Bishop Ends Drought as Portsmouth Draw with Blackburn

Colby Bishop had waited since April. One goal in a year, a spell on the bench, questions swirling about his place in the side. Then, with Fratton Park urging Portsmouth forward and time slipping away, the striker finally found the moment he had been craving.

His close-range header salvaged a 2-2 draw against Blackburn Rovers in a lively Championship clash on the south coast, a game that swung sharply and never really settled.

Lightning start, early sting

The tempo was set almost immediately. Blackburn’s Todd Cantwell forced Daniel Bielica into action after just 22 seconds, a low effort that hinted at an open contest.

Portsmouth didn’t just respond. They struck.

With less than three and a half minutes gone, Jayden Meghoma whipped in a cross from the left. Sean McLoughlin’s clearing header fell awkwardly to Zak Swanson on the edge of the box. Swanson didn’t hesitate. He caught the bouncing ball cleanly on the volley, steering it past an unsighted Balazs Toth and sending Fratton Park into noise.

The lead, though, never looked secure. Blackburn moved the ball neatly, probing down the flanks, and on 10 minutes they were level.

Harry Pickering slid a pass into Oladapo Afolayan on the left corner of the area. The former St Pauli forward drove at Marlon Pack, shifted past him, and drilled a low right-footed shot inside Bielica’s near post. The goalkeeper will not enjoy the replay; the finish was precise, but the space at his near upright invited trouble.

The game opened up. Portsmouth tried to pin Rovers back, but Blackburn carried a threat every time they broke lines, Cantwell and Afolayan finding pockets, asking questions.

Kavuma-McQueen announces himself

One of the standout figures in blue was 17-year-old Chelsea loanee Ryan Kavuma-McQueen. His energy and direct running repeatedly unsettled Blackburn’s back line.

Four minutes before the break, he almost punished a loose moment from Toth. The goalkeeper’s weak pass out from the back was pounced upon by Kavuma-McQueen, who drove into the box and unleashed a powerful left-footed strike. Toth, to his credit, recovered sharply, flinging out a hand to beat the effort away.

Portsmouth ended the half on the front foot, the crowd sensing a second goal. It didn’t come, but the pattern carried into the restart.

Kavuma-McQueen again tested Toth on 54 minutes, this time from the right side of the area. The Hungarian keeper could only palm the shot out, and when Pack followed up, his effort was deflected wide. Pompey had Blackburn penned in, the pressure rising.

Then it all turned with a single mistake.

Bielica’s error, Morishita’s ruthlessness

On 57 minutes, Bielica tried to play out from the back and got it horribly wrong. His poor clearance was cut out by Kristi Montgomery, and suddenly Portsmouth were scrambling.

The ball was worked quickly to Ryoya Morishita on the right side of the box. The Japan international needed no second invitation. He drove a right-footed shot across goal, low into the bottom left corner, dragging the game away from Pompey and handing Blackburn a 2-1 lead.

From looking likely to score, Portsmouth were suddenly chasing. The mood shifted, the home side forced to go again.

They did, and at the heart of it all remained Kavuma-McQueen.

Bishop’s moment at last

Portsmouth refused to let the game drift. They pushed higher, full-backs stepping on, midfielders snapping into challenges. The equaliser felt inevitable; the question was who would provide it.

On this night, it had to be Bishop.

Kavuma-McQueen collected the ball on the right side of the penalty area, back to goal, defender tight. He spun his marker sharply and drove a fierce strike towards goal. Bishop, alive to the opportunity, threw himself at it and glanced the ball past Toth with his head.

For a striker starved of goals and recently relegated to the bench, it was a release. His first since April, his fourth in a year, and a reminder of why Portsmouth have persisted with him.

Fratton Park roared. Portsmouth had their point back. They wanted more.

Late push, shared spoils

The closing stages belonged to the hosts. Blackburn, who had led twice, dropped deeper, content to protect what they had. Pompey, buoyed by Bishop’s goal, chased a winner.

In stoppage time, Meghoma almost delivered it. Bursting forward from the left once more, he fired at goal, only for Toth to stand firm and turn the effort away. It was the final act of a breathless contest.

When the whistle went, both sides were left with mixed feelings. Blackburn, twice ahead, left with only a point. Portsmouth, twice behind, might argue they had done enough to take all three.

The draw leaves Blackburn 16th on nine points, with Portsmouth a point and two places behind, still holding a game in hand. On a night of errors, response, and one long-awaited goal, the table barely shifted.

For Bishop and Pompey, though, the question now is simple: was this the night the season, and the striker, finally clicked into gear?