Portsmouth twice hit back from a goal down to take a point at home to Champions League-chasing Blackburn at Fratton Park.

Craig Bellamy gave Rovers the lead in both halves but a fine goal from Lomana LuaLua and a second-half header from Svetoslav Todorov meant the match ended level, and but for some Brad Friedel heroics they could even have won it late on.

The result took Pompey above West Brom, who play tomorrow, into 18th, with Arsenal next up at home for Harry Redknapp's men on Wednesday.

Portsmouth made their first change in four matches as skipper Dejan Stefanovic made his full comeback after an ankle operation, replacing Andy O'Brien at centre-back.

It was all Portsmouth early on and LuaLua was twice bitterly disappointed to be caught by narrow offside decisions when clean through.

Blackburn were even luckier to survive a bad miss by D'Alessandro in the 16th minute. He had space on the left of the area when Gary O'Neil's pass picked him out but his finish was tame and off target. Pompey sustained the pressure and Friedel pulled off an excellent save low to his left from D'Alessandro after LuaLua's pull-back.

When the ball ran loose Mendes struck it well but it was just past the post.

LuaLua was next to threaten, cutting in from the left but his shot from a narrow angle struck a defender and bounced away.

However, it was Blackburn who took the lead in the 32nd minute despite the hosts' pressure when Bellamy collected the ball on the halfway line and skipped a challenge before accelerating down the left.

Although Linvoy Primus came across to cover, the Rovers striker fired the ball across the goalkeeper into the top right-hand corner from the left of the area.

Mwaruwari should have equalised before LuaLua did, missing a simple chance from 10 yards.

LuaLua's 41st-minute leveller was sensational though. Keeping the ball amid close attention from Blackburn defenders, he reached the edge of the penalty area and crashed a right-footed angled shot into the right corner.

LuaLua almost put Pompey ahead at the start of the second half when his right-footed shot went narrowly past the post.

However, Bellamy put Rovers back in front with another moment of quality in the 62nd minute.

David Bentley put a sharp cross in from the right of the box which the Welshman took down with his right before turning and firing an unstoppable shot past Kiely with his left.

Portsmouth responded, however, and just three minutes later Matthew Taylor's long-range snap-shot was inches wide with Friedel beaten.

Stefanovic spurned a straightforward chance to equalise with a quarter of an hour remaining.
 
Mendes swung a free-kick in from the right which found the defender unmarked in front of goal but he put the ball over the crossbar with only Friedel to beat.

However, Pompey persevered and just a minute later they were level. Taylor sent a pacey cross in from the left-hand side and Todorov got in front of the Rovers defence to nod the ball into the net from six yards.

The game was moving from end to end and Bellamy nearly became the provider when he sent a low, fast ball across the face of goal which Morten Gamst Pedersen failed to reach when just a toe-poke would have taken it over the line.

Friedel then came to the rescue when he blocked Stefanovic's shot from just inside the area and then claimed the follow-up header.

Rovers had the ball in the net in injury time but it was a clear handball by Brett Emerton from Robbie Savage's free-kick.