Exeter 0 Portsmouth 0 - Neil Allen's verdict: Encouragements and plus points, but still goals and wins elude frustrating Blues

Danny Cowley’s men were far better at Exeter, not that the recent bar was particularly high, as the match finished goalless.

Nonetheless, that’s now one win in 12 league matches and no goal in 383 League One minutes as this deeply worrying run continues.

Pompey comfortably had their best moments in the opening 45 minutes, Jamal Blackman twice saving excellently, while Denver Hume struck the post from 25-yards.

They maintained that encouraging half to start the second period strongly, yet soon faded as the game petered out with Exeter offering the greater threat.

Deservedly, goalkeeper Blackman was honoured with the sponsors’ man of the match, while the Blues players were applauded off and shown plenty of respect by the 1,143 away fans in recognition of their efforts.

Something to be heartened by – but, with League One the priority, Pompey continue to slip further away from their primary objective.

Not since November 12, when Colby Bishop struck at Morecambe, have Pompey scored in the league, and that has been the crux of the problem - creativity.

At St James Park, the heart and endeavour was there, but again the three points were missing in this season which is providing concerns by the match.

Certainly Cowley will find positives – and rightly so – but the damning statistic has been extended to one win in 12 league matches.

Ipswich are the next on the fixture list, with Pompey in serious danger of not even scoring in League One in December.

Still, in the here and now, the wins – and goals – continue to elude, even if their Exeter display was far better.

Cowley’s hunt for a Pompey League One victory prompted three changes at Exeter, recalling Sean Raggett, Ryan Tunnicliffe and Joe Pigott at St James Park.

For Pigott, it represented a first league start for more than two months – coincidentally Pompey’s only win in the previous 11 games in League One.

That arrived at Forest Green Rovers and he was back in the side against the Grecians , partnering Colby Bishop in attack.

Meanwhile, Tunnicliffe, who wasn’t even in the squad for their recent defeat to MK Don, replaced the ill Jay Mingi in the centre of midfield, with Connor Ogilvie and Josh Koroma dropped to the bench.

Meanwhile, Dane Scarlett was again absent from the squad through illness, while Louis Thompson and Tom Lowery have still to return from injury.

However, Joe Morrell was able to be included on the bench after being sidelined all week through illness and returning to training on Boxing Day.

He joined fit-again Zak Swanson among the substitutes, having recovered from a stomach muscle injury.

After fairly uneventful opening exchanges, Exeter’s Harry Kite drew a good stop from Josh Griffiths following a corner from the right.

His low shot from outside the box was beaten out by Pompey’s keeper, with the follow-up deflected for their third corner of the game.

The Blues responded with left wing-back Denver Hume getting around the back of the Exeter backline and pulling back a pass which was knocked out for a corner.

That was delivered from the left by Clark Robertson and met by Michael Morrison at the far post, but he bundled the opportunity just wide.

Hume came agonisingly close to breaking to deadlock after Jamal Blackman’s hurried kick out of his hands fell straight to him 25 yards form goal.

The former Sunderland man swiftly spotted his opportunity and sent a left-footed shot towards a vacant goal, only to smack against the right-hand post and bounce to safety.

Pompey didn’t have the chance to follow up, with referee Alan Young stopping the game for Blackman to receive treatment, having remained on the floor since his mis-hit clearance.

Moments later, good work from Pigott retrieved the ball and he gave it to Bishop whose lay-off was met with a goal-bound Tunnicliffe shot until turned around the post superbly by Blackman.

Meanwhile, the battle between Dale and Jack Sparkes was proving to be a fascinating one at both ends of the pitch, with Pompey’s wing-back harshly booked on 40 minutes after his rival took a tumble as they chased the ball.

With half-time approaching, a marvellous Tunnicliffe run took him inside the Exeter box, yet he delayed the shot and, in the end, Archie Collins slid in to almost put it into his own net.

The half ended with Morrison’s header from Pack’s right-wing corner clawed out by the flying Blackman as the Blues finished strongly.

There were no substitutions from either side at the break, with the game still anyone’s after a positive first half.

Pompey started the second half strongly, Dale half-volleying the ball into the net on 51 minutes, only for the referee to have already blown for a foul on Sparkes.

On 60 minutes, Hackett was patient on the edge of the box trying to find a glimpse of goal, before digging out a low effort that was superbly saved by Blackman.

Steadily Exeter began to look the more likely to score, offering greater attacking threat, and Matt Jay collected a clever pass into the box and swivvelled to fire straight at Griffiths.

On 75 minutes, Cowley made his first substitution, with Josh Koroma replacing Hume, with Hackett going in at left-back.

Then, on 80 minutes, there was a triple substitution with Swanson, Morrell and Michael Jacobs replacing Dale, Tunnicliffe and Pigott.

Swanson was straight into the action, with a driving run into the box to win a corner down the right which came to nothing.

But it was Exeter who continue to pose more problems, even if Pompey’s defensive stood firm and worked excellently as a team.

A couple of late corners and free-kicks for the Blues never threatened and it petered out in a goalless draw characterised by Griffiths tumbling to the turf to retain the ball and waste time as the final whistle sounded.

Encouragement – but, ultimately, not a win. Again.