Should Town’s game against Blackburn been suspended earlier than the 80th minute?

There’s no doubt that there was a sense of relief for Ipswich Town fans when yesterday’s Championship match against Blackburn Rovers was suspended towards the end of the match.

Being 1-0 down from a controversial penalty by arch enemy, former Norwich City midfielder Todd Cantwell as well as down to 10 men, it was difficult to see the Tractor Boys coming back to get a point let alone win the game.

But why oh why did the game reach the final 10 minutes when referee Steven Martin could have ended the clash at half time?

It had been raining steadily all day up in Blackburn with some doubt about the game actually taking place as nearly 4,000 fans travelled north to Ewood Park.

The officials surely would have been aware of the weather forecast ahead of kick off and could they have come to that earlier decision to end the game?

The near 12 hour 500 mile round trip for many following the Town proved to be played in difficult conditions from the off with water visibly impacting the movement of the ball.

Sliding tackles with players sprawling across the grass were coming thick and fast with many of the bookings throughout the game attributed to the conditions.

Jacob Greaves’ straight red card just after the start of the second half was harsh after he was adjudged to have brought down Yuki Ohashi as he ran through on goal while the penalty decision after Darnell Furlong was ruled to have fouled Cantwell in the 18 yard area was also very doubtful.

So it looks like it’s another trip to Lancashire later in the season for the rematch.

The EFL issued a statement saying that the decision to end the game “was taken in agreement with both managers.”

It added: “The board will consider what action is to be taken as a result of the abandonment, in line with EFL regulations.”

EFL regulation 34.2, indicates that any league match which from any cause falls short of 90 minutes’ duration may be ordered to count as a completed fixture or be replayed in full or in part on whatever terms and conditions the board shall in their absolute discretion determine.

However, as manager Kieran McKenna indicated after the squad came out to applaud the Town fans in the Darwin End stand  he is anticipating the most likely option appears to be the game being restaged at a later date as FA rule 20(E)(iii) states: “In the event of a competition match not being played or abandoned owing to causes over which neither club has control, it should be played in its entirety on a date to be mutually agreed by the two clubs and approved by the competition.”

But like many rules and regulations they are open to interpretation.

Meanwhile, it’s been confirmed that Greaves’ red card will stand whatever the EFL’s decision on the match overall and he will be banned for one match for his first-ever senior dismissal, next week’s home match against Portsmouth.