Andre Dozzell’s late leveller rescued an Oxford United survival point for 10-man Pompey on an afternoon of Fratton relegation drama and controversy.
Dozzell made it 2-2 with two minutes of normal time remaining to see it finish all square in the key showdown at the foot of the table.
Keshi Anderson put Pompey in front, before second-half efforts from Brodie Spencer and Will Lankshear turned the game in the favour of the visitors.
Then came Dozzell’s late intervention with sub Millenic Alli providing the cross, as he atoned for his error for Oxford’s second goal.
Referee Josh Smith and his assistants were subject of huge home frustration, however, as Smith controversially sent off Connor Ogilvie for a first-half challenge on Stan Mills.
Smith then failed to give a second yellow card to goalscorer Spencer for a foul on Terry Devlin, with the Oxford man promptly withdrawn by his side.
The result leaves Pompey outside of the bottom three by a single point ahead of this afternoon’s fixtures.
The game’s high intensity was set from the outset with Anderson’s early cross flying just beyond Bishop and hitting Gustavo Caballero’s face.
Ciaron Brown then diverted the lively Caballero’s cross off the post, before Pompey took the lead in the ninth minute.
Connor Ogilvie provided the ammunition with Bishop’s touch from Caballero’s header diverting the ball to Anderson, whose quick footwork created the space to fire home.
There was huge controversy eight minutes later as referee Josh Smith sent off Ogilvie for an untidy challenge on Stan Mills. The officials deemed the challenge worthy of a straight red card to Fratton’s shock.
That meant Conor Chaplin was sacrificed for Jordan Williams amid a Blues reshuffle, as the home crowd digested Smith’s decision.
Pompey should have been 2-0 up in the 31st minute as Williams supplied the ball for Caballero, but the Paraguayan blazed over from 12 yards while in space.
Williams seemed to hesitate as he was put clear by Anderson just before the break, which allowed to Cumming to gather the ball after initially hesitating.
Calls for a Pompey penalty appeal were ignored after the restart as Brown and Bishop tangled in the box.
The visitors were level in the 48th minute as Schmid could only palm Mills’ shot as far as Spencer who fired home. Striker Will Lankshear appeared to be offside from the initial shot, but deemed not to be interfering with play
Pompey were giving everything but more referee controversy then followed as Spencer took out the breaking Spencer. With Spencer on a booking the referee doesn’t produce a second yellow to Fratton’s fury. Moments later the defender is replaced by Przemyslaw Placheta.
Blue hearts were crushed with nine minutes left as Millenic Alli lost out to Michal Helik seconds after coming on. The Oxford defender then crossed for Lankshear to head beyond Schmid.
But there was late joy as Alli charged down the left and supplied the cross for Dozzell to lift the roof off Fratton Park with two minutes left.
Continue Reading