before the visitors struck early.

Leif Davis advanced from left-back and produced a cutback for Chaplin to strike from the edge of the box.

Though the midfielder – returning from a back strain – didn’t make the sweetest of connections with his left foot, the ball bounced from the gloves of Pears and trickled in.

The visitors were as bright as their orange shirts in that first half and Kieffer Moore’s header nearly added to Chaplin’s 13th goal of the season.

But it was a different story after the interval. Szmodics was twice brilliantly denied by Hladky and the previously underused goalkeeper also foiled Wharton at a corner.

Worried McKenna changed his entire front three midway through the second half but his side still remained under the cosh – though they survived.

Rovers will have to reverse a run of one win in 18 league games quickly not to slide into League One and their cause wasn’t helped by having several unavailable with a sickness bug.

In the circumstances, Eustace said: ‘I am frustrated but very proud as well. The effort was outstanding.

‘I am very encouraged with the amount of chances we created. We need someone other than Sammie to put the ball in the net.’

For Ipswich, their ability to battle it out with Leeds, Leicester and Monday’s opponents Southampton is impressive.

They appreciated they weren’t at their best at Ewood Park and will seek an improvement. ‘We like to be performance-based,’ said goalscorer Chaplin.