It was a point apiece for Pompey and Blackburn in PO4 after an enthralling, end-to-end Championship encounter to sign off before the season’s first international break.
Despite Zak Swanson giving Portsmouth the lead inside 4 minutes, Rovers went ahead via Dapo Afolayan and Ryōya Morishita; however, Colby Bishop's equaliser managed to make sure John Mousinho's side rescued at least a point.
The draw means that Pompey sit 18th in the Championship on eight points, after matchweek eight, but have played one game less than a chunk of the other sides in the second tier.
Mousinho made three changes to the side that earned a point in a goalless draw at The Valley last Saturday.
Swanson replaced Terry Devlin at right-back, while Tyrese Shade moved up top as Ryan Kavuma-McQueen started on the left wing, and Madiodio Dia came in for Benji Arthur, who missed the afternoon due to a stress fracture in his back.
The Blues riled up the Fratton Park crowd and started on the front foot from the very first kick, and were quickly rewarded for their efforts in under five minutes.
Kavuma-McQueen’s in-swinging cross on the left-flank was nodded away by a white shirt, where it met the boot of Swanson, who thumped the ball home to make it 1-0.
Tony Mowbray’s side quickly replied just seven minutes later, when Afolayan had space to roam out wide, where he cut across goal before slotting the ball past Daniel Bielica at his near-post to make it 1-1.
Pompey had chances to regain their lead when the Chelsea loanee Kavuma-McQueen had two opportunities at goal, but Balázs Tóth in the Blackburn net denied the 17-year-old on both occasions.
HALF-TIME: Portsmouth 1-1 Blackburn Rovers
Kavuma-McQueen kept up the attacking chaos on the wing, this time down at the Fratton End, where he cut the ball back to Abu Kamara, who missed the ball, before it fell to Marlon Pack, whose effort from distance was deflected wide.
Rovers were the ones who capitalised when they took the lead just before the hour mark, when Bielcia’s ball forward was intercepted by Kristi Montgomery, who created a movement for Morishita to slash the ball across goal and make it 2-1 to Blackburn.
Portsmouth managed to find an equaliser though, as Kavuma-McQueen's attempt at goal hit the back of Bishop to make it 2-2, as the Blues number 9 scored his first goal of the season, and first since April.
FULL-TIME: Portsmouth 2-2 Blackburn Rovers
Portsmouth: 31. Bielica (GK), 22. Swanson, 55. Dia, 6. Shaughnessy (Poole), 16. Meghoma, 7. Pack (C) (27. Bailey), 19. Shein (38. Adams), 11. Kamara, 10. Segečić (9. Bishop), 25. Kavuma-McQueen (37. Mohammed), 17. Shade (Formation: 4-2-3-1)
Unused subs: 1. Schmid (GK), 8. Swift, 24. Devlin, Kenny
Goals: Swanson 4’, Bishop 74’
Bookings: Pack 40’, Swanson 89’
Head coach: John Mousinho
Blackburn Rovers: 22. Tóth (GK), 2. Alebiosu, 6. Atcheson (24. Baradji), 17. Carter, 15. McLoughlin, 3. Pickering, 31. Montgomery, 8. Morsy, 25. Morishita, 21. Afolayan (9. Guðjohnsen) 10. Cantwell (C) (11. Fevrier) (Formation: 4-2-3-1)
Unused subs: 1. Pears (GK), 14. De Neve, 27. Beyuku, 30. Garrett, 39. Pates, 42. Lister
Goals: Afolayan 11’, Morishita 56’
Bookings: Atcheson 45+2’
Manager: Tony Mowbray
Referee: John Busby
Venue: Fratton Park
Attendance: 20,244 (including 794 away fans)
Today's Pompey Live: Extra-Time podcast, presented by Jake Smith, Graham Butterworth and Danny Thompson, is also now available to listen back to.
The Football Hour on Express FM will be back on Monday (September 21st) with Jake Smith, Hayden Smith and Scott Harris to further reflect on the Blues' stalemate with Blackburn Rovers at Fratton Park.
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