Cardiff City 2-2 Blackburn Rovers: Adam Armstrong brace snatches point for Rovers

Cardiff's Kieffer Moore and Lewis Travis of Blackburn (right) compete for possession

Cardiff City's fading play-off hopes dipped further as they conceded a last-minute equaliser to Blackburn Rovers.

Will Vaulks' powerful low strike put the home side ahead but Rovers levelled before half-time with an Adam Armstrong effort Alex Smithies should have saved.

Blackburn hit the post three times in the second half before substitute Joe Ralls restored Cardiff's lead.

But then Armstrong weaved his way into the Cardiff box and finished well to earn Rovers a deserved point.

Cardiff remain eighth in the Championship but are now nine points adrift of the play-off places, while Bournemouth - who are sixth - have a game in hand.

Blackburn stay 17th after a seventh match without a win.

Both teams wore black armbands and a two-minute silence was held to honour Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, who died on Friday, aged 99.

The match started with a quick tempo and chances for both sides, Armstrong firing wide for Blackburn before Cardiff striker Kieffer Moore chested a fine cross from Vaulks but mishit his shot.

There was then a contentious moment as the Bluebirds' Harry Wilson ran on to a long ball over the top of the visiting defence, only to be taken out by Blackburn goalkeeper Thomas Kaminsky, who was arguably fortunate only to be shown a yellow card.

Cardiff took the lead in the 27th minute, Wilson lining up a free-kick outside the penalty area but feigning to shoot and instead back-heeling the ball to Vaulks, whose drilled effort went in off the post.

Blackburn equalised shortly before half-time as Armstrong cut inside from the right wing and hit a low left-footed shot, which Smithies got a hand to but allowed to squirm into the net.

The visitors started the second half as they ended the first, with Sam Gallagher firing against the post with a firm strike and following up with another effort into the side netting.

Bradley Johnson then clipped the outside of the post with a curling shot, before Barry Douglas' whipped free-kick rattled the woodwork.

Just seconds after their latest reprieve, Cardiff counter-attacked and Ralls applied a smart, low finish to restore their lead.

There was still plenty of time for further chances, with Wilson looking to extend Cardiff's advantage with an audacious effort from the halfway line which was saved by the backtracking Kaminsky.

And although Armstrong pulled another shot wide for Blackburn, their top scorer would not be denied and his 90th-minute equaliser secured a draw which was the least Rovers deserved for their attacking endeavours in the second half.

Cardiff City manager Mick McCarthy:

"We've given away two goals at the end of each half, which is disappointing. I can't sit here and say they didn't deserve something from it, the second half certainly they played well.

"But when we've been in that situation, 2-1 up and with that to go, we've been good at keeping it. But unfortunately the last three games we haven't, so that's a disappointment.

"It feels like a defeat, conceding again in the 90th minute."

Blackburn Rovers manager Tony Mowbray:

"We're disappointed. As a team we know we have to win these games, in this recent run that's been the case with half of these games really.

"We've dominated most of the games we've had but Adam Armstrong hasn't been able to score, but today Adam got back to what we know he can do.

"We didn't lose, we showed spirit and character, we always try and find the positives and we didn't accept defeat."