Blackburn v Ipswich washout to be replayed in full

Blackburn Rovers’ Championship fixture against Ipswich Town is to be replayed in full following its abandonment on Saturday.

The fixture was called off in the 79th minute due to heavy rainfall at Ewood Park making the pitch unplayable, with Blackburn leading 1-0 courtesy of Todd Cantwell’s second-half penalty.

Cantwell’s goal will now no longer stand given the game will be replayed, but Ipswich defender Jacob Greaves, who was sent off, will still have to serve a suspension.

“The decision follows recent precedents relating to abandoned fixtures and is intended to uphold the integrity of the league competition which should, wherever possible, be based on a complete set of fixtures played to a conclusion on the day,” the statement said.

“The board recognised that this was an incredibly difficult decision and agreed to consult clubs on the best approach to the development of new guidance to be considered in the event of a match abandonment.”

In addition, the EFL said that three Championship directors abstained from the vote.

Blackburn had won twice in six games in all competitions heading into Saturday’s fixture. A victory would have given them a third win in four games, and moved them to 11th place in the Championship table rather than their current position of 18th.

Ipswich, who have had an inconsistent return to the second tier after relegation from the Premier League, have won once this season, with one defeat and three draws. They remain a place above Rovers on goal difference.

In response, Blackburn said that they were disappointed by the decision and will look to appeal the decision.

“Whilst Blackburn Rovers respects the processes undertaken by the EFL and acknowledges the complexities involved, the club is extremely disappointed by the outcome, which fails to take into account the significant advantages Rovers held at the time of abandonment,” a club statement said.

“Blackburn Rovers is committed to upholding the integrity of the competition, however we strongly feel that the decision to replay the entire fixture does not accurately reflect the circumstances on the day.

Earlier this week, Blackburn boss Valerien Ismael said that giving his side three points in the aftermath of the abandonment would be the “fairest thing to do”.

“We’ve got the right to want the three points because it’s the fair thing to do, especially when the opponent is down to 10 [men],” Ismael said in an interview on the club’s YouTube channel.

“Eleven versus 11 is another situation. We were clearly at an advantage and the data shows that we were on the front foot since the red card.”

A match can only be postponed or abandoned with the approval of the referee, authorities, or by the order of the police.

If a Premier League or EFL game is abandoned after kick-off, but before 90 minutes has been played, the fixture will either be: