Portsmouth 3-2 Blackburn: Sean Davis shakes off bug to give Adams win

For Portsmouth fans it's been as painful as root canal work, but finally Tony Adams can celebrate his first home win after a month in charge.

In his previous four games at Fratton Park Adams has seen his side go ahead only to mess it up by conceding injury-time goals.

And it looked like another big letdown was on the cards as they threw away a two-goal lead against struggling Blackburn.

But with 11 minutes to go substitute Sean Davis - one of 15 Portsmouth players out of contract at the end of the season - popped up with the winner.

Davis has been suffering from 'man-flu' but put the sniffles behind him to ensure Adams was finally enjoying a touch of home comfort. The decisive goal was created by the drive and determination of Papa Bouba Diop.

The man known as the Wardrobe unhinged the Rovers defence with a purposeful run from midfield and unleashed a thunderous drive that Paul Robinson did well to save.

Kanu challenged for the rebound and Davis - a replacement two minutes earlier for Armand Traore - nipped ahead of Ryan Nelsen to stab home.

That goal leaves Blackburn staring at the prospect of a long fight against relegation. Paul Ince's side have gone nine games without a win, their worst run for 12 years.

The last time it was this bad was at the start of the 1996-97 season and it cost manager Ray Harford his job.

Yet for a team that hasn't won a Premier League game for two months, Blackburn started surprisingly well. They struck the post after just seven minutes when a wicked corner by Brett Emerton curled into the goalmouth and Peter Crouch inadvertently flicked the ball goalwards but it sprang back of the far post.

Roque Santa Cruz then fired just past the post as Portsmouth struggled. The home side were clearly suffering a hangover after their heroics of Thursday night when they pushed Italian giants AC Milan all the way in a 2-2 draw in the UEFA Cup.

Adams, who made two changes from the team that held Milan, urged his team to up the tempo and Crouch should have put them ahead five minutes before the break. Traore provided a tailor-made cross for the England striker but with the goal begging the best Crouch could do was head into the empty seats in the Milton End.

Crouch made amends four minutes after the interval however. Glen Johnson provided the kind of cross that David Beckham would be proud of, and Crouch sneaked behind his markerChristopher Samba to nod the ball past Paul Robinson in the Rovers goal.

Crouch's strike partner Jermain Defoe doubled the lead three minutes later. Niko Kranjcar, on as a half-time substitute for Glenn Little, produced a magnificent pass that cut the Blackburn defence in half.

Defoe took the ball in his stride, skipped away from the unbalanced Samba and guided a simple low shot with his left foot into the far corner. But the Pompey jitters returned and Blackburn scored in the 62nd minute.

Rovers boss Paul Ince threw on Matt Derbyshire for Benni McCarthy and the England Under-21 striker pulled one back with his very first touch, 52 seconds after arriving on the pitch.

Morten Gamst Pedersen swung over a cross from the left and Derbyshire got ahead of Sylvain Distin to head in.

Blackburn hauled themselves level four minutes later with a wonder strike by Tugay that burst into David James' bottom corner from 30 yards.

The 38-year-old Turkish legend doesn't score many these days - this was his first of the season - but when he does they are worth the wait.

Johnson tried to top Tugay's goal with an outrageous Beckhamesque effort from his own half that dropped on to the roof of Robinson's goal.

But Davis then pounced to snatch the winner, and Portsmouth fans could finally catch their breath.

In his previous four games at home, Adams has seen his side go ahead, only to mess it up in injury time

POMPEY LATE HEARTBREAKS

Oct 26 Pompey 1 Fulham 1

Pompey lead through Peter Crouch but Clint Dempsey levels four minutes from time.

Nov 1 Pompey 1 Wigan 2

Nico Kranjcar cancels out Zaki's penalty, but Emile Heskey nets injury-time winner for Wigan.

Nov 22 Pompey 2 Hull 2

Pompey twice lead through Peter Crouch and Glen Johnson only for Noe Paramot's last-minute own goal to gift Hull a point.

Nov 27 Pompey 2 Milan 2

A famous victory is snatched away as Ronaldinho and Filippo Inzaghi score in the last six minutes to earn Milan a draw.

Portsmouth : James 7, Johnson 8, Pamarot 6, Distin 7, Belhadj 7, Little 6 (Kranjcar 46, 8), Hughes 7, Diop 8, Traore 7 (Davis 77, 8), Crouch 7 (Kanu 69, 7), Defoe 7. Goals: Crouch 49, Defoe 52, Davis 79

Blackburn : Robinson 7, Ooijer 6, Samba 6, Nelsen 5, Warnock 6, Emerton 7, Andrews 6, Tugay 8, Pedersen 6 (Villanueva 87), Santa Cruz 6, McCarthy 6 (Derbyshire 62, 7). Goals: Derbyshire 62, Tugay 66

Referee : Mark Halsey.
Attendance : 18, 111

YOU THE MANAGER MAN OF THE MATCH (Worth an extra two Fantasy League points) Glen Johnson (PORTSMOUTH) 8 The defender's confidence is sky-high and he is finally fulfilling his potential

VILLAIN OF THE MATCH Ryan Nelsen (BLK'BURN) 5 Horatio Nelson is a legend in these parts - not so his namesake

ANORAK Blackburn's last league win was a 2-1 victory over Newcastle on September 27th

NEXT THREE GAMES

PORTSMOUTH
Thursday: Wolfsburg (a) UEFA Cup
Sun Dec 7: WBA (a) Prem
Sun Dec 14: Newcastle (h) Prem

BLACKBURN
Wednesday: Man Utd (a) Carling C
Sat Dec 6: Liverpool (h) Prem
Sat Dec 13: Wigan (a) Prem