‘Horrific’: Furious Portsmouth boss John Mousinho blasts players after Blackburn Rovers heartbreak

Portsmouth F.C. head coach John Mousinho was left furious after his side conceded a dramatic stoppage-time equaliser against Blackburn Rovers F.C. at Ewood Park, admitting his team “managed the game horrifically” in the closing minutes.
Portsmouth looked set to claim a crucial away victory when defender Connor Ogilvie fired the Blues ahead in the 84th minute. The goal appeared enough to seal a third win in four away matches for Mousinho’s side.
However, deep into stoppage time, Blackburn struck back. Ryoya Morishita cut in from the right and delivered a cross that was headed into the net by Hayden Carter, the ball bouncing in off the inside of the far post to rescue a point for the home side.
The late equaliser was particularly frustrating for Portsmouth, who had controlled much of the possession and tempo in a game that produced few clear-cut chances.
Speaking after the match, Mousinho criticised his team’s game management in the final minutes, insisting they failed to maintain the intensity that had kept Blackburn at bay for most of the match.
He explained that while Portsmouth had controlled the game for around 85 minutes, the moment they took the lead the performance levels dropped. According to Mousinho, his players stopped winning headers and challenges, failed to compete for second balls and allowed Blackburn too much space to attack.
The Portsmouth boss admitted his side dropped too deep and lost their structure after going ahead, ultimately allowing Blackburn the opportunity to equalise. He described the defending that led to the goal as “really poor.”
Mousinho also pointed out that Portsmouth have struggled all season to control matches after taking the lead. Ironically, he said this was one of the rare occasions where they had managed to gain an advantage from a set-piece — only to throw it away moments later.
In his view, the match should have ended as a hard-fought but narrow Portsmouth win. Instead, their late lapse meant they left Ewood Park with just a point in a game he believes they should have managed far better.