Nok en uavgjortkamp for Pompey, som ikke har scoret et seriemål på over seks uker.
Avstanden til topplagene øker og øker. Alle disse uavgjorte kampene frustrerer supporterne og tabellen lyver ikke. Pompey er nå – riktignok med et par hengekamper – nede på 11. plass på tabellen.
Mot Exeter var Pompey nærmest seieren, men 0-0 mot føles nesten som nok et tap. Sist Pompey scoret et mål i serien var 12. november i 1-1-kampen mot Morecambe.
Den offisielle kamprapporten
Ettertanken
Pompey så ut som en klar opprykkskandidat fram til midten på september. Skader har ødelagt en del for Danny Cowleys mannskap, men mannskapet skal være mer enn godt nok til å ta mye mer poeng enn det Pompey har tatt de siste tre månedene.
Det vinnes kamper i cupene, men etter seieren mot Burton 13/9 har Pompey kun vunnet en eneste seriekamp. Det holder ikke. Faktisk er Pompey langt nærmere bunnstrid enn opprykkskamp slik det ser ut nå.
Det spekuleres i at det vil skje en del ting i januarvinduet, men før det skal det spilles viktige seriekamper. Allerede den kommende uken skal både Ipswich og Charlton til Fratton Park. Her trengs det poeng.
Kommentarer fra manager Danny Cowley
«In terms of the performance, it was a good one away from home and we had a real control of the game. I can’t remember a match when we’ve had so many free-kicks and corners around the opposition area. But if we’re being honest with ourselves, then we have to be more clinical – particularly in the first half when we had so many good opportunities.
“We defended well as a group and gave Exeter very little in terms of moments in our box, but of course we’re disappointed not to win. We know what we have to do – we need to stay really determined and focused, keep training hard and believe in ourselves. If we do that then I’m sure we’ll find a way.
There was heavy illness all week and have had to change the team a number of times, with Joe Morrell not training until yesterday. Jay Mingi and Dane Scarlett didn’t even make the coach because they’ve had a tonsilitis-like infection. Connor Ogilvie was named on the bench, but didn’t warm up because he had deteriorated overnight.
There were a lot that also played with it and so it definitely had an impact on the team that we picked. On a positive note, Zak Swanson did well when he came on after very little training. We definitely couldn’t use him safely from the start, but he made a real impact as a substitute.”
Sean Raggetts kommentarer
«We’re disappointed with the result because it felt like we’d done more than enough to win the game. Their man-of-the-match was definitely the goalkeeper and that tells a story – he pulled of some great saves. We had the chances and the performance was a lot better than it has been in the past few weeks, but ultimately we’ve only come away with a point.
I compare it to when we went to Accrington on a bad run last season and drew. We did well after that and so hopefully this match can spark something for us. You just have to keep going, try to create opportunities and get that win, which unfortunately hasn’t happened on this occasion. But although there’s that feeling of frustration now, we can certainly take some positives going into the next one.
I have to mention the fans as well. It was brilliant to see so many of them travelling this far on Boxing Day and they were excellent. You could hear them throughout.”
Exeter – Portsmouth 0-0
Pompey (3-4-1-2): Griffiths; Morrison, Raggett, Robertson (c); Dale (Swanson 80), Tunnicliffe (Morrell 80), Pack, Hume (Koroma 75); Hackett; Bishop, Pigott (Jacobs 80)
Ikke benyttede reserver: Oluwayemi, Ogilvie, Curtis
Gult kort: Dale, Morrison og Morrell
Tilskuere: 7.779 (1.143 Pompey fans)
Joe Pigott tilbake i startelleveren.