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Match Report
Blackburn v Portsmouth 27 March 2004
POMPEY RECORD FIRST AWAY WIN
Blackburn 1-2 Portsmouth
Simon Fudge reports
Portsmouth have pulled out of the relegation zone in The Premiership after earning their first away win of the season with a 2-1 victory at Blackburn Rovers.
Goals by Teddy Sheringham and Yakubu Aiyegbeni secured three crucial points at Ewood Park, despite Tugay equalising in the first half for Rovers.
Blackburn, who have not won at home since November, had plenty of possession in the first half but Portsmouth always looked dangerous on the counter-attack.
It was Pompey that had the first chance when Matthew Taylor beat Brad Friedel with his close-in strike but Craig Short was able to clear the ball in front of the Rovers goal.
The home side continued to look better in possession but Pompey would stun Blackburn with a free kick from Sheringham after Yakubu was thought to have been fouled on the edge of the Rovers box by referee Paul Durkin.
The former England man stepped up and curled a sublime right-footed strike around the Blackburn wall and past the diving Friedel for 1-0 on 17 minutes.
The visitors were still creating chances on the break and Yakubu turned supplier with two opportunities - the first setting up Taylor with a first time shot that flew well wide of Friedel's goal before Steve Stone latched onto a through ball from the Nigerian but the onrushing Friedel was able to block his shot clear.
Blackburn replied with the in-form Jon Stead forcing a good save from Shaka Hislop in the Pompey goal after Andy Cole sent him through.
Eight minutes before the break, Blackburn drew level from a well worked Brett Emerton corner, with the Australian hitting a low ball from the right to the unmarked Tugay on the edge of Pompey's box.
The Turkish star hit a fierce strike that deflected twice before unluckily hitting both legs of the defending Taylor in front of goal and going into the back of the net to make 1-1 at the break.
The equaliser saw the home side come out with purpose after half time and apply more pressure on the Portsmouth backline, with Emerton playing in a fine cross from the right to find skipper Garry Flitcroft at the far post but his header went wide of goal.
Cole then went close after latching on to Emerton's through ball in the box but his shot flew across the face of Hislop's goal.
Portsmouth's surges forward were not as frequent as the first half but the ever-dangerous Yakubu was able to force a great diving save from Friedel after cutting inwards and hitting a low right-footed strike from the edge of Blackburn's box.
That seemed to spur Pompey on and substitute Tresor Lomana Lua Lua, who came on for Sheringham on 71 minutes, made a darting run into Blackburn's box before being dispossessed.
The loose ball fell into the path of Yakubu, who slotted home a fine right-footed shot past Friedel to give Pompey an unlikely 2-1 lead.
Rovers came back but from Emerton's flicked corner on the left, Cole failed to connect with the easiest chance he had all day.
The visitors held off late Blackburn pressure to record their first away win in The Premiership and three valuable points towards their hopes of staying up while Blackburn are just a point above Pompey in the table.
Report From  , For full report and stats, click here.
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