Dickov leaves Redknapp and Pompey with plenty more still to do

A 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, Blackburn fans may have been lulled into a false sense of security before 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 and Robert could hardly have bettered.

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.

Indeed by appearing to be shoved in the back by Andy O'Brien - who appeared culpable of an unwise and unnecessary challenge but might claim he was lured into the foul by a forward who is something of an expert at reversing into opponents - 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.

If that confused Redknapp's men, their defence frequently looked even more bewildered in open play and one typically unnecessary delay in clearing their lines resulted in Dickov scoring his third goal in six games. 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 did the rest.

Redknapp responded by replacing the ineffective Dario Silva with Svetoslav Todorov at half-time but visiting fans might have been forgiven for wondering why the admittedly still impressive O'Neil was deployed wide on the right rather than in central midfield, where he has so often been most effective for his club and the England Under-21s.

Portsmouth's manager had opted to place Salif Diao and Aliou Cissé in that department but both were handicapped in an already tough duel against Steven Reid and Robbie Savage by the collection of early yellow cards and were forced to watch their step accordingly.

Sporting a stylish and, for him, under-stated new hair-do, Savage - just inches off target with a second-half free-kick - was duly able to dispossess them regularly and his dominance helped Blackburn assume an increasing degree of control.

Even so Portsmouth continued to menace from dead balls and Hughes endeavoured to imbue his side with extra impetus by introducing Craig Bellamy, whom he continues to ease back from injury, and Brett Emerton.

Presumably noting that Bellamy's pace and persistence were diverting his players' attentions from pursuit of an equaliser, Redknapp gambled on Robert's acceleration similarly unsettling their opponents. The winger's arrival prompted a belated visiting renaissance that featured Todorov going close and Azar Karadas spurning a free header in the six-yard box.

Watching that one fly wide Savage must have been relieved that he was not made to rue a straightforward miss of his own after being left unmarked and cued up by Bellamy's left-wing cross, but he and Blackburn had already done just about enough to merit victory.

Bullied Aliou Cissé and Salif Diao into submission. Unlike some defensive midfielders does not confine himself to short simple passes and thereby proves a catalyst in attacking play as well as protecting the defence.