Yuki Ohashi scored a late equaliser as Blackburn battled back from two goals down to halt their losing run with a 2-2 draw against Sheffield Wednesday at Ewood Park.
On an evening that saw chants ring out from fans on both sides against the ownership of their clubs, Rovers at half-time were facing a sixth successive Championship defeat after goals for Wednesday from Yan Valery just past the quarter-hour mark and Djeidi Gassama in the 38th minute.
But Tyrhys Dolan reduced the deficit six minutes into the second half with a header teed up by a corner from Todd Cantwell, who then set up Ohashi’s 85th-minute finish as Rovers secured only a second point in seven matches under Valerien Ismael since he succeeded John Eustace as boss.
Blackburn and Wednesday – who headed into the contest with their manager Danny Rohl being linked with newly managerless Southampton – remain 12th and 13th respectively, outside the play-off places by seven points with five games of the regular season to go.
As the match got under way, noise from the stands included anti-owner chants of “we want Venky’s out” from Blackburn fans and “Dejphon Chansiri get out of our club” from visiting supporters, a day on from Wednesday confirming a delay to player salary payments for March had been resolved.
On the pitch, the hosts were the first to threaten as Dolan and Ohashi were denied by a fine Pierce Charles double save in the 10th minute.
But six minutes later they were behind when Shea Charles’ corner was headed back across the face of goal by Callum Paterson and the ball came, via a touch from Aynsley Pears, to Valery, who nodded in.
Conceding early yet again, as they had in each of the previous five losses, prompted more chanting from Rovers fans, with “you’re getting sacked in the morning” directed towards Ismael.
Things then got even worse for the Frenchman and his side as Wednesday doubled their lead when Gassama received Anthony Musaba’s pass in the box, turned and fired into the bottom corner.
Ismael made a substitution, replacing Joe Rankin-Costello with debutant Kristi Montgomery, before the half-time whistle which brought boos from home supporters.
They had something to cheer about not long after the break as Dolan connected with Cantwell’s corner with a flicked header to pull a goal back.
At the other end Josh Windass saw a shot saved by Pears, before Rovers went close to drawing level when a cross from skipper Lewis Travis went just wide off a Wednesday head.
After Windass put another attempt wide, the equaliser then did come as Cantwell delivered from the left and Ohashi tapped in.
With fans now roaring them on, Blackburn continued to push in the closing stages and substitute Makhtar Gueye sent a stoppage-time header into the side-netting as they were unable to find a winner.
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