Bristol Rovers FA Cup match abandoned
Posted on: 19 Dec 2013FA Cup Second Round match report : Match Abandoned at Broadfield Stadium. Crawley. Wednesday 18 December.
The players of Crawley Town and Bristol Rovers were forced to leave the pitch and abandon their FA Cup second-round replay due to poor weather conditions and a waterlogged pitch.
The score was nil-nil when the players were ordered off in the second half with seventy-four minutes of the tie having been played. The match had started in heavy rain and the conditions steadily worsened as the game wore on.
The teams had previously drawn nil-nil at The Memorial Stadium earlier this month. The eventual winners of the tie will face a tough away trip to Championship side Birmingham City in the third round. Neither club disputed the decision by referee Stuart Attwell to abandon the game. Both Rovers and Crawley have initially agreed to replay the tie on Saturday 4 January. However this would mean the date for the game at Birmingham needing to be rearranged and the decision requires authorisation from The Football Association.
The best chance of the match had fallen to Crawley who had a header from Joe Walsh well saved by Rovers keeper Steve Mildenhall. The last action before the game was abandoned saw Rovers midfielder John-Joe O’Toole send a thirty-five yard shot straight into the arms of Crawley keeper Paul Jones.