Tom Naylor's late equaliser earns Burton a battling draw at Blackburn
Tom Naylor's 88th-minute equaliser secured a valuable first away point of the season for Nigel Clough's Burton as the Championship new boys twice battled from a goal down to draw 2-2 at Blackburn.
For the second week in a row the former Derby defender struck late with a vital goal but, unlike last weekend's leveller against Bristol City, this time Albion held on for a hard-earned point and denied Owen Coyle a first league win as Rovers boss.
Goals from Craig Conway and Sam Gallagher had appeared to ease the pressure on the new Blackburn manager, but the hosts were pegged back each time - by Jackson Irvine just before the break, and Naylor two minutes from the end.
Conway set the hosts on their way on 25 minutes with a superb finish, curling home a 25-yard effort off the underside of the crossbar as Burton failed to close down the Rovers winger.
After their dire start to the season in the Championship it was just the tonic for Coyle's men, but they allowed Burton back into the game.
Albion had their hosts on the ropes for the remainder of the first half, and restored parity when Irvine stooped to head home a cross from John Mousinho two minutes before half-time.
The second half was a much better spectacle from the off
Hope Akpan should have done better than head Conway's free-kick over the bar and Danny Graham was denied by the right leg of Burton goalkeeper Jon McLaughlin as Rovers looked to stamp their authority on the game.
The second goal they needed arrived on 62 minutes and gave Southampton loanee Gallagher his first goal in Rovers colours since joining earlier this month
Conway this time turned provider from a corner and the youngster was in the right place at the right time to send a thumping header beyond McLaughlin.
Naylor, having dropped back into defence when Mousinho limped off early in the second half, smashed a 25-yard piledriver against the Rovers crossbar as the visitors went in search of an equaliser.
Clough's side had two shouts for penalties, firstly when Lucas Akins appeared to be pulled back trying to convert a Lloyd Dyer cross inside the six-yard box and secondly when Kyle McFadzean seemed to be bundled to the ground as a loose ball bounced around inside the Blackburn area.
Rovers, too, were applying pressure but they could not find the vital third goal to kill the game off and their wastefulness in front of goal was punished by Naylor's late equaliser as he headed home Matt Palmer's corner from inside the six-yard box.
Source : PA
Source: PA