Blackburn Rovers and Ipswich Town meet again on Tuesday night as they replay the Ewood Park fixture that was abandoned earlier in the season.
The original match in September ended in controversy, with Blackburn leading 1-0 and holding a man advantage heading into the final ten minutes when the game was halted. Rovers were incensed by the decision, and despite appealing, the ruling stood and the tie was rescheduled to be played from the start.
That night would have marked Blackburn’s first home win of the campaign, and their struggles at Ewood Park have persisted ever since. They have managed just one home victory all season, relying heavily on their strong away form to keep themselves afloat. A 1-1 draw at Wrexham last time out leaves them 18th, and even with a win on Tuesday, they can only move up one place.
Ipswich Town arrive determined to deliver a far sharper display than the one they produced in the abandoned fixture and eager to respond to Friday night’s disappointing 2-1 defeat at Oxford United. Kieran McKenna’s side had been six games unbeaten before that setback, and they now sit 7th. Results elsewhere mean that three points at Ewood Park could send them up to 4th.
The Tractor Boys had previously won three straight away games before slipping up at Oxford, so a strong reaction is expected.
James Ray
“Blackburn must sort out their home form if they want this season to amount to anything. They can’t keep depending on away results, especially with a stretched squad heading into the festive schedule.
“Ipswich need a response too. The performance at Oxford lacked conviction, much like the display they gave at Ewood Park before the earlier match was abandoned. McKenna’s side have been far better recently, and they’ll need to rediscover that level here. Rovers can punish them, but I’m still leaning toward Ipswich to get a result.”
Luke Phelps
“Neither side has truly convinced yet this season, and despite Ipswich’s clear quality, they’re only seven points ahead of a very inconsistent Blackburn. With Blackburn struggling at home and Ipswich not always convincing away, this could be a tight one.
“That said, these are the games a promotion-chasing side has to win. I think Ipswich edge it 1-0.”