LATICS threw away a deserved two-goal half-time lead as dreamland threatened to turn to dismay for 2,300 travelling fans in the Ewood Park drizzle.

Duckens Nazon’s incredible early double strike – his first goals for the club – saw Richie Wellens’ side stun the promotion hopefuls into submission.

But Blackburn hit back with second-half strikes from Charlie Mulgrew and substitute Adam Armstrong.

When Wilfried Moimbe saw red late on it looked as if Rovers might snatch it. To their credit, Athletic clung to a precious point in a pulsating encounter.

Wellens said before this derby clash he wouldn’t be fazed by going head to head with the Championship chasers. And his message clearly transmitted to the players as lively Latics went to-to-toe with their old Lancashire adversaries right from the off.

Backed by an incredible wall of sound reverberating from the away end, an unchanged Athletic line-up were bright and energetic in a first half they dominated in terms of possession.

Wellens’ men displayed a renewed confidence and were first to the ball all over the park, winning 50-50 battles at will. When the home side did manage brief attacking spells, Latics had everything boxed off at the back . . . exactly where Nazon’s excellent strike on 28 minutes started.

When the Wolves loanee managed to bring a long ball forward from goalkeeper Johny Placide under his spell 30 yards out, he still had plenty to do.

Faced by two defenders, the frontman showed some fancy footwork to beat one, then another as he ran at pace and unleashed a terrific shot which nestled into the corner.

Thirteen minutes later, Nazon doubled his and Athletic’s tally for the afternoon with another classy finish made by his own pace and power.

The striker latched on to Dan Gardner’s pass and as the Blackburn defence retreated, Nazon fancied a repeat of his earlier effort and fired home with another clinical finish.

It was exactly what has been lacking in recent weeks – by and large there’s been nothing wrong with performances – but now it looks like Latics have at last found themselves a natural finisher to complement their dominant displays.

Rovers were rattled. Manager Tony Mowbray made a double change at the break as centre back Paul Downing and midfielder Richie Smallwood were dragged off.

The hosts were much more of a threat after that and hit back through skipper Charlie Mulgrew’s 63rd minute free-kick.

This would be a real test of character now for the away side with Rovers’ tails up as they piled on the pressure which eventually paid off on 71 minutes when substitute Adam Armstrong coolly converted Bradley Dack’s right-wing cross to level.

The drama didn’t end there when Latics left back Wilfried Moimbe was sent off after receiving his second yellow card of the afternoon with eight minutes to go.

Rovers continued to pour forward in eight minutes of stoppage time but Latics sub Aaron Amadi-Holloway might have won it for the visitors when his breakaway led to a shot which trickled wide.

LATICS (4-4-2): Placide, Dummigan, Moimbe, Gerrard, Bryan; Fane, Gardner, Pringle, Byrne; Nazon, Davies. Subs: De la Paz, Wilson (Davies 85), Benyu, Amadi-Holloway (Nazon 72), Nepomuceno, Obadeyi (Byrne 72), Benteke. Booked: Pringle, Fane, Davies, Moimbe. Sent off: Moimbe 82 (two yellows).

Blackburn (4-2-3-1): Raya, Nyambe, Williams, Mulgrew, Downing (Travis 46); Dack, Bennett; Bell, Payne, Smallwood; Graham. Subs: Leutwiler, Samuel, Caddis, Armstrong (Smallwood 46), Evans, Conway, Travis.

Attendance: 13,665 (2,294 away).