Exeter City fight back

A LAST-GASP strike from Ollie Watkins salvaged a point for City against play-off chasing Portsmouth at St James Park.

During an otherwise largely uneventful first-half, Pompey academy product Conor Chaplin had left the Grecians one down at the half-time interval. But City displayed a great willingness to fight to the end by scoring another late goal, and this time it was Watkins who equalised at the death following an intricate one-two with Clinton Morrison.

There were four changes to the City side that came away from the Lamex Stadium victorious three days ago. Jayden Stockley, who featured for Pompey against City at Fratton Park last September, was recalled to the starting eleven having netted two late goals against Stevenage at the weekend. Ollie Watkins was handed his fourth start of the season on the left flank, and Lee Holmes and Troy Brown also resumed first-team duties. The visitors, who begun the evening in fifth place in Sky Bet League 2, were unchanged from the side that beat Cambridge United at the weekend.

Pompey flew out the traps, crafting the first chance of the game almost immediately after kick-off. Kal Naismith accelerated well to get to the byline and fire a cross to the far-post, but Conor Chaplain’s touch just outside the six-yard box was too heavy, and Bobby Olejnik advanced off his line to gather easily.

The game entered somewhat of a lull after the away side’s early chance as the two sides went toe-to-toe in the middle of the park. Portsmouth chalked up another effort on goal in the twelfth minute as ex-Peterborough United centre-back Christian Burgess headed over following a corner swung in by Ben Davies from the right-hand side.

Pompey felt they had a claim for a penalty in the twenty-fourth minute after Troy Brown slid in for a challenge in the area, but the referee waved away the protests and pointed for a corner instead. The resultant corner eventually found its way to Portsmouth captain Michael Doyle, who connected well with a half-volley from thirty-yards out to force Olejnik into a good stop at his near-post.

The game had sparked into life by the mid-way point of the first-half with both sides looking to get on the front foot. Jayden Stockley was presented with a good opportunity to repeat his Lamex Stadium heroics on the half-hour mark, but headed straight at Ryan Fulton having connected with Christian Ribeiro’s cross from the right.

Just after the Grecians had strung together their first meaningful move, the visitors took the lead as academy product Chaplain chested the ball down before firing past Olejnik from twenty-yards out. Chaplain could have doubled his and Portsmouth’s tally for the evening three minutes later, but the youngster couldn’t make a clean connection with Marc McNulty’s cross.

Despite falling behind, the Grecians displayed no signs of feeling sorry for themselves as they threatened twice in the forty-second minute. First Holmes headed wide with Stockley waiting to pounce at the far-post, before Ollie Watkins’ brought a good save out of Fulton after cutting in from the left-hand side and releasing a powerful drive on his right. Watkins’ effort was the last of the half, leaving City with a one-goal deficit to overturn after the interval.

HALF-TIME: EXETER CITY 0-1 PORTSMOUTH