Fleetwood Town played out a 1-1 draw with Portsmouth in their latest Sky Bet League One outing at Fratton Park on Saturday afternoon.
Two first-half goals, with one coming from either side, were all that managed to beat the goalkeepers on a sunny afternoon down south.
The hosts opened the scoring after a strike from distance by Josh Koroma, but Carlos Mendes Gomes pulled it back to level terms with his first Fleetwood goal soon after.
The first chance of the game ended up being the opener in the clash on the south coast as Town struggled to get the ball out of the back, Owen Dale picked up the ball 20-yards out and found Koroma who curled his effort into the far corner, past Jay Lynch who was at full stretch.
Portsmouth’s lead was short-lived though as Town managed to level it up 15 minutes in as Danny Andrew’s well-worked corner found Toto Nsiala at the back post, who headed the ball across goal where Mendes Gomes was able to tap home from close range.
A chance apiece would follow this less than 10 minutes later as Lynch was called into action to deny Koroma from the edge of the box, diving down to his left to stop him, before Harvey Macadam went down the other end, looking to find Admiral Muskwe with his cross, but the defender did well to put him off.
Pompey ended the half strongly as they managed to work a few chances before the break. The first fell to Michael Morrison, who headed on Owen Dale’s delivery, and hit the outside of the post. The second was a shot, once again inside the Fleetwood area, but Nsiala was there to slide and block it.
It was a close one at the start of the second period as Koroma fired a free-kick from 20-yards just past the near post and then created another chance from a set-piece soon after. This time, Marlon Pack found himself with a yard of space and rattled the crossbar with his powerful effort.
After the hour mark, Scott Brown’s side could have put themselves into the lead as Andrew’s corner was played all the way through to Shaun Rooney at the back post, whose effort was on target but was saved by Griffiths and cleared by the defence.
Mendes Gomes looked to try and double his tally with the last meaningful chance of the game as he latched onto substitute Dan Batty’s lofted cross from the right and beat his marker in the air but headed the ball wide of the target.
Pompey XI: Griffiths (GK), Robertson (C), Ogilvie (Swanson 88’), Pack, Bishop (Pigott 74’), Dale (Hackett 66’), Morrell (Mingi 88’), Scarlett, Raggett, Koroma (Curtis 74’), Morrison.
Unused subs: Oluwayemi (GK), Jacobs.
Town XI: Lynch (GK), Andrew, Mendes Gomes (J.Garner 84’), Vela (C), Muskwe (Morton 67’), Lane, Warrington (Wiredu 84’), Nsiala (Baker 49’), Rooney, Macadam (Batty 67’), Earl.
Unused subs: Stolarczyk (GK), Johnston.