EFL order Blackburn Rovers v Ipswich Town washout to be replayed in full | OneFootball

Blackburn Rovers’ Championship clash with Ipswich Town will be replayed in full after the original fixture was abandoned in the 79th minute due to torrential rain at Ewood Park, BBC Sport has reported.

Rovers were leading 1-0 at the time, thanks to Todd Cantwell’s second-half penalty, and had a numerical advantage following Jacob Greaves’ dismissal for Ipswich. Yet while Greaves must still serve his suspension, Cantwell’s strike has been expunged, with the EFL board ruling that the integrity of the competition required a full replay rather than continuation from the point of abandonment.

In a statement, the EFL said its decision “follows recent precedents” and was reached by a majority, though three Championship directors abstained. “The board recognised that this was an incredibly difficult decision,” the league noted, adding that consultations would now take place to establish clearer guidance for future cases.

Blackburn left disappointed

The verdict has left Blackburn aggrieved. The club said it “respects the processes undertaken” but described the outcome as “extremely disappointing,” insisting it failed to reflect “the significant advantages Rovers held at the time of abandonment.” Manager Valérien Ismaël went further, telling the club’s YouTube channel earlier this week that awarding Blackburn the points would have been “the fairest thing to do.”

Ipswich, by contrast, issued only a brief statement confirming the replay, with ticketing and scheduling details to follow. For Kieran McKenna’s side, reprieve comes at a time when results have been inconsistent since relegation from the Premier League, with just one win in their opening fixtures.

For Blackburn, the lost opportunity was more acute. A win would have propelled them to 11th in the table and marked a third victory in four matches. Instead, they remain 18th, a position that belies recent improvement.

As BBC Sport explains, abandonment rules allow the Premier League and EFL to either award points based on the scoreline or order a replay, depending on circumstances. In this case, with weather rather than misconduct as the cause, the board leaned towards a replay.

A new date has yet to be confirmed, but what was already a hard-fought contest promises added edge when the two clubs meet again under what both sets of supporters will hope are clearer skies.

GFN | Finn Entwistle