Substitute Jason Roberts climbed off his sick bed to inspire Blackburn to a crucial victory which leaves Portsmouth marooned at the bottom of the table.Roberts was one of the victims of the swine flu bug that swept through the Rovers training ground last month.
But with Blackburn trailing 1-0 at half-time, Roberts was sent on at the start of the second half and equalised within seven minutes after Jamie O'Hara had given Portsmouth a first-half lead with a 30-yard finish.
Captain Ryan Nelsen headed Blackburn ahead for the first time before Roberts completed an impressive comeback win by stabbing home his second - and his side's third - goal five minutes from time.
REACTION:
Porsmouth manager Paul Hart was left speechless after his side threw away the first-half lead to lose against their fellow strugglers at Ewood Park.
Hart has seen his bottom-of-the-table side show signs of a recovery in recent weeks with results that suggest the south coast club will climb out of trouble.
But it is back to the drawing board for the club after a shocking second-half performance condemned them to defeat.
"I'm really lost for words," Hart said. "Set pieces have been our undoing. If you don't defend set pieces then you get punished. We've definitely thrown three points away."
Hart was also disappointed with referee Andre Marriner's decision to book goalscorer O'Hara.
O'Hara, on loan from Tottenham, was one of the few positives on a bad day for Portsmouth. As well as scoring his first goal for the club, he produced an eye-catching display in the first half.
But his efforts were blotted when he was booked by Marriner after getting involved in a spat with Blackburn full back Pascal Chimbonda. In fact it was Chimbonda who was fortunate not to be sent off after raising his hand to O'Hara.
"I don't know why O'Hara was booked. I'm still trying to work that one out," added Hart.
Blackburn manager Sam Allardyce labelled his side's first half showing as the worst 45 minutes of Blackburn's season.
But he saluted his players for showing character to end up convincing winners in the end.
"It was our worst first half of the season," said Allardyce. "I can understand why the fans showed their displeasure at the end of the first half.
"We conceded a very sloppy goal. But it turned out to be a fantastic day in the end. Full marks to my players in the end because we recovered very well."
HOW IT HAPPENED:
This was a typical game of two halves. Blackburn were shocking in the opening 45 minutes, alarming considering Allardyce had demanded a high-tempo start after slipping into the relegation zone. While the likes of Morten Gamst Pedersen and El Hadji Diouf were sluggish, O'Hara was causing havoc. Blackburn were rightly booed off by their own fans at half time after offering very little in terms of attacking threat. But the game was turned on its head when Roberts and McCarthy were sent on at the start of the second half. Neither has been in Allardyce's good books this season but the Blackburn manager would have been conducting an inquest into another defeat without them. Roberts' pace and ruthlessness in front of goal was telling while McCarthy was also on hand to play a role in the third goal.
WHAT IT MEANS:
Those who believed Portsmouth had too much quality to remain in the relegation zone had better think again. Having won back-to-back league and cup games, Pompey are well and truly in trouble after a terrible defensive performance in the second half. They offered no response after falling behind and that will be a worry for Hart. Blackburn got their act together eventually but they continue to pile pressure on themselves until they address their shocking away record.
QUOTABLE:
"I'm not saying what I told the players at half-time. That stays with me and them."
- Sam Allardyce keeps mum the contents of his half-time team talk.
BLACKBURN 1 (Roberts 52, Nelsen 72) PORTSMOUTH 1 (O'Hara 15)
Blackburn (4-4-1-1): Robinson 6; Chimbonda 5, Samba 6, Nelsen 6, Givet 6; Emerton 6, Nzonzi 6, Diouf 5 (McCarthy 45, 6), Pedersen 5 (Roberts 45, 7); Dunn 7; Di Santo 6 (Andrews 83, 5).
Subs (not used): Brown, Kalinic, Hoilett, Salgado.
Portsmouth (4-4-2): James 6; Vanden Borre 6, Kaboul 6, Wilson 6, Ben-Haim 7; Brown 7, Mokoena 7 (Kanu 77, 5), Boateng 7, O'Hara 8; Piquionne 6, Dindane 7 (Smith 51, 6)
Subs (not used): Ashdown, Mullins, Williamson, Webber, Belhadj.
ATTENDANCE: 23,110
NEXT UP:
- Bolton v Blackburn (Away), Premier League, 22/11, 13.30 GMT
- Stoke v Portsmouth (Away), Premier League, 22/11, 1600 GMT
MAN OF THE MATCH:
Jamie O'Hara (Portsmouth): He may have been on the losing side but O'Hara was the most lively man on the pitch. Full of energy and enthusiasm, the loan signing from Tottenham was at the heart of his side's best moves and capped an action-packed performance by scoring his first goal in Portsmouth colours.
