Blackburn Rovers blamed for abandonment issue - two Ipswich Town players' reaction revealed | OneFootball

West Brom captain Jed Wallace reveals how his former teammates reacted to their game against Blackburn having to be replayed from the start

West Bromwich Albion captain Jed Wallace has revealed how Ipswich Town players have reacted to the news of the rearrangement of their trip to Blackburn Rovers, stating that they felt it was the home side's fault for the issues surrounding the Ewood Park pitch.

Kieran McKenna's side were staring down a likely defeat at Blackburn, being 1-0 down and a man down with just 11 minutes left.

However, heavy rainfall caused the pitch at Ewood Park to become waterlogged, and the match was abandoned. The EFL has since revealed that the game will be replayed in full, despite protests from Blackburn, who feel that the result was a foregone conclusion.

Nevertheless, anything can happen in football, and Ipswich's players and fans may have felt that they could have nicked something from that game if not for the abandonment, and therefore feel the decision was the right one.

In the latest NTT20 podcast episode, Jed Wallace joined Ali Maxwell to state how his former Baggies teammates and now current Ipswich players, Alex Palmer and Conor Townsend, reacted to the news.

Ipswich Town players blame Blackburn Rovers pitch conditions for abandonment

Speaking on the NTT20 podcast, Wallace revealed that Ipswich players Palmer and Townsend, with whom he shared the pitch at The Hawthorns, felt that the decision to replay the game in full between the Tractor Boys and Blackburn was the right one.

"I had Conor Townsend round for a catch-up in the morning, and then Alex Palmer's wife's baby shower in the afternoon, as I was obviously giving them a bit of stick, saying 'oh, typical relegated Premier League team getting away with it'," Wallace said.

"But they obviously have the stance that it was Blackburn's fault for the pitch.

"I do actually have a bit of sympathy for them, because it happened to me at Millwall, too. We went up for the game, and it got called off at 1:45 pm for a 3pm kick-off, so there's obviously an issue with the pitch."

With Ewood Park sitting next to the River Darwen, the pitch's drainage outlet - which isn't the best in the Championship anyway - can be affected massively when there is heavy rainfall.

In the end, adverse weather conditions cannot be blamed on anyone, but given that every other game in the Championship was able to be played to conclusion, it does highlight the issues surrounding Ewood Park.

"It's very disappointing for Blackburn, I'm sure, but they obviously do have some kind of issue, as it's not the first time it's happened," Wallace added.

Jed Wallace feels Ipswich Town "got away with one" with the abandonment against Blackburn Rovers

Wallace admitted that it was a disappointing conclusion for Blackburn's staff and fans, and he knows that Ipswich will feel let off the hook, as their poor performance at Ewood Park has a chance to be rectified.

As is the case with football, it's a cruel sport, and he didn't dismiss the idea of Ipswich turning up whenever the game is set to be replayed as a completely different side, set to dominate proceedings.

"From Ipswich's side, they're thinking they've gotten away with one, and you just know that they're going to go up there, win 5-0, and Jacob Greaves will score a hat trick, that's just how football is!" Wallace joked.

Granted, it may not be that extreme, but the sentiment remains true.

It would just compound the misery of Blackburn fans if a game they were set to win turned into a heavy defeat and someone who was sent off in that game went on to be the hero for the opposition.