JACKETT: WE CAN HACK ITAT THIS LEVEL
Kids are all right for point
PORTSMOUTH boss Kenny Jackett is hoping his young side will learn by example after they survived a Wigan onslaught to leave the DW Stadium with a point.
Jackett gave appearances to five academy graduates, with one of them, 20-year-old Conor Chaplin, coming off the bench to put a looping header beyond Christian Walton with his first touch.
After spending four seasons in League Two, this is the first time many of this Pompey side have tasted football at this level, and Jackett believes they should be aiming to reach the level of unbeaten Wigan.
Despite the result, the Latics were far superior to Portsmouth until Chey Dunkley was sent off for lashing out at Brett Pitman on 59 minutes, hitting the woodwork three times and relying heavily on goalkeeper Luke McGee.
Jackett said: “It is a very good point. Wigan are probably around about the bar for the top of this division, and if you finish above them I think you’ll get automatic promotion.
“My keeper was outstanding – he was very, very good and contributed to a good point.
“There are some younger players coming through, like Chaplin and [Ben] Close. They’re big plusses coming out of the academy, and credit to them.
“They have to now go and take those chances that they’re going to get and that they earn, and make Portsmouth a form in this division, because that’s what we want to be.
“If we’re aiming to be just a League One team, we don’t want to be that, we want to be a force.
“There’s some way to go yet, definitely, but we did well to get a point out of a very good Wigan team that I think will be one of the favourites.”
Wigan took the lead just eight minutes in, with Gavin Massey going clean through thanks to Nick Powell’s through-ball and unselfishly squaring for Ivan Toney to slide home.
Powell hit a thunderous strike against the bar midway through the first half, and goalscorer Toney again struck the woodwork from point-blank range as the one-way traffic continued.
Both men also tested McGee with first-half long-rangers, and winger Michael Jacobs was equally unable to beat McGee from closer in early in the second half.
Portsmouth sensed their opportunity after Dunkley’s needless red card, and though 10-man Wigan were able to hit the upright once again, Portsmouth punished former boss Paul Cook as Chaplin did well to convert fellow substitute Kal Naismith’s wonderful cross from deep.
Portsmouth also finished the game with 10 men as Gareth Evans picked up a second yellow card two minutes from time.
Wigan assistant manager Leam Richardson said: “Certainly in chances created and domination, we’re disappointed we didn’t get a positive result.
“But fair play to Portsmouth. They came and were very resilient. Their keeper played outstanding, and on another day it could have been different.
“I’ve got to give credit to the opposition and to be fair, I don’t think our lads left much on the field, so their won’t be any criticism from our staff for that.
“When you’re 1-0 up and socalled comfortable in the game, it’s disappointing. It’s a big learning curve for Chey, he’s still a young man learning, and when you give referees decisions to make you’re always walking that fine line.
“We’ll dust ourselves down. We’re unbeaten and the lads are certainly coming together, and that will give them confidence that with ten men they dug in together for a certain period of the game and came out with a point.” WIGAN (4-4-2): Walton 6, Byrne 6, Dunkley 4, Burn 6, James 7, Massey 8 (Colclough 83 5), Evans 8, Morsey 7, Jacobs 8, Toney 6 (Thomas 61 6), Powell 8 (Grigg 73 5) Subs not used: Jones, Perkins, Gilbey, Hunt PORTSMOUTH (4-4-2): McGee 9, Evans 5, Burgess 5, Whatmough 5, Haunstrup 6, Bennett 6 (Chaplin 73 7), May 5, Rose 5 (Close 53 6), Donohue 5 (Naismith 53 7), Lowe 5, Pitman 4 Subs not used: Bass, Davies, Kabamba, Thompson