Blackburn Rovers have been the victim of a crime with no obvious perpetrator, which leaves the English Football League in a very difficult situation.
Saturday's match against Ipswich Town fell foul to the weather in the 80th minute with Valerien Ismael's side a man and a goal ahead. The performance had been befitting of three points yet Rovers face an anxious wait to see what the EFL will determine.
If we're all being honest, there's little doubt that the Ewood Park surface had become unplayable. Referee Stephen Martin had very little option other than to abandon the match, considering the downpour.
Neither head coach spoke to the media post-match at risk of jeopardising the EFL's decision-making process. Kieran McKenna did speak with Ipswich's in-house media but Rovers have yet to publicise anything from Ismael.
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It is stating the obvious to lay out the obvious desires of both teams. I genuinely feel quite sorry for the EFL, which is quite rare. There is not an obvious solution that won't leave someone feeling very aggrieved.
The EFL rulebook states: "All League Matches shall be of 90 (ninety) minutes’ duration.
"But any league match which from any cause whatever falls short of 90 minutes’ duration may be ordered to count as a completed fixture or be replayed in full or in part on whatever terms and conditions the board shall in their absolute discretion determine and shall be played in compliance with these regulations and the Football Association Rules respectively and under the Laws of the Game as approved by the International Football Association Board.
"In the event of conflict between any such Rules, Regulations and Laws as aforesaid, the Football Association Rules shall prevail."
The EFL will not meet to discuss the fairest outcome of the match. Though there have been reports that a decision could be reached on Monday, the governing body has been tight-lipped on any timeframe for an outcome.
There are three obvious scenarios that the EFL will be considering. In my mind, it feels very unlikely that Rovers will just be awarded the three points, regardless of whether that's fair or merited.
Ipswich will argue that they had 10 minutes, maybe closer to 15 with stoppage time, to find a leveller. Even with a man disadvantage, it would be unfair to deny them that opportunity.
For Rovers, they would be incredibly aggrieved to completely restart the game, considering the context of the match. Yet, that does feel like a more realistic possibility than simply being handed the points.
Whether it's possible to play the remaining 10 minutes with Ipswich having 10 men, we don't know. It feels like a logistical nightmare that could open a huge can of worms.
Part of the problem is that there's no real precedent that has been previously set. That makes the EFL's decision all the more important. The only examples we have seen this season was in the National League, where Scunthorpe United were involved twice.
One match was replayed, abandoned at 1-1 due to two serious injuries, and the other where the Iron were awarded the victory as they were leading 2-1.
My gut feeling says that the match will be replayed from the start but that is just an opinion. It feels like the outcome that would cause the EFL the least amount of headaches, from a legal perspective.
Whether the two clubs can negotiate an agreement, who knows? Could Ipswich give Rovers a one-goal headstart? Could they agree to play with ten men for the game (less likely)? It really is uncharted territory.
The only thing that is clear; someone is going to be very unhappy. There did feel a cruel sense of irony when the sun was shining throughout Sunday after the biblical weather 24 hours previous across the North of England.
Whatever outcome is reached, Rovers must take some solace from their performance. They were by far the better team and would've been value for the win.
They'll take little comfort from a morale victory but it might be the only one they get.
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