Danny Cowley pinpoints glaring Portsmouth weakness against Lincoln - and is adamant it will be resolved imminently

Owen Dale’s anticipated Fratton Park arrival was held up by the birth of his child on Friday.

Nonetheless, he yesterday put the finishing touches to a season-long loan from Championship Blackpool.

In the meanwhile, Cowley’s men played out a lacklustre draw with the Imps at Fratton Park, with their existing wingers again under scrutiny.

Reeco Hackett was selected instead of Ronan Curtis, with Michael Jacobs on the other flank, yet Pompey failed to break down a stubborn Lincoln.

And Cowley believes that outcome demonstrated why the Tangerines’ Dale has been pursued.

He told The News: ‘We weren’t able to find the rhythm we wanted in possession and were unable to get any flow to our play and probably went too direct.

‘We really wanted to win the game in the second half, but instead forced the issue too much and probably ended up playing hopeful football, which we don’t like, you are not in control of the outcome.

‘We definitely need some more one-v-one domination and some more ball crying capabilities.

‘I’d like to be more of a threat on transition than what we had on Saturday.

‘Every game is different and, when you are at home and being the protagonists, you need different qualities in the team.

‘We knew against Lincoln we didn’t quite have the balance. There were two right-footed centre-halves – we like to have the right and left balance – in midfield we haven’t got Joe Morrell and Tom Lowery, who are both very creative players.

‘And we are short on the sides. But the good thing is that those players are coming into the group.’

For Hackett, it was a first competitive start since February against Fleetwood.

Having returned from injury during pre-season, Cowley preferred the former Bromley man to Ronan Curtis on the right wing.

Although Curtis did replace him on 62 minutes with the Blues desperately striving for that breakthrough.

Cowley added: ‘Reeco earned it (being selected), he has been training well every week and been excellent.

‘He has been bright and I tell the players all the time that I just select the team. They pick it by the way they play and the way they train. He earned the right.

‘Reeco had some good moments. He’s an intelligent player, always good at finding space, and probably had the best chance of the game.

‘I thought he made really good contact, it was a brilliant block of the line and the ball didn’t quite sit for the rebound and ended up going over.

‘For our attacking players, it’s always to try to affect the game like that.’

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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