And incredibly, the Blues were level moments later as Che Adams slotted home from close range, giving them a point that their performance for the majority of the game barely merited.

Rovers are unbeaten in three outings but, in a game they controlled, the draw will feel like a defeat.

Blackburn welcomed back Darragh Lenihan in place of Paul Downing at the heart of defence, while Derrick Williams was replaced by Amari’i Bell.

Blues skipper Michael Morrison missed out through injury, so Marc Roberts deputised.

The opening exchanges were a slog, with wet conditions and injuries disrupting any hope of flow.

But Rovers went ahead in the 19th minute with their first shot when Harrison Reed floated in the perfect free-kick for Graham, who expertly directed his header beyond Lee Camp from 12 yards.

The hosts were in the ascendancy at this point and Bradley Dack had a sight of goal, but lashed wide.

Connor Mahoney was booed at every touch but the former Rover almost delivered the perfect riposte eight minutes from the break when he cut in from the right and let fly with a wonderful curling effort that went just wide.

Birmingham finished the half strongest though, with Adams denied by a timely block, before Lukas Jutkiewicz’s delicate touch set up a shooting opportunity inside the area that David Raya saved.

Rovers made them pay immediately after the restart through Armstrong, who received the ball thanks to a deft Dack touch, before firing a left-foot shot into the right corner for his fifth goal this season.

It would have been a third minutes later when Reed was played through on the right but his low drive was brilliantly tipped over by Camp.

The game seemed to be petering to a natural end but Raya gave the visitors hope by needlessly chopping down Maxime Colin in the area 12 minutes from time.

Craig Gardner hammered home the unstoppable penalty.

And the Blues completed a highly improbable comeback two minutes later when Jutkiewicz squared for the unmarked Adams to convert for his 10th of the season.

It set up a frantic finish but neither side could fashion a winner.

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