POMPEY MUST RISE TO CONQUER
PAUL Cook says Portsmouth must learn to handle opposition teams raising their game against them.
Pompey needed a late equaliser from Michael Smith to rescue a point at Cheltenham Town, who had taken the lead through Daniel O’Shaughnessy.
“We are learning all the time because when we come to grounds it’ll often be the biggest crowd of the season and we are definitely a big scalp, so we have to be at it,” said manager Cook.
“I thought this was a good game between two very committed teams and a good advert for the league.
“Both teams obviously play a different style, but both were equally effective.
“We took control after half-time and had chances which could have given us edge.
“We then had the disappointment of the goal and Cheltenham put a lot of balls into our box, but we showed good character to keep going and it was nice for Michael to score in front of our fans who were a credit to the club.
“We go to Luton on Tuesday, which will be a good game and we have to try to get three points.”
Cheltenham started brightly and had a penalty appeal turned down in the fourth minute after Danny Wright went down under a challenge from Michael Doyle.
Russell Griffiths made an excellent save to keep out Carl Baker’s diving header four minutes before half-time as it remained goalless at the break.
Portsmouth came out firing at the start of the second half, with Griffiths denying Gary Roberts and Conor Chaplin’s header also blocked by the Everton loan goalkeeper.
The deadlock was broken in the 64th minute when James Rowe’s free-kick was helped on by Harry Pell to Wright, who fed O’Shaughnessy and his shot deceived David Forde to roll into the net.
Rob Dickie should then have made the game safe for the hosts but with the goal at his mercy he fired wide from six yards.
Portsmouth made them pay when Smith rolled into an empty net after Griffiths spilled a low cross from Baker.
Robins boss Gary Johnson said he would not have been happy with a point before the game and allowing a lead to slip away ultimately made the draw even more disheartening.
“When you draw after being 1-0 up, it’s always disappointing,” he explained.
“There are things we can learn from it and we gave as good as we got.
“Both teams had great chances and if we’d taken them it could have finished 5-5.
“Portsmouth are good in final third with movement and cleverness with players who have played at a higher level, but we wanted to win and at the moment we are draw specialists.
“I can’t be overly happy because if you’d offered me a point before the game I’d have said no, but now we have to hold our hands up, accept and move on to the next game.
“We aren’t losing games, but we have got to find that bit spark we had at Crewe in the FA Cup replay.”