IPSWICH Town boss Paul Lambert hailed the effort and commitment of his players - but admitted they lacked cutting edge in their 2-0 defeat at Blackburn Rovers.

The Blues remain rooted to the bottom of the Championship after finishing empty-handed at Ewood Park.

Danny Graham, from the penalty spot, and substitute Joe Nuttall were on the scoresheet for Rovers.

"I thought they started better than us," said Lambert, who endured an unhappy return to the club he managed in the 2015/16 season.

"Then we started to come into the game and looked pretty lively.

"Will (Keane) was through and I think there's a clip on him but he tried to stay on his feet and score.

"Would I have done it (gone down)?

"Yes. A lot of players would. He tried to stay on his feet and that's the decision he made.

"I don't think we did enough after that, though.

"The game was really tight, but I don't think we did enough after they scored to get back in it.

"The two goals came from a carbon copy kind of pass that has got inside him (Callum Elder).

"That said, the goals were well taken from their point of view.

"I can't ask any more effort and commitment.

"There's nothing really in the game."

Blackburn put their midweek FA Cup defeat to Newcastle behind them and were well worth the points, which moved them up to ninth.

Graham's 65th-minute penalty put them ahead and moved the striker into double figures for the season and the lead was doubled by Joe Nuttall from close range nine minutes later, who finished off a sensational team move with his first touch.

Town remain seven points from safety and can take comfort from the fact Wigan, Rotherham and Reading also lost. Second-from-bottom Bolton host West Brom on Monday night.

They have picked up just five points on the road and this was their fifth straight defeat away from home.

"We look a decent side and we just need that little run of momentum," added Lambert.

"You've got to keep bouncing on.

"But we're disappointed because I just don't think we did enough."

Blackburn boss Tony Mowbray was pleased to avoid a potential "banana skin".

His side are now six points off the play-offs and, after their fifth win in eight league games at Ewood Park, he praised his side for bagging the points.

"I know we played against a team at the bottom of the league who have struggled to win this year, but as we managed to do a couple of years ago, when you're at the bottom, those teams at some stage are going to start winning," he said.

"We're happy with the points.

"These are potential banana skins for us.

"We had to match Ipswich's desire and managed to do that."