The Blackburn Rovers were in a tricky situation after the match against Ipswichtown was abandoned with just 10 minutes left. The match at Ewood Park stopped due to flooded pitches, and this decision certainly proves controversial. Blackburn was the goal at the time of abandonment, and Todd Cantwell scored a penalty in the second half.
Meanwhile, Ipswich fell in numbers when Jacob Greaves was rejected very correctly for Ohashi Yuki’s final foul. As the rain continued, the game was initially interrupted, leaving both players off the pitch. Officials later appeared to test the ball’s bounce and concluded that they were too wet to continue playing and abandon the game.
Blackburn supporters will feel difficult given the fact that they were on the track to beat one of their promotional favourites. However, the judge had little choice but to stop the game with no signs of weather gone.
The EFL has yet to decide what will happen next. Both teams filed a lawsuit on Monday, allowing the board of directors of 10 directors to find solutions that are tailored to all parties.
The fact of the matter is that there is no such magical solution. EFL offers three options: Replay the match entirely, or play the final 10 minutes at a later date, or stop the results at the time of abandonment.
Replaying a match in full is a bitter blow to Blackburn, but it is the only fair option in this scenario. At the end of the day, the match was abandoned as the pitch failed to deal with the amount of water falling from the sky.
Ipswich should not be punished because Blackburn failed to ensure sufficient drainage on the pitch. In fact, it’s a bit embarrassing that a championship club is in this situation, as it’s something you’d expect from the lower league side.
Maintaining the results is a miscarriage of justice as there is a lot of potential for a 10-minute football. Last month, two late targets came from behind, when Birmingham City won at Ewood Park in roughly the same scenario, and it rained.
Meanwhile, playing the rest of the match at a later date is not only eccentric, but also a logistical nightmare. In such cases, Ipswich and his fans will have to make a long journey from Suffolk in just 10 minutes of football.
This means there’s only one logical solution, and it’s about playing the entire match perfectly. It is not ideal for Blackburn, but it must be remembered that the pitch was only abandoned because it was not robust enough to handle the conditions.
Other things would be unfair for the tractor boys, as many other clubs nearby managed it and Ipswich certainly didn’t take responsibility.
