ROBERTS LEAVES HART PIG SICK

JASON ROBERTS shook off a case of swine flu to leave Paul Hart pig sick.

But after a first half when Pompey hogged the possession, Blackburn boss Sam Allardyce must have felt like driving some of his players straight to the abattoir.

Then twin subs Roberts and Benni McCarthy saved Big Sam's bacon.

Apologies, but the production line from the pun factory is limitless.

The revival was essential for Allardyce, whose side were booed off at half-time. He admitted the first 45 minutes were their worst of the season. And he will know how serious the situation was.

It's worth noting the 13 points Blackburn have now collected, which lifts them into mid-table. is the same as Paul Ince had mustered this time a year ago. He was axed a month later.

Rovers' formidable home form, though, is keeping the pressure off Allardyce as he rebuilds his reputation after the Newcastle farce back to its Bolton glory days.

The perceptions of the fans count for everything. Most of Ince's defeats were in front of the home faithful. It's a different story this season, however.

This was Rovers' fifth straight win at Ewood, so the sense of momentum hasn't been undermined by the away defeats to Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United.

Losing to Portsmouth, who are bottom. would have created a dangerously different vibe.

Allardyce, though, got it all right tactically to turn the game on its head.

At half-time he replaced the motionless El-Hadji Diouf and hopeless Morten Gamst Pedersen with striking cavalry Roberts and McCarthy - and reaped the rewards.

After trailing to Jamie O'Hara's 15th-minute opener, Rovers were a different side after the break and bulldozed Pompey.

Formidable skipper Ryan Nelsen's physical presence was as influential as the substitutions.

He nodded on David Dunn's corner to allow Roberts to cleverly nudge home the equaliser on 53 minutes.

The Kiwi then headed Blackburn's second on 73 minutes before Roberts sealed the win in the closing stages.

There was also genuine cause to moan at ref Andre Marriner for failing to adequately punish Pascal Chimbonda's right hook on O'Hara.

Fortunately for the Frenchman he didn't connect. But his intent was clear and made the subsequent booking, at a time Pompey were in complete control, baffling.

Hart protested ahead of the game: "We've never had a team that looked like Rag Arse Rovers." For 45 minutes, Blackburn couldn't say the same.

O'Hara somehow beat Paul Robinson from 25 yards to put the bullish visitors ahead.

But Rovers' changes unsettled them, and for all James' lack of action, Robinson was also a spectator after the break. It is widely accepted Pompey's general play has not been reflected in points.

Until a late collapse, this was another example of an enterprising performance going unrewarded but the hard luck stories can't go on.

Dysfunctional

There's much to admire about Hart's side and they don't look as condemned as the table suggests.

In reality, the club's financial woes are working for Hart, granting him time to build on recent improvement.

With the possible exception of the Conservative candidate for Kensington and Chelsea, he must have the safest seat in Britain.

If Pompey weren't skint, they would have gone for a more high-profile boss to replace Harry Redknapp.

Had their last Arab owner been worth more than a second-hand Cortina, Hart probably would have been the first casualty of the season.

Instead, a dysfunctional board couldn't even afford a toy gun, let alone pull the trigger on Hart's reign.

So courtesy of the board's enforced restraint and Hart's managerial wisdom, the Pompey Chimes aren't sounding as flat as they were a month ago, even if this loss halted their recent impetus.

After two successive wins, the Pompey fans were beginning to hum 'The Great Escape'. Hart needs to start digging another tunnel.

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