Ipswich Town kept up their hot pursuit of the Championship's automatic promotion places with a comfortable win over a toothless Blackburn.

Two goals in the opening 12 minutes - an own goal from Eiran Cashin on his league debut for Rovers and a strike from Jack Taylor - did the damage at Portman Road before former Blackburn striker Sam Szmodics added the third late on.

Valerien Ismael's side did not manage a single attempt on target as they drew a blank for a fourth time in their last five league matches.

Ipswich, unbeaten in five Championship games, power on, two points behind second-placed Middlesbrough with a game in hand.

Blackburn were at fault defensively for both of the first-half goals. Cashin, whose loan move from parent club Brighton to Birmingham City was cut short earlier this month, diverted Marcelino Nunez's low cross from the left past the helpless Balazs Toth in the third minute.

Nine minutes later Taylor made it 2-0, stabbing home Nunez's looping corner after the Blackburn goalkeeper had failed to hold Dara O'Shea's header. It was the Irish international midfielder's first goal for a year.

Lively Norwegian international Sindre Walle Egeli was inches away from making it three after Darnell Furlong's throw was flicked on by the head of Cedric Kipre.

There were other opportunities too for Ipswich after the break with Nunez almost stretching the home side's lead with an extraordinary effort while lying down on the ground which forced Toth into a good save and the Blackburn goalkeeper also thwarting Jack Clarke with a sprawling stop.

Clarke had come on after Ipswich lost the creative spark of Jaden Philogene who limped off before half-time.

It was another substitute, Szmodics, who completed the scoring three minutes from the end, converting Wes Burns's cross.

Blackburn, badly missing the injured Andri Gudjohnsen, offered next to nothing in front of goal despite the introduction of new signing Mathias Jorgensen at the interval.

They were unfortunate not to be awarded a penalty just after the hour when Yuki Ohashi went to ground, claiming a push from Furlong, after Jorgensen, who arrived from Bodo/Glimt in midweek, had slid in a cross from the right.

Furlong was involved in another controversial moment shortly afterwards wiping out Blackburn captain Todd Cantwell with a stray arm but referee Andrew Kitchen took no action.

Blackburn head coach Valerien Ismael told BBC Radio Lancashire:

I think it was another clear penalty on Yuki [Ohashi]. I think at some point the ref has to do the job.

It's another one, another big decision.

The clear red card on Toddy [Cantwell]…it's clear we urgently need VAR in the Championship because the players allow themselves to make bad tackles. In a situation like that, I think if you know you have VAR there we won't have those situations and discussions every time.

It's just embarrassing every time, week in, week out. Massive decisions.

It doesn't change the first half when we conceded two goals but at least in a 90-minute game maybe it can be the key moment when you come back into the game.

Ipswich manager Kieran McKenna told BBC Radio Suffolk:

It was nice to get the early goals. It puts you in a great position in the game and from there we were always comfortable.

Blackburn played their part and didn't give up on the game so it kept it competitive but we also know we could have killed the game off a lot earlier with the third goal. It didn't come until the end but it came in a nice way when it did. There were lots of positives to take.

It would have been nice to have had a more relaxing view of the second half if we had been able to get the goal earlier but I didn't think it was for the want of doing the right things.

We have goals in the group and in the squad.

On Ipswich's injuries:

Jaden [Philogene] felt something in his knee. Chuba [Akpom] has hurt his groin so we are assessing that but he won't be available for the next couple of matches.

Kasey [McAteer] had some muscle tightness during the week so he wasn't available today but hopefully he won't be too long.

Ipswich will look to extend their 100% start to 2026 when they welcome Bristol City on Tuesday night.

Blackburn travel to Swansea on the same night in a game that will have an impact on the bottom half of the table.