NEWPORT County manager John Sheridan expressed his disappointment that his club had not done more to ensure that Saturday’s FA Cup third-round clash with Blackburn Rovers went ahead.

While his opposite number Paul Lambert offered his sympathy to the 1,000 Rovers supporters who made the trip to South Wales only to see the third-round tie rained off an hour before kick-off.

The Rodney Parade encounter was postponed at 2pm after a deluge, which started around 12.45pm, ultimately left the pitch unplayable.

Lambert and Sheridan were keen to get the game on but, with torrential downpours correctly forecast to continue for the rest of the afternoon, referee Charles Breakspear took the decision to call it off.

Lambert, speaking moments later, said: “It’s disappointing for the supporters who have travelled four hours to get down here. 

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“It’s something we should look at when they’ve travelled that long a distance, and now they’ve got to travel back up to Blackburn. It’s disappointing for everybody concerned.

“Listen, I’m not going to criticise any referee making a decision like that. It’s another hour to the kick-off, the rain is not easing up, and as you can see the pitch is getting worse, but it’s a big call for him to make.

Lancashire Telegraph:

“When I first arrived here I thought nothing of it. I thought it’d drain and it’d be fine. There was probably more surface water than I actually thought. It just seemed to be gradually getting worse. 

“The problem they’ve got here is the pitch is firm, so the water is just lying on top, so you can still get a bounce and a roll, but it’s dangerous.

“John and I wanted it on. I don’t really fancy coming back down here again on a Tuesday night. 

“We’re not going to have the same gate because people won’t be able to get off work the next day and, from Newport’s point of view, it’s disappointing as well as there would have been a good atmosphere here today.

“But you can’t do anything about the weather.”
Newport, whose League Two fixture at home to Hartlepool United the previous Saturday was also rained off, were anticipating a crowd of in excess of 5,000 for their first appearance in the FA Cup third round since their reformation in 1989.

Lancashire Telegraph:

Sheridan said: “To be fair to Paul Lambert he wanted the game on, but I think everyone can see now with the state of the pitch that there’s no way I think we could have played.

“And it probably would have been worse if we had started the game and then had to postpone it. It’s a big let-down.

“I’m a bit disappointed that we didn’t prepare a little bit more for the weather and covered the bottom end of the pitch because we knew it was a massive game for us and we wanted the game on.

Lancashire Telegraph:

“Whether it’s the right thing to say, but I think we should have done better to get the game definitely on because I knew it was going to rain. I feel we should have made sure we did our best to get the game on and I don’t think we did.

“People have been telling me it’s our biggest game for 30 years so I feel as though if we did cover the pitch we would have got the game started.”

Mark Jones, head of operations at Rodney Parade, responded on Twitter, writing: “Groundstaff are extremely disappointed with his comments, very, very unprofessional.”

A date for the rearranged match will be announced soon.

Tickets for the original game will be valid.

Lancashire Telegraph:

Rovers fans who are unable or who do not wish to attend the return trip will be entitled to a full refund.

Travelling supporters who used the official away travel service are also entitled to a full refund.