Kenny Jackett urges Portsmouth to see games out after late Wycombe equaliser
Posted Sunday, September 23, 2018 by PA
Kenny Jackett wants his Portsmouth side to show more composure in the final minutes after a late penalty snatched Wycombe a point.
The visitors took the lead through Bryn Morris, only for Pompey to hit back with Gareth Evans and Brett Pitman before Joe Jacobson powered home a 90th-minute penalty.
And after Pompey defender Christian Burgess gave away the spot-kick, Jackett admitted that they should have seen the match out.
He said: “Wycombe are a good side and they have a terrific spirit. I didn’t ever think it would be an easy game.
“But when you are 2-1 up with 88 minutes on the clock, you are looking to close the game out.
“Me and Christian (Burgess) talked about the decision afterwards, he didn’t say much but I told him how we can make sure we win these in the future.
“It was tough for us to hold them at the back and conceding goals is disappointing.
“We need to be more constructive at the right time to make sure we are more effective at both ends of the pitch.”
Pompey started slowly and went close to going behind early on when Fred Onyedinma had his shot deflected wide of the post.
The Chairboys got their breakthrough in the 21st minute as Morris exchanged a one-two with Adebayo Akinfenwa before curling his effort into the bottom corner.
With their unbeaten run under siege, Pompey eventually got on the scoresheet through Evans when headed in from a Jamal Lowe cross in the 57th minute.
The rain continued to fall onto the Fratton Park surface but that didn’t halt the home side in their search for a second.
Second-half substitute Pitman thought he had won the tie for his team when his header rippled the back of the net in the 86th minute.
However, Wycombe were awarded a last minute penalty after Pompey defender Burgess barged into Onyedinma.
Jacobson stepped up to take the penalty and sent Craig MacGillivray the wrong way as Jacobsen earned a point for his side.
And manager Gareth Ainsworth was thrilled with his defender’s composure from the spot.
Ainsworth said: “I’m so proud of my boys. They have given me absolutely everything and not many teams will come to Portsmouth and do what we did.
“We wanted to go out there and test what we have got, we are Wycombe Wanderers in League One.
“I said I wanted to stop the draws but I’ll take a point all day long today.
“I have to give some credit to Joe Jacobson after he missed his last penalty against Luton.
“To step-up with everything riding on it, the whole 90 minutes came down to that spot-kick and I thought he was superb.
“He dispatched it fantastically well, right in front of the away fans.”
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