Blackburn Rovers signal hints at major boost for Stoke City and Ipswich Town | OneFootball

Ali Al-Hamadi's star turn against Rovers will provide positives for both the Potters and the Tractor Boys

Ali Al-Hamadi's return to scoring form against Blackburn Rovers could provide a huge boost to both loan side Stoke City, as they look to avoid Championship relegation this season, and parent club Ipswich Town, who may need to rely on him up-front in the second tier in 2025/26.

Al-Hamadi joined the Potters on loan from Premier League strugglers Ipswich late in the January window, with the aim of rediscovering his scoring touch at the bet365 Stadium after a tough half-season spell in the top-flight amid limited chances to make an impact in Kieran McKenna's side.

The Iraqi international bagged on his Stoke debut in a vital win over fellow bottom-half side Hull City, but had since struggled to find the net, despite playing well under Mark Robins, prior to Wednesday night's huge clash against Rovers.

His side were in huge need of three points on home turf, and Al-Hamadi conjured up the all-important winning goal in the 19th minute as he tapped home Lewis Baker's cross for his second for the club and first at the bet365 Stadium.

Stoke held on to that 1-0 lead for a precious home victory, and his first strike in six games could provide huge future positives for both the Potters and the Tractor Boys.

Stoke City need Ali Al-Hamadi to go on a scoring run as they try to survive the drop

Stoke thought they had hit the jackpot with the loan capture of Tom Cannon from Leicester City last summer, and he turned out to be a key goalscorer for the club in the first-half of the campaign with 11 goals in 25 appearances despite their tough season as a team.

Their worst fears were realised in the January window, however, as he was recalled by the Foxes to be sold on to promotion-hopefuls Sheffield United for a fee that Stoke were unable to even come close to affording. The Potters were in need of a new centre-forward to rely on to score regularly, and Al-Hamadi was passed the baton to become Robins' main number nine as he joined from Ipswich.

He got off to a great start with the goal against Hull, but then did not score in any of his next six outings and even saw his main competition in Sam Gallagher bag a brace off the bench last Saturday against Coventry City.

Gallagher's exploits may have spurred Al-Hamadi on to make a bigger impact against Blackburn, and if they did, it worked like a dream as he netted the winner to move the Potters four points away from the bottom three.

Manager Mark Robins hailed his instinctive finish as "outstanding" in his post-match interview, and he will be hopeful that the 23-year-old can use his latest strike as a catalyst to kick on and bag a few more goals before the end of the campaign to help Stoke avoid relegation to League One.

Ipswich Town will be watching Ali Al-Hamadi with one eye on next season

Ipswich have not enjoyed the dream return to the Premier League that they would have wanted so far, and survival looks more unlikely as every week passes, with Kieran McKenna's side sitting six points from safety after going without a win in the league since December.

One huge positive for the Portman Road outfit has been the form of young striker Liam Delap, who joined the club in a £20 million move from Manchester City last summer, despite never playing in the top-flight before this term.

22-year-old Delap has bagged an impressive 10 goals in 27 Premier League appearances up to now, and his summer exit already feels like a foregone conclusion with two months of the campaign still yet to play. A whole host of top-flight clubs have been linked to his services, and Ipswich will surely have to do without him if they are back in the Championship next season.

With that said, they will no doubt be keeping tabs on how Al-Hamadi is faring out on loan at Stoke, and they would have been very impressed by his performance against Blackburn if they do have him in mind for a starring role in McKenna's squad next season.

Al-Hamadi has already proven that he has the tools to be effective in the second-tier with the Tractor Boys, after he netted four times in 14 Championship appearances in their promotion campaign. If he can keep on the goal trail for Stoke following his strike against Rovers, then it could be a huge boost for Ipswich as they likely look to return to the Premier League next season.