Key events
13 min: Szmodics has the ball in the net but is clearly offside as he smashes the ball in. The ironic cheers ring out from the Wrexham fans.
12 min: Fine tackle from James McClean – yes, that one – on Dolan sets up Wrexham on the counter but Mullin is robbed and Rovers go down the other end.
10 min: Ben Tozer, playing his 600th match for Wrexham, has to come across to block Sam Gallagher.
8 min: Blackburn corner, taken by Sigurdsson but cleared. And when the ball comes back into the box Okonkwo comes out and slides rather dangerously.
6 min: Rovers have won only one of their last six and seem to want to end that run with a vengeance. Mullin and Lee, the Wrexham forwards, are primed to hit them on the counter.
4 min: Blackburn are dominant, and Wrexham keeper Okonkwo, on loan from Arsenal, almost gets caught in no-man’s land when charging out at goal towards the buzzy Dolan.
3 min: Blackburn carve out an opener. Dolan’s pass inside finds the in-form Szmodics but the form deserts Rovers’ top marksman in missing that chance. Big noise from the Wrexham massive.
2 min: A slowish start. These two teams have not met since 1982, presumably in the old Second Division.
1 min: Away we go at Ewood, and the prize in store is meeting Newcastle in the fifth round.
Breaking news
Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney are NOT at Ewood Park.
Repeat: NOT at Ewood Park.
They’ll be floating around social media later, no doubt.
Last season at Cov, the Wrexham fans made a huge noise in the away end and so they are doing the same at Ewood Park tonight. Ewood’s an odd stadium in that my main memory is of people constantly walking in front of the stand opposite the dugout. Not been for many years but I don’t think much changed.
Wrexham, the miniseries version, beat a Championship club last season in the FA Cup, and yes, I was there to see it.
Blackburn drew 1-1 with Huddersfield last time out, and Huddersfield have just sacked Darren Moore. Tomasson has made five changes. Joe Rankin-Costello, Tyrhys Dolan, Scott Wharton, Andrew Moran and Arnor Sigurdsson all start. Adam Wharton is on the bench. Crystal Palace want him.
Aynsley Pears in the Rovers goal is son of Middlesbrough stalwart Steve Pears, once of Manchester United, too. Rovers are 18th in the Championship table. Sammie Szmodics has scored 19 goals this season, a player called up by Ireland but yet to play for them.
Wrexham were beaten 1-0 at Welsh rivals Newport County last time out. The same Newport who ran Manchester United close on Sunday. Phil Parkinson, banished to the stands, makes two changes, Will Boyle is suspended, with Eoghan O’Connell coming in. Andy Cannon replaces James Jones.
Weather report, in tribute to Jaco Pastorius.
From the Lancashire Evening Telegraph:
The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for rain which covers all parts of East Lancashire. Blackburn and other parts of the county have been told to prepare for 17 hours of heavy rain.
The yellow warning comes into force from midday today (January 29) and is in place until 5am on Tuesday. The Met Office say the heavy rain may lead to some flooding and also impact travel.
The teams
🔢 Team news!
5⃣ changes.
🔙 Joe Rankin-Costello & Tyrhys Dolan return.
✅ Scott Wharton, Andrew Moran & Arnor Sigurdsson all start.
🤕 Harry Pickering, Hayden Carter (both hamstring), Callum Brittain (ankle) & Harry Leonard (illness) miss out.#ROVvWXM | #Rovers 🔵⚪️ pic.twitter.com/l0D2OxmDIM— Blackburn Rovers (@Rovers) January 29, 2024
Important message from the people’s competition.
Preamble
The final match of what’s been a highly entertaining fourth round of the competition – at least once we got to Saturday and Sunday – and it’s Championship outfit Blackburn taking on Wrexham of League Two. We know what the TV schedulers are looking out for here, and no, it’s probably not the star quality of Jon Dahl Tomasson’s men. Yes, it’s a bit of reflected glory from the streaming miniseries that continues to be so popular. It was this time last season that Phil Parkinson’s men faced Sheffield United in a rather bad-tempered but very exciting tie that went to a replay, the Blades winning out. Will Rob and Ryan be there? Oooh, let’s see. There’s also a football match to be played.
Kick-off is 7.30 UK time. Join me.