Portsmouth held to Bristol Rovers draw as frustration continues

James Clarke of Bristol Rovers heads past his keeper Jack Bonham to make it 1-1 tonight. Photo by Robin Jones/Digital South.

James Clarke’s 58th-minute own goal stopped the damage from being worse after Jonson Clarke-Harris converted a controversial first-half penalty.

That was after the striker went to ground easily under the attentions of Tom Naylor to see Rovers take a 37th-minute lead.

Clarke-Harris did blaze over from the spot in the 65th minute, however, after ref Neil Hair said Jamal Lowe pulled down Clarke in another call disputed by Pompey.

Despite the drama it was a tense night with angst evident from the home crowd as the desperate search for impetus in the season continues.

And the outcome sees Pompey fall another place to fourth in the table.

Jackett made three changes as Gareth Evans, Tom Naylor and Ronan Curris came in for Viv Solomon-Otabor, Bryn Morris and Omar Bogle

An early chance arrived for Pompey as Ronan Curtis produced a decent cross but Jamal Lowe couldn’t get a decent purchase on his shot.

Matt Clarke then saved Craig MacGillivray’s blushes as the keeper spilled Alex Jakubiak’s shot from 20 yards but the defender cleared.

Curtis then got an unsettled crowd on their feet as he produced a moment of quality and lifted a shot over Jack Bonham and on to the inside of the post, but the offside flag was raised.

The controversial moment then arrived as Naylor was harshly penalised for a foul on Clarke-Harris and the striker dispatched the penalty.

Hawkins was withdrawn for Bogle at the break, and the striker had a role to play in the leveller in the 58th minute as his pressure saw James Clarke head past his own keeper from Curtis’ cross.

Another key moment arrived eight minutes later as Lowe was adjudged to have fouled Jordan Clarke in the box but this time Clarke-Harris blazed his effort horribly over.

From there the game switched from end .to end with both sides pushing for the decisive goal.

There was nothing there for either side through five minutes of stoppage time on what will go down as another couple of points dropped for Pompey as the frustration continues.