FL2: Torquay United vs Portsmouth - 26th October 2013

I thought that was a good gritty performance and Swanny is right in that the balance of the team is so much better and if we keep playing like that then the wins will start to come. We were buoyed by that very early goal and had opportunities to go two up but fair result against a strong Portsmouth side.

A magic start really, from kick off the ball was hit up there and Hawley seemed to take a touch and the ball squirted out to the left side of the area where Chappell was waiting to pounce with a low shot into the corner of the net. Portsmouth had more of the play for the rest of the half without a surfeit of chances, the best being when a Nico slip let Agyemang through but he could only fire relatively weakly towards Rice. Our best period came midway through the half with a succession of corners and a free kick near the same right hand corner. Surreal moment came when a back pass to RIce saw Marquis charge him down rugby style with the ball hitting his fully extended hand which promptly earned him a yellow.

The second half started with a bang with two great chances. A great cross from Tonge flashed across the six yard box and a our forward was just unable to get that touch for a certain goal. Next, a minute later, McCourt had a great shot which just missed the left hand post, not a criticism but Azeez was clear in the area on his right. Much later in the half, Azeez had a good breakaway chance much later in the half and flicked the ball past the keeper but unfortunately also past the post.



Otherwise, Pompey were able to exert a lot of pressure with the equaliser being already well detailed by Phipsy. Not a bad result at all and think we are now past our nadir....

Plymouth - drew 1-1
Bury - lost 1-0
Bristol Rovers - yet to play
Northampton - yet to play
Accrington - drew 2-2

So actually of the bottom 6 at the start of the day, 3 of them have now drawn with Portsmouth, and York, who slipped into the bottom 6 with a defeat today, beat them 4-2

Portsmouth's wins have mostly come against teams in the top half of the division - Rochdale, Morecambe and Burton. They also beat Oxford in the JPT. A team that beats the good teams but can't kill off the crap teams - that's either mid-table inconsistency or a potential late season surge up the table in the making

Morning all,well reading some of your posts...seems more positive......shame we couldn't have got all 3 points yesterday.....but good to see we had some fight in us to and some grit....long may it continue. So onwards and upwards......si

I enjoyed yesterday, despite the late equaliser. Pearce was outstanding and O'Connor not far behind him. I also thought mccallum looked v good until he went off, let's hope the injury isn't too serious. After seeing him perform so well at Newport, I was a little disappointed with Azeez. If only he or somebody else had managed to get their head on Tonge's beautiful cross at the start of the second half! Pleased to see Mozika make his debut, one lovely turn to make space for himself and pass out wide was maybe a hint of what he can bring to the side.
Onto Bury next week and we must take this performance forward to Gigg Lane.