Competition: EFL Championship

Date: Sunday, April 21, 2024

Result: Blackburn Rovers 1-3 Sheffield Wednesday

Tickets: Adults – £25-30, Seniors – £20-25, Age 18-23 – £15-20, Age 12-17 – £10-15, Under 12 – Free

Attendance: 21,718

Game/Experience Rating: ☆☆☆☆

The Game: With both sides embroiled in a battle to avoid relegation to League One, it was little
wonder that they both came out flying.

Josh Windass gave Wednesday an early lead, but Rovers levelled courtesy of a player who has been
the scourge of Championship defences this season.

Sammie Szmodics has been a standout performer for the Lancashire outfit and it was no surprise
when he fired home the equaliser. His efforts for Rovers recently resulted in a call-up for the Republic of Ireland squad and his performance highlighted why that was fully deserved.

Szmodics has become hugely popular with Irish sports bettors this season, delivering numerous
payouts for people who wager in the ‘anytime scorer’ market. However, punters who backed Rovers to win on the top Irish betting apps were left frustrated as Wednesday scored twice after the break to claim a valuable victory.

The result boosted the Yorkshire side’s chances of avoiding the drop and left Rovers looking
nervously over their shoulders.

The Ground: It is not too long ago that Rovers were hosting Premier League games at Ewood Park
and their stadium remains an excellent venue.

The atmosphere was helped in no small part by a 7,000-strong contingent from Sheffield who made
plenty of noise throughout the game. The playing surface was also in excellent condition despite the number of games that have been played on it this season.

Extras: Standard fare for a second-tier club. The prices were not too bad and the McDonald’s across
from the ground was an added bonus.

Assorted Asides: Rovers’ demise in recent years has been well-documented, with owners Venky’s
making a complete mess of running the club. It is sad to see how far things have fallen and conversations with their fans painted a sorry picture about the ineptitude they have had to endure.

Allowing under 12s in for free is a nice touch by the club, but they are unlikely to retain many of
them if Rovers’ fortunes do not improve on the pitch.