Gills draw not enough, confesses Pompey boss
KENNY JACKETT admitted it was two points dropped as Pompey were held 1-1 by Gillingham.
It’s now one win in six Fratton Park games after Lee Brown’s first-half mistake gifted Vadaine Oliver an equaliser.
Sean Raggett had handed Jackett’s men the lead, while Marcus Harness struck a post and Gills goalkeeper Jack Bonham made three excellent stops.
Yet the hosts were indebted to Craig MacGillivray’s stoppage-time save from John Akinde to even get a point in the end.
And Jackett conceded a point at home was not good enough against Steve Evans’ mid-table side.
He told The News: ‘Yes, it’s two points dropped and it’s frustrating.
‘When you are looking at a home game against Gillingham, no disrespect to them, but you are aiming to win.
‘If you want to keep pace with the top two sides, that’s what we’ve got to do.
‘We’ve got to try to close the gap.
‘We are on 61 points now and it’s slightly stretching, but it’s not impossible.
‘There’s 16 games to go and still a lot of points.
‘Our best period was in the first half, we did get some good combinations going.
‘We had chances, opportunities, hit the post and some good combinations of play.
‘We are disappointed with the goal against, the centre-forward (Oliver) has read Lee’s chest back to the goalkeeper.
‘I did feel optimistic in the break that we could go and repeat that and win the game, but we’ve had a period of us not really getting hold of the ball and not necessarily doing enough.
‘Then the final 15 minutes when John Akinde went up front, they had two big players up there and the chances to win the match.’
NORTHAMPTON have been accused of having a ‘weak underbelly’ ahead of their meeting with Pompey.
The Cobblers went bottom of League One following a
2-1 defeat by relegation rivals Swindon on Saturday.
Kenny Jackett’s side will travel to Sixfields this coming Saturday.
Caretaker manager Jon Brady admitted he was ‘sickened’ at the final whistle as Northampton slid closer to the drop.
Brady told the Northampton Chronicle: ‘Unfortunately, there’s a weak underbelly with us at the moment and we’ve got to get this sorted.’
STEVE EVANS admitted his ‘terrific’ Gillingham side should have returned home clear winners from their trip to Fratton Park on Saturday.
The Gills’ boss said justice would have been served had his players scored ‘four or five’ goals during the second half of their League One match against Pompey.
Instead, the visitors headed home to Kent with a share of the spoils, after Vadaine Oliver cancelled out Sean Raggett’s 31st-minute opener before half-time.
Evans told Kent Online: ‘You don’t often go to Fratton Park and miss a host of chances and totally dominate for the second half of the game – that is what happened.
‘We went behind when we were defensively sloppy in a couple of challenges and we get back level when Vadaine (Oliver) does well to read that situation (when Lee Brown’s weak attempt to play the ball back to Craig MacGillivray fell short).
‘Olly Lee forces a brilliant save from the goalkeeper (before the break) and we had a good half-time chat with the boys.
‘Second half we were terrific.
‘If it is four or five (goals) in the second half then that is justice.
‘We didn’t get anything from Tuesday (at AFC Wimbledon) when we deserved to get all three. We got a point here when we deserved to get all three.
‘We are really pleased, particularly second half, considering the quality of players that Kenny (Jackett, Pompey’s manager) has available.’
Evans added it was good to see opposite number Jackett back in the dugout after his recent operation to remove a mole from his arm.
He said: ‘He has been missing for a few weeks and we were all worried for Kenny.
‘He is a friend of mine. I was buzzing to see him pre kick-off.’