THIS could be passed off as a pitifully poor affair between two out-of-form and confidence-drained teams who have now gone a combined eight games without a win and 774 minutes without a goal.

But walking away from what was, for the most part, a deathly silent Ewood Park, you could not escape the sense that this thoroughly forgettable afternoon encapsulated Rovers’ present plight.

In the lead up to the first of seven crucial home clashes before Christmas there had been talk of fresh protests against the club’s absent owners.

But that demonstrations were restricted to half-hearted chants of ‘Venky’s out’ should not disguise the fact that an increasing number of fans are losing faith in their club.

That was reflected both in the swathes of empty seats in another worryingly low crowd and the funereal atmosphere before, during and after a match that was a dreadful advert for Championship football.

After six years of Venky’s rule you would not blame Rovers supporters for feeling browbeaten.

But, as the ever dwindling fan base have proved beyond doubt this season, they will not be found wanting if they are given something to get behind.

After all, it was only four weeks ago when they drove their side to a rousing home victory over Rotherham United.

But on Saturday they were given absolutely nothing to cheer.

The bigger picture remains Venky’s, the way they run Rovers, and the wounds of history which are now likely to remain unhealed until they eventually leave the club.

But there can be no excusing the performance Owen Coyle presided over and his players produced here. It was bereft of ideas, invention, energy and excitement.

A first clean sheet of the campaign at the 15th attempt and a hard-fought point could, of course, be construed as positive.

But the only way Rovers are going to get themselves out of the relegation places is by winning games.

And, bar from woefully brief spells at the beginning and the end of the first half, they never threatened to end a winless and scoreless run which now stands at three matches.

A lot of the talk beforehand centred on Ipswich’s struggles. They have now gone five winless games without hitting the back of the net.

However over the same period they have conceded just two goals and, with Mick McCarthy in charge, they were always going to be hard to beat.

But the fact that Bartosz Bialkowski had just one save to make – and a comfortable one at that after Ben Marshall was unable to finish off Rovers’ one move of quality of the match – was shocking.

Danny Guthrie and Marshall were not far away with efforts from distance.

But it was Ipswich who went by far the closest to taking all three points.

Jason Steele made a series of saves, the best being a wonderful fingertip stop to prevent the impressive Adam Webster from heading in from point-blank range.

But as McCarthy’s men made the long trip back to Suffolk they will have reflected on their own failings in front of goal.

Rovers old boys Tom Lawrence and Leon Best, along with captain Luke Chambers, were the biggest culprits.

Best, who will have cost Venky’s the best part of £11m in transfer fee and wages, was booed every time he touched the ball.

But the fact his presence was the only thing to enliven the fed-up Ewood faithful sadly said it all.