Tony Adams finally secured his first home win since taking over from Harry Redknapp five weeks ago but despite exhibiting real character and fighting back after going two goals behind, Paul Ince’s Blackburn Rovers remain in the relegation zone, three points from safety, and have failed to record a victory in the Barclays Premier League in their past nine matches.

It will be of scant consolation to Blackburn that they played their part in an exhilarating second half in which five goals were scored within a half-hour period.

“I don’t really want to win 3-2 every week,” Adams said. Fortunately for him, he also maintains that he is “not in it to be comfortable” and, as victories go, comfortable it was not.

“Only one team was going to win it,” Ince said. He meant Blackburn, of course, and there has to be some sympathy for his bafflement that they did not. “It’s harsh and undeserved,” he said. “We scored two goals and came away with nothing. We have got to remain positive, which we will do.”

Blackburn arrived on the South Coast supposedly in a state of desperation but there was no tangible sign of worry from Ince’s side, who exuded a curious air of authority.

They began the brighter team and flustered Portsmouth. Peter Crouch came very close to heading an own goal from a corner by Brett Emerton but was saved by the woodwork. Benni McCarthy set up Roque Santa Cruz for what looked a simple goal but the Paraguay striker pulled his shot wide.

It was an energetic start and one in which Portsmouth might have taken an early lead had Paul Robinson not saved well from Glen Little’s effort. But the match then fell flat, with no hint that the second half would provide such drama.

Four minutes into it Crouch headed the ball across goal and beyond Robinson. The chance was set up by Glen Johnson and the full back will have to start moaning that Portsmouth are not a big enough club, that he hates the Pompey chimes and Christmas before he loses out as the club’s player of the season.

Four minutes later Jermain Defoe doubled Portsmouth’s lead. It was simple fare: Niko Kranjcar passed the ball into space and only Defoe seemed alert to the possibilities. Robinson was left exposed and easily beaten at his far post. It was leaden-footed defending from the visiting team and baffling given how comfortable they had seemed in the first half.

Ince had to shake things up and did so by bringing on Matt Derbyshire, who scored within a minute of being on the pitch after connecting with Morten Gamst Pedersen’s ball into the box from the left wing.

Emboldened, Tugay Kerimoglu attempted one of his trademark long-range strikes and deceived David James with his left-footed, 20-yard drive to give Blackburn the equaliser.

It was like the visit of AC Milan in the Uefa Cup all over again, with the home fans wondering why their team were incapable of consolidating when they have the lead.

At least this time Adams’s side had time in which to reestablish themselves in the game and Johnson almost provided the perfect riposte with a looping shot from inside his own half that skimmed the top of Robinson’s net.

Sean Davis went one better and gave Portsmouth the lead once more in the 79th minute. The midfield player took a tad longer than Derbyshire to settle, on the pitch for two minutes before stabbing the ball past Ryan Nelsen to leave himself facing a once-again exposed Robinson.

The Blackburn goalkeeper, who had blocked Papa Bouba Diop’s strike in the build-up to the goal, remonstrated angrily with his captain. His team had clawed their way back into the game but had thrown away the game. Derbyshire thought he had scored a third for them while the score stood at 2-2 but his effort was disallowed for a foul on James.

“It was a poor decision but we keep marching,” Ince said.

Portsmouth (4-4-2): D James 5 G Johnson 7 S Distin 6 N Pamarot 6 N Belhadj 6 G Little 5 P Bouba Diop 6 R Hughes 5 A Traoré 6 J Defoe 6 P Crouch 6 Substitutes: N Kranjcar 6 (for Little, 46min), Kanu 5 (for Crouch, 69), S Davis (for Traoré, 77). Not used: J Ashdown, H Hreidarsson, D Nugent, A Mvuemba. Next: West Bromwich Albion (a).

Blackburn (4-4-2): P Robinson 5 A Ooijer 5 C Samba 4 R Nelsen 4 S Warnock 5 B Emerton 5 K Andrews 5 Tugay Kerimoglu 6 M G Pedersen 6 R Santa Cruz 5 B McCarthy 5 Substitutes: M Derbyshire 6 (for McCarthy, 62min), C Villanueva (for Pedersen, 86). Not used: J Brown, A Mokoena, D Simpson, R Fowler, J Roberts. Next: Liverpool (h).

Referee: M Halsey Attendance: 18,111