'Always a breath of fresh air' - Accrington boss John Coleman joins Danny Cowley in hailing Portsmouth supporters

Accy boss John Coleman was as equally stirred by what he witnessed from the Pompey fans who made the 540-mile round trip to Lancashire.

The official attendance for the entertaining 2-2 draw was 2,889 – with 892 there to cheer on the visitors.

It was Accrington’s second-highest attendance of the season following north-west neighbours Wigan’s short trip up the M6 in mid-September (4,517).

It made for a ‘cracking’ atmosphere inside the Wham Stadium – and, not for the first time, Coleman hailed the Blues’ away support for the part they played.

He told the club’s website: ‘It was a cracking atmosphere.

‘Our fans were brilliant today again.

‘Portsmouth are always a breath of fresh air when they come.

‘They’re one of the best set of away fans I think in the league.

‘You know, there isn't really any nastiness about them and they travel in their numbers.’

With Pompey dominant in the first half and unlucky not to be more than 1-0 up at half-time following Ronan Curtis’ 18th-munute opener, Coleman added he would have taken a draw at half-time.

But after seeing two quick second-half goals from Harry Pell and Matt Butcher cancelled out by Marcus Harness with four minutes remaining, he humorously compared his post-match feeling to being upgraded to first-class but then being told that cabin food was all that was left on the flught menu!

‘If you'd have given me a draw at half-time I'd have bitten your hand off,’ he said.

‘I suppose it's a bit like being upgraded and going into first-class and then finding out that there's no Champagne and no steak and you just have to make do with the ordinary cabin food.

‘That's what it felt like.

‘I'm pleased we showed resilience.

‘I thought Portsmouth were excellent all day and I think they probably just shaded it.

‘But I don’t think anyone can complain about a draw.’