Debutant sub Tayo Edun netted a fortuitous injury time equaliser as the Blues and Blackburn drew 2-2 at Portman Road in Paul Hurst’s first Championship game in charge. Gwion Edwards put Town in front with a debut goal of his own in the fifth minute but Danny Graham and Bradley Dack put Rovers in front at the break and the visitors might well have sealed the win before Edun’s late leveller.
Much-targeted Blues striker Martyn Waghorn was left out of the 18 with last season’s 16-goal top scorer expected to join either Derby or Middlesbrough before Thursday’s deadline.
Bartosz Bialkowski started in goal with Jordan Spence at right-back, Jonas Knudsen at left-back and Janoi Donacien making his Blues debut in the centre with skipper Luke Chambers in Hurst’s preferred 4-2-3-1 system.
Trevoh Chalobah was another debutant alongside Cole Skuse with Flynn Downes ahead of them and Freddie Sears on the left.
Debut-makers three and four, Edwards and Ellis Harrison, were on the right and up front respectively
Andre Dozzell was on the bench alongside Town’s other new summer signings, Jordan Roberts and Tayo Edun. Tristan Nydam was also absent from the 18, presumably due to injury.
Former Blues skipper, coach and caretaker-manager Tony Mowbray, who has former Portman Road favourites Mark Venus and David Lowe on his staff, included ex-Town loan striker Dominic Samuel in his side.
The first goal of the Hurst era took only five minutes to come and the honour of scoring it went to one of the new manager’s summer signings, Edwards.
With neither side having previously threatened, Sears sent over a deep cross from the left and the former Peterborough man ran in at the back of the box and diverted a header across Blackburn keeper David Raya and just inside the post.
The Welshman celebrated gleefully in front of the Co-op Stand and was joined by his new team-mates.
Blackburn levelled with their first significant attack in the 20th minute of an otherwise chance free half.
A freekick from deep on the left was nodded back across goal by Darragh Lenihan and Derrick Williams flicked it towards goal. Bialkowski was only able to paw it into the air and his subsequent punch hit Donacien and fell to Danny Graham 10 yards out, from where the striker smashed into the net.
The game continued to be a very even affair of few chances but with Rovers slightly having the edge and in the 29th minute the visitors went in front via their second chance of the game.
Williams, who spent time training with the Town academy as a youngster before opting to join Aston Villa, was sent away down the left by Graham and crossed to the untracked Bradley Dack, who slammed home from a matter of feet.
Ten minutes before half-time Harrison was booked for a foul on Williams and moments later Town were forced into a change when Spence was forced off with a knock and Luke Woolfenden took over. The academy product joined Chambers at the heart of the defence with Donacien moving to right-back.
On 42 Harrison used his pace and strength to get to a ball down the middle but was unable to find Sears with his pass.
Town ended the half strongly, more confident in possession than they had been earlier in the period with the impressive Chalobah increasingly involved and Edwards getting opportunities to run at the Blackburn defence on the right.
Just before the fourth official announced an additional four minutes, Sears crossed from the left and Skuse nodded down but wide of the target.
Seconds before the whistle, Harrison laid the ball back to Edwards on the right of the box from where the Blues scorer smashed a shot from tight angle not too far over.
Despite the scoreline, the Blues were applauded off at the break having ended the period on top.
Town got off to the perfect start with Edwards’s well-taken goal but the Blackburn equaliser was rather a comedy of errors defensively from a Town perspective.
The Lancastrians were shading the game when they went in front via what from their angle was a well-worked goal, however, the Blues will again believe they should have defended far better.
But as the break approach, Town for the first time began to show the passing football which so caught the eye in last week’s friendly against West Ham.
Blackburn started the second half more positively but without creating a chance. On 53 Elliott Bennett was yellow-carded for a foul on Chalobah.
Town had made little headway after the break and on the hour they swapped Downes for Edun, the afternoon’s fifth debutant, the Fulham man having joined on loan yesterday.
Edun took up the left-sided role previously occupied by Sears, who moved into Downes’s central position. Two minutes later, Rovers switched Samuel for a debutant of their own, on-loan Chelsea man Kasey Palmer.
Town began to put the visitors under pressure, Harrison sending a dangerous ball across the six-yard box from a Woolfenden pass but no Blues player was there to apply the final touch.
At the other end, Corry Evans shot over from distance after the Blues had played themselves into trouble.
On 73 Chambers was harshly booked for a fine challenge on Bennett, Rovers skipper Charlie Mulgrew curling the resultant freekick over.
Rovers should have made it 3-1 in the 78th minute when Dack sent the ball across the face of goal from the right and Donacien blocked sub Joe Nuttall's first effort before clearly poorly to Palmer who shot too close to Bialkowski, who gratefully grabbed hold.
Town made their third substitution in the 79th minute with Ben Morris taking over from Sears, the England U19 international striker joining Harrison up front.
Morris made an immediate impact, first crossing low for Harrison from the right, but the former Bristol Rovers man’s flick was blocked.
Then the academy product was sent away by Edwards, who was clattered in the process, cut in and smashed a low shot which Raya saved with his toe.
From the corner the Blues went close again. Keeper Raya was unable claim a bouncing ball and Harrison hooked back into the area from where Woolfenden, looking far more comfortable in the first team than he did last week, headed over.
Edwards almost created himself a brilliant second of the game in the 86th minute, superbly flicking the ball over Williams just inside the Town half before taking it on into the area, cutting inside and smashing a shot which was diverted behind by Darragh Lenihan. Soon after the Irishman and then Richard Smallwood were both booked for fouls.
Morris and Edwards certainly deserved goals from their efforts but the Town equaliser when it came a minute into injury time was more fortuitous than brilliant.
Edwards laid the ball back to Edun from the right and the on-loan Fulham midfielder rolled it on to his left foot before sending over a cross which evaded everyone, struck the inside of the post and nestled in the net. Edun delightedly celebrated Town’s second debut goal of the afternoon.
The Blues went looking for a winner which probably would have flattered them on the balance of the game but there wasn’t time and Hurst’s first game ended in a 2-2 draw.
The new boss applauded the Sir Bobby Robson Stand at the end as did Edun, skipper Chambers and Knudsen, who acknowledged each stand as he walked off, perhaps notably given the reports linking him with a move to Stoke City.
Overall, a draw was probably a fair result from a game of few chances with the Blues finishing the stronger and having created opportunities even if the goal owed a lot to good fortune.
Blackburn will argue they should have had the game win via their chance a few minutes early when Bialkowski saved from Palmer having come from behind in the first half.
Hurst’s first game in charge showed promise - Edwards in particular had an excellent second half and Morris made a strong impression from the bench - but also that the squad is still far from ready and that there’s a busy week ahead with the transfer window closing at 5pm on Thursday.
Town are next in action at Rotherham, another of last season’s promoted League One clubs, next Saturday.
Town: Bialkowski, Spence (Woolfenden 38), Donacien, Chambers (c), Knudsen, Skuse, Chalobah, Downes (Edun 60), Sears (Morris 79), Edwards, Harrison. Unused: Gerken, Roberts, Dozzell, Kenlock.
Blackburn: Raya, Nyambe, Leniman, Mulgrew (c), Williams, Smallwood, Evans, Dack (Conway 83), Samuel (Palmer 62), Bennett, Graham (Nuttall 68). Unused: Leutwiler, Rothwell, Bell, Travis. Referee: Andy Davies (Hampshire). Att: 18,940 (Blackburn 1,070).