Blackburn’s winless run continues but they take a point against Oxford

Todd Cantwell’s 78th-minute penalty earned Blackburn a point from a 1-1 draw against fellow strugglers Oxford but they failed to win at Ewood Park once again.

Ciaron Brown powered Oxford into the lead with a fierce strike in first-half stoppage-time before Cantwell came off the bench to hit his fourth goal of an injury-hit season.

But a draw against another side battling just above the relegation zone left Blackburn still with only one home victory all season, having taken just six points from 10 games in front of their own fans.

This match was the subject of an afternoon pitch inspection after Saturday’s match against Sheffield Wednesday was abandoned midway through the second half due to a waterlogged pitch – the second time that has happened this term and both in games Blackburn were leading 1-0 at the time.

Rovers should have been determined to make up for that against a side with only one win in their last seven, but started the game second best as Greg Leigh had the first sight of goal, heading wide from Luke Harris’ angled ball.

Blackburn’s first chance came in the 11th minute when Andri Gudjohnsen headed the ball down for the onrushing Taylor Gardner-Hickman to hit a powerful shot which Jamie Cumming parried with a strong hand.

That at least awoke Blackburn from some early slumbers, but there were few clear chances at either end in a poor quality contest.

Oxford had been dropping deeper, but late in the half Mark Harris went close with a low driven shot from the edge of the box, and the visitors then snatched the lead in time added on at the end of the first half, much to the fury of the home fans.

After Sean McLoughlin failed to deal with a high cross into the box, Blackburn were convinced Leigh fouled Lewis Miller as they challenged for the second ball, but when it fell for Brown the Northern Ireland defender rifled an emphatic left-footed strike into the roof of the net.

As the Oxford players wheeled away to celebrate Brown’s first goal since January, Blackburn surrounded Leigh Doughty but the goal stood.

Valerien Ismael responded with two half-time changes as captain Cantwell and Dion De Neve replaced Gardner-Hickman and George Pratt, and Blackburn started the half on the front foot as Miller headed over from an early corner.

They should have been level in the 51st minute when an unmarked Yuki Ohashi got on to Ryan Alebiosu’s cross, only to head straight at Cumming from point-blank range.

Ewood Park was growing restless as another chance went begging when Ryoya Morishita’s curling shot was turned wide in the 75th minute, but moments later Blackburn got the breakthrough they needed.

Miller’s long throw into the box was flicked on to Morishita in space, and his header was blocked by the arm of Oxford substitute Jack Currie as Doughty pointed to the spot and Cantwell sent Cumming the wrong way.

Blackburn pushed forward in search of a winner, but the closest they came was a powerful long-range strike from Moussa Baradji that Cumming parried clear.