Portsmouth 2-2 Oxford United: 10-man Pompey hit again to earn late level in relegation thriller

Andre Dozzell’s 87th-minute equaliser saved a degree for 10-man Portsmouth of their fraught 2-2 Sky Wager Championship relegation dogfight with Oxford.

Keshi Anderson gave Pompey a ninth-minute lead however Connor Ogilvie’s straight crimson card seven minutes later gave them an uphill battle.

Brodie Spencer equalised earlier than Tottenham loanee Will Lankshear’s diving header gave him his tenth purpose of the season and seemingly the three factors.

However midfielder Dozzell steered residence late on to provide Portsmouth a spot and level benefit over Oxford – with the 2 sides cut up by the relegation line.

The frantic tone was set in a frenetic opening 5 minutes, the place the ball bounced from finish to finish.

Yunus Konak speared over the bar for Oxford after which Ciaron Brown poked a Gustavo Caballero cross in opposition to his personal publish.

So, it was little shock that the impasse was damaged in simply the ninth minute. Ogilvie’s deep cross was headed again throughout purpose by Caballero, Colby Bishop nodded into the trail of Anderson who fooled a defender with a dummy earlier than lashing residence.

The purpose was Anderson’s first since he netted for Birmingham in opposition to Pompey in November.

The midfield frenzy had not translated into heavy fouls, so when referee Joshua Smith dismissed Ogilvie for a sort out on Stan Mills, it shocked all inside Fratton Park.

The Portsmouth left-back had tried to win the ball, however his trailing leg trapped Mills’ in a scissoring movement. It was solely Portsmouth’s second dismissal of the marketing campaign.

Within the aftermath of the sending-off, a bottle was thrown in direction of the officers from the house help.

Pompey boss John Mousinho instantly responded by substituting Conor Chaplin for defender Jordan Williams however the alternative shortly precipitated attacking issues of his personal as he pulled the ball again for Caballero – who skied his effort.

Regardless of having a person benefit for half an hour within the first half, Oxford did not register a shot on the right track earlier than the break.

The double change on the break by visiting boss Matt Bloomfield introduced a change and a brand new attacking impetus, which instantly resulted in a leveller.

Mills was in a position to minimize in from the left to power Nicolas Schmid right into a stretched save however he might solely push the ball into the trail of Spencer to bundle in for his first Oxford purpose.

Each side spent nearly all of the second half mustering half-chances earlier than an action-packed final 10 minutes.

Michal Helik’s cultured inswinging cross within the 81st minute was met by a diving header from Lankshear within the 81st minute which seemed to be shifting Oxford above their opponents.

Nonetheless, that modified when Dozzell discovered the underside nook after a pullback from Millenic Alli with three minutes to go.

‘It is not a crimson card for Pompey’

Jamie Mackie on Sky Sports activities Soccer:

“I don’t think it’s a red card. I’m not convinced the ref would have given it. I think the linesman on that side is quite close, and I think that quite early on they’ve communicated.

“Look, it wasn’t an incredible contact, and he is clearly scrambling just a little bit, and standing Mills is fast onto it. I simply take a look at it there. Okay. Look, he is wrapped his leg spherical him. However I look and go that the studs aren’t actually in play. I believe it is not massively excessive.

“It’s not like if he wrapped his legs around him, and it’s sort of like quad height. It is quite low.”

The managers

Portsmouth’s John Mousinho:

To observe…

Oxford’s Matt Bloomfield:

To observe…