Blackburn leading Sheff Wed before match abandoned due to waterlogged pitch

Blackburn saw a second game of the season abandoned when ahead due to a waterlogged pitch after their encounter with Sheffield Wednesday was halted on the hour with the hosts leading 1-0.

In a cruel twist of fate, Valerien Ismael’s men came into this game after fulfilling the rearranged fixture against Ipswich – a game they were also originally on course to win 1-0.

This time, Yuki Ohashi’s fifth of the campaign had given Rovers the lead in the 33rd minute and, although Wednesday had edged back into proceedings, Blackburn had only faced one moment of real danger when Bailey Cadamarteri’s strike was saved by Aynsley Pears early in the second half.

But conditions were visibly deteriorating and referee Ruebyn Ricardo called the teams off for 10 minutes while the ground staff tried to remove the surface water.

Despite their best efforts, the rain continued to fall and after another inspection, the official had little option but to call for abandonment.

The atmosphere was mutinous with Blackburn supporters once again calling for the end of the Venky’s tenure as owners. They remain four points above the relegation zone.

Wednesday’s fans were in full voice despite their own desperate situation having been left on -10 points by further deductions but were fortunate to escape a fifth successive defeat.

Rovers made all the early running, hardly allowing the visitors to get a foot on the ball and yet Wednesday could have taken the lead in the 18th minute when Yan Valery flashed an enticing ball across the box but nobody was there to profit.

Their captain Barry Bannan whipped one into the area three minutes later that Liam Cooper leapt to meet but could not get the right connection.

Blackburn’s Taylor Gardner-Hickman tried his luck from range in the 27th minute but his shot did not come close to troubling Pierce Charles.

The hosts exerted another spell of pressure on the visitors and this time it paid off when Ryoya Morishita delivered a superb low right-wing cross into the path of his countryman Ohashi who had the simple task of slotting home from six yards.

They almost surrendered that advantage within a minute of the restart when Cadamarteri intercepted an under-hit pass to race through and fire towards the right corner but Pears saved superbly with his outstretched leg.

Ohashi created a chance from range soon after but it was easy for Charles.

The bigger issue at this point was the continuous rain and, with the ball plugging in the pitch, the game was halted in the 59th minute to give the ground staff a chance to drain the water.

Despite the 10-minute delay, the surface was deemed unplayable and the game was called off, much to the fury of the home fans.