Blackburn 2 Portsmouth 1A cold, misty, east Lancashire night studded by Robbie Savage tackles returned Portsmouth to reality at the end of a day that had promised them untold riches.
Whereas Harry Redknapp's side were reminded that multimillion-pound Russian investment is all very well but may not quite take effect in time to avoid relegation, renascent Blackburn turn their attention to European qualification after recording a fourth successive win.
Portsmouth are rarely too far removed from controversy and Matthew Taylor's opening goal proved a case in point. Although Ryan Nelsen insisted he was not guilty of a handball about 25 yards out, the defender arguing the ball had struck his chest rather than his arm, Mike Dean disagreed and awarded Harry Redknapp's side a free-kick.
With Laurent Robert, Portsmouth's principal set piece specialist, demoted to substitute status, Gary O'Neil stepped over the ball leaving Matthew Taylor to bend it inside the near post with a left-foot delivery Brad Friedel could not repel.
As Taylor, O'Neil and company celebrated, Paul Dickov was engaged in a vehement protest to Dean. Though that got him nowhere, the spiky little striker soon had the satisfaction of playing a key role in exacting equalising revenge for his team.
Seemingly shoved in the back by Andy O'Brien just outside the area, Dickov won the free-kick from which Morten Gamst Pedersen restored parity.
Not to be outdone by Taylor, Pedersen, the left-sided component of Mark Hughes's midfield, emphasised just why Tottenham will try and prise him away from Ewood this month by whipping a left-foot free-kick of his own beyond Sander Westerveld after David Bentley had initially shaped to take it.
Apparently disoriented by a series of balls into their box, Portsmouth finally permitted Steven Reid the space to unleash a stinging, right-foot, 25-yard shot that Westerveld could merely parry. The rebound bounced up kindly for Dickov, whose glancing, angled, close-range header on 39 minutes did the rest.
Earlier in the day, it was reported that Portsmouth's chairman Milan Mandaric is expected later this week to announce the sale of 50 per cent of his shares in the club to Alexandre Gaydamak, the businessman son of a Russian billionaire. Mandaric will remain as chairman and, currently at least, the manager Harry Redknapp's position is under no threat.
Mandaric has entered into an "agreement in principle" with Gaydamak, a French citizen who is relocating to Britain. Sources close to the negotiations, which have been ongoing for some weeks, explained that Gaydamak was quitting France due to the "problems" his family has encountered there.
In 2000 Gaydamak's father Arkady was implicated in the alleged sale of almost £300 million worth of arms to the Angolan government in contravention of an embargo. The French government issued an international warrant for his arrest for alleged tax evasion and arms dealing.
BLACKBURN ROVERS: Friedel, Neill, Khizanishvili, Nelsen, Matteo, Bentley (Emerton 66), Savage, Reid, Pedersen, Kuqi (Tugay 90), Dickov (Bellamy 66). Subs not used: Enckelman, Mokoena. Booked: Pedersen. Goals: Pedersen 9, Dickov 39.
PORTSMOUTH: Westerveld, Priske, O'Brien, Stefanovic, Griffin, O'Neil, Diao, Cisse (Robert 76), Taylor (Karadas 82), LuaLua, Silva (Todorov 45). Subs not used: Viafara, Guatelli. Booked: Diao, Cisse, Stefanovic, Griffin. Goal: Taylor 3.
Referee: M Dean (Wirral).
