Ibane Bowat's first Portsmouth goal saw his side come from behind against Blackburn Rovers to end a three-match losing streak.

The defender headed home from Conor Chaplin's corner which had been sloppily conceded by the Lancashire side, who are now just three points clear of the relegation zone after a rare away defeat.

Rovers had taken the lead through a solo effort from Japan international Yuki Ohashi in the first half as they looked like enhancing an away record which prior to the game was only bettered by top two Coventry and Middlesbrough.

But Pompey roused themselves in the second half, pressing hard for an equaliser which finally came from Callum Lang, before Bowat secured the victory to move the south coast club out of the bottom three.

Both sides went into the game at Fratton Park in dire need of three points, with Pompey having won just once in their previous 10, and Blackburn having drawn three on the bounce to continue to languish just above the bottom three.

The visitors were boosted by a first start in two months for skipper Todd Cantwell following injury, but both sides lacked invention and chance creation in a lacklustre first half, with Terry Devlin's long-range shot being the only attempt in the opening half-hour to trouble either goalkeeper.

Ohashi changed all that as he led a Blackburn counter-attack from a Sidnei Tavares pass and with Andre Dozzell and Devlin giving him too much space, he carved between the two defenders and placed his shot in the far corner for his fifth goal of the season.

Pompey stepped up the pressure in the second half and only some last-ditch defending prevented them from levelling as Rovers keeper Aynsley Pears twice blocked Chaplin efforts, sandwiching a Lang shot which was stopped on the line by Yuri Ribeiro in a remarkable action sequence.

The pressure was clearly mounting and shortly afterwards Lang struck, getting on the end of Josh Murphy's superb whipped cross to finish on the half-volley at the far post.

Blackburn wilted and Pompey finished strongly, and a side which has suffered from set-pieces this season actually won the game via that route, as Chaplin's corner saw Bowat rise highest to head home and spark a big Pompey celebration.

Portsmouth head coach John Mousinho told BBC Radio Solent:

"The football club needed the performance more than everything because we were drab coming out in the second half considering how much we had to play for, so the fact we got back into the game, and showed that level of intensity and desire to get the win was important.

"The result is brilliant, the goals were brilliant, but just seeing more of that performance we haven't seen much in the last few weeks was important to me.

"We clearly have some really good characters in the dressing room and that's a big thing for me tonight.

"After an OK first 45 when it was a kick in the teeth to go a goal down we were flat, but then we had a bit of bravery to play from a goal kick, and the whole game shifted after that."

Blackburn head coach Valerien Ismael told BBC Radio Lancashire:

"You know when you come here you have to be strong and we managed well in the first half. We had some good situations and I'm really pleased for Yuki [Ohashi] for his reward.

"We actually started the second half well, for 10 minutes, but then conceded from the same mistake again.

"Two weeks ago when it happened we showed the players the video and made specific points, saying we had to make sure we are coming back at full sprint to defend.

"That goal affected us, you could see from the performance, because the players were thinking about that.

"Mistakes happen in football but this is second time, third time with the same player and we're very angry about that.

"It's discipline, concentration, the basics. We have to defend all together and attack all together."