Blackburn 1 Portsmouth 1: Neil Allen's verdict - Too good to be true as Blues implode after landmark moment
The Blues suffered late agony at Ewood Park in a match nobody deserved to win
Perhaps it was too tantalisingly good to be true, finally a glorious outcome to Pompey’s much-maligned playing weakness.
A dour goalless Ewood Park draw at last discovered its spark in the 84th minute when Zak Swanson’s right-wing free-kick was headed back across goal by Ebou Adams.
A rare first connection to applaud, such has been the Blues’ infuriating inability to dominate the opposition penalty area from set-piece situations - yet there was more to encourage.
Jacob Brown, on as substitute for Colby Bishop and positioned with back to goal, subsequently seized upon the second ball, producing a clever first-time header to divert it into the path of Connor Ogilvie.
The centre-half pounced, unleashing a fierce shot into the net for his first goal of the campaign to position the visitors into a winning situation against Blackburn.
The potentially match-defining moment involved Pompey being first to the ball on three occasions inside Rovers’ box following a set-piece, certainly unheard of this season, a landmark moment. How 1,845 travelling faithful celebrated, championing staying up in the Championship.
Potentially fitting way to decide a battle at arm’s length
Alas, while it may have been a fitting way to decide a battle at arm’s length between the two relegation candidates, it was Michael O’Neill’s men who would have the final say.
‘If it finishes 0-0 then fine, but we put ourselves into a position where we got that good bit of fortune, the ball fell into the box and ended up in the top corner from a set-piece,’ a fuming John Mousinho said afterwards.
‘We finally got that goal from a set-piece, we put ourselves in that position. When you are in the position we are in, that’s when you put yourselves in that slot in the game later on, you have to see it out.
‘You just have to see it out, because that's what the better sides do.’
Sure enough, three minutes into four minutes of time added-on, substitute Harvey Blair criminally allowed Ryoya Morishita to cut inside from the right and deliver a cross into the box.
The unmarked Hayden Carter met the ball with a header from a standing position, lacking particular power, yet it bounced past Nicolas Schmid to enter the net via the inside of the far post to make it 1-1.
While falling behind had galvanised Blackburn into generating attacking momentum which had been glaringly absent for the majority of the match, in contrast the Blues had shrunk more and more into their shell.
Certainly the game didn’t warrant that dramatic late finale from the 84th minute, neither side produced enough creativity and invention to deserve to be declared winners. They may as well have shaken hands on a goalless draw before kick-off, job done, everyone happy.
Pompey controlled the match
Mousinho’s men dominated the ball from deep, dictating the tempo and possessing a cool patience which suggested they could step up the gears if they wanted. Yet that cranking up of the gears never arrived.
As for Blackburn, bafflingly there was never any urgency as the home side, declining to play on the front foot and perfectly content to see out a share of the spoils.
As a consequence, neither keeper was tested. Indeed, Blackburn’s best opportunity was a chance early for Yuki Ohashi, who blazed over Morishita’s right-wing cross when he should have done far better.
Other than that, Schmid and opposite number Balazs Toth were largely spectators, except for the occasional corner to deal with or clearance to confidently perform.
With a tired-looking Milli Alli producing his most low-key performance since arriving from Luton and the recalled Gustavo Caballero on the other flank exploding with energy in fits and starts, the Blues struggled to cause problems for Blackburn’s defence.
Certainly this wasn’t an occasion for attacking players, including Conor Chaplin, marking his 150th outing for the Blues, and Colby Bishop, who once again wasn’t presented with a glimpse of goal.
Sparse Ewood Park
Yet, in the 84th minute, that no longer mattered, with a successful Pompey set-piece threatening to be the difference between the sides. Now all Mousinho’s men had to do was see the game out.
There would have been little expectation of a successful comeback from the home support at the sparsely-populated Ewood Park, based on their team’s lacklustre showing on the day - and their precarious league position.
However, somehow they found a way, capitalising on Pompey’s sudden fragility to register that 93rd-minute leveller through former Fratton Park loanee Carter.
Agony for the Blues, who, admittedly, would have taken a point on the road beforehand. Yet victory - and from a set-piece - would have been so much more pleasurable.