Kieran McKenna says the abandonment of Saturday’s match against Blackburn Rovers was always going to be the outcome as conditions at Ewood Park became impossible to play in.
Heavy rainfall throughout the day left the pitch waterlogged, and by the 80th minute, the ball was barely moving on the surface. With players struggling to stay on their feet and the game descending into farce, the officials took the players off and conducted pitch inspections. Soon after, the match was officially abandoned.
“It was impossible to finish the game,” McKenna told iFollow Ipswich. “From the start of the second half, the pitch was becoming unplayable. It was already really slushy at kick-off, but at least the ball was rolling in the first half. After the break, it became too slippery to be safe, and then the ball just stopped moving altogether.”
The Town boss admitted the decision could have come sooner — but said there was no doubt it was the right call.
“I think it was inevitable. It could maybe have been done earlier, but in the end, there was no other option.”
The EFL will now decide what happens next, with a further announcement expected in due course.
Despite the difficult circumstances, nearly 4,000 travelling Town fans once again showed up in numbers and made themselves heard — something McKenna was keen to acknowledge.
“Incredible support — really grateful,” he said. “Still in full voice right to the end. We hope to reward them starting next Saturday, and we know there’s every chance we’ll be back up here again. If so, we’ll be ready — and we’ll be looking to give them something back.”
At the time of the abandonment, Ipswich were a goal down and playing with 10 men, after Jacob Greaves was shown a straight red card for bringing down Yuki Ohashi as he broke through on goal.
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