Caretaker's new broom puts back a little pride

WHEN Tony Parkes assumed control of team affairs at Ewood for the fifth time on Thursday he insisted he couldn't wave a magic wand to turn things around.

But it took the popular caretaker just one game back in charge to achieve the kind of feat which proved way beyond the Wizard of Oz.

During the final weeks of Brian Kidd's reign Rovers had become a side without heart, courage or a brain as they spiralled towards the foot of the First Division.

But those characteristics were largely restored in one foul swoop as Parkes once again worked his own unique brand of magic.

The fact Tony Mowbray's stunning injury time equaliser denied Rovers a much-needed victory seemed largely irrelevant.

What's far more important is Parkes has reminded this bunch of players exactly what it means to pull on the blue and white halves.

And though it was far from a vintage performance against an Ipswich side who at times looked a class above, it at least provided supporters with new cause for optimism.

Parkes was brave in his team selection making seven changes from Kidd's last game against QPR as Jason Wilcox, John Filan and Darren Peacock were demoted to the bench while Callum Davidson, Per Frandsen and Matt Jansen were dropped altogether.

But it turned out to be a managerial masterstroke as those in possession of a shirt responded in brilliant style with a display full of guts, character and determination. Maybe it was the selection of home grown players like Martin Taylor and David Dunn which added the missing passion?

Perhaps it was the return of injury victims Jason McAteer and Steve Harkness who had a point to prove?

Or do these Rovers players simply prefer playing with a yellow ball!

Whatever it was, Parkes not only selected a different team - he also had them playing like one.

And against any other side in this division, Rovers would have been rewarded for their efforts with three points. But George Burley's men are not short of courage themselves and they kept plugging away until they got the point their performance deserved in an exciting contest.

Parkes had barely taken his seat in the dug-out after a raptuous welcome when Rovers took the lead in spectacular style after just 26 seconds.

Simon Grayson launched an arrow-like throw into the near post, Nathan Blake flicked it back to Lee Carsley and the midfielder looped a fine header beyond the despairing dive of Richard Wright into the far corner.

That provided the team with the perfect platform and they chased and harried like a pack of bloodhounds to protect their advantage from then on.

Blake headed away a real thunderbolt from Jamie Clapham as Ipswich sought a quick way back.

But Rovers nearly scored again when Carsley released Damien Duff down the left and his vicious cross-shot flashed across the face of goal, just evading Ashley Ward at the far post.

With Carsley and McAteer snapping at the heels of Jermaine Wright, Mike Stockwell and Matt Holland in the centre of midfield, the visitors found it difficult to play with their normal fluidity in the first half.

Holland fired wildly over and Alan Kelly made smart saves from both Mark Venus and Jonas Axedal.

But it was Rovers who carried the greater attacking threat on the break. Ward had claims for a penalty turned away when he went down under a challenge from Richard Wright.

Then a cross from Ward found Blake but his cross-shot was booted clear inside the six-yard box.

And Carsley nearly put Rovers two-up before the break but his header from Dunn's cross was straight at the keeper.

Whatever Burley said in his half-time team talk had an instant effect because his Blues clearly upped the tempo in the second half.

Kelly brilliantly smothered a close-range effort from Stockwell and then held onto Mowbray's powerful header from the resulting corner.

But in a rare breakaway at the other end, Blake missed the chance to give Rovers some vital breathing space when he fired straight at Wright after intelligent work from Carsley.

Blake was involved, however, when the second did arrive on 66 minutes.

His challenge set Ward galloping into the box, Venus bundled him over, and Carsley belted the spot-kick past Wright.

Ipswich weren't finished, though, and Holland put them back in the game with a vicious 18-yard volley from Richard Naylor's cross on 75 minutes. As the clock started to wind down, so too did some of Rovers players - drained after running themselves into the ground.

But hopes that they might hang on were raised with eight minutes left when Venus blasted a penalty into orbit after Dunn had been adjudged to have cut Clapham down to size.

Blake then received a second yellow with five minutes remaining after a late tackle on Holland.

And as Rovers desperately tried to haul themselves off the ropes in injury time, the inevitable happened as Mowbray curled an exquisite effort inside Kelly's far post from the corner of the area.

That was cruel on Rovers but they can have few complaints.

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