Portsmouth 0 Lincoln 0: Neil Allen's verdict - Boos at revitalised Fratton Park, the new-look Blues roller coaster is now back fully operational

Back on the south coast for the first time since April, the presence of Tornante’s president and a Blues board member spanned several days before Sunday’s return to America.

The reconstructed Fratton Park provided a glorious reception, with the 17,855 crowd against Lincoln representing the club’s highest attendance for almost two-and-a-half years, when Arsenal visited in the FA Cup in the pre-Covid era.

How the South Stand, in particular, has been transformed during Redman’s period away, unveiled in full for the first time on Saturday, along with the North Stand.

Then there was Danny Cowley’s much-changed first-team squad, containing nine new faces, with the latest, Tom Lowery, not registered in time and Owen Dale’s loan arrangement from Blackpool still being finalised.

Pre-season recruitment began painfully slowly, yet during the last few weeks has sped up considerably to the point there will imminently be a whole team of newcomers at Pompey to bolster their ambition.

Certainly fan expectation has understandably rocketed as a consequence, to the extent a number of boos could be heard at the final whistle of the lacklustre goalless draw with the Imps.

Don’t let anybody attempt to justify such actions on the basis of delivering a damning verdict on a poor refereeing display from David Rock. The match official did nothing wrong and actually had a decent game.

Fratton Park may have been overhauled, the playing squad may have been revamped, but the heart remains – and, in this sixth successive season in League One, a promotion challenge is demanded.

Judging from giddy reactions to an encouraging draw at Sheffield Wednesday to boos the following match in recognition of a low-key point at home to Lincoln, it promises to be an emotionally exhausting campaign.

Still, Redman and owners Tornante have been around long enough to fathom the psyche of a Fratton faithful who have now spent more than a decade outside the Championship.

Effectively, last season was a free hit for Cowley following his permanent appointment as head coach after impressing on an interim basis once Kenny Jackett had departed.

Now is the time to deliver a sustained promotion push – and it’s credit to those at Pompey’s helm that their summer recruitment has generated a fresh optimism around a revitalised Fratton Park.

As ever, however, Saturday didn’t quite go according to plan.

In mitigation, eight days into the season with a side granted eight home debuts represents a work in progress. The fate of this term will not be dictated by August 6.

Indeed, a stunning goalkeeping display from Mark Gillespie ensured 10-man Carlisle held Paul Cook’s Blues to a 1-1 draw in the first home match of the 2016-17 campaign. That didn’t turn out too badly.

The previous year, a euphoric Kyle Bennett-inspired 3-0 triumph over Dagenham & Redbridge on the opening day greeted the manager’s entrance – yet, ultimately, Pompey perished in the play-offs.

Alas, Saturday was more Carlisle than Dagenham & Redbridge, hence the accompanying dissatisfaction among all present, albeit with some choosing not to display it through the medium of boos.

Certainly Cowley’s men warrant criticism for a mediocre performance which failed to build on that impressive – and unexpected – Hillsborough point.

Throughout they lacked necessary energy and tempo and, as a result, failed to break down a well-organised Lincoln side who themselves never threatened to claim all three points.

Pompey had their moments, with 16 goal attempts, the best of which fell to the recalled Reeco Hackett shortly before the half-time interval.

Yet it was a grind, infuriatingly one-paced, with build-up play pedestrian, to once again highlight how his team requires an injection of acceleration somewhere in its midst, mainly in wing areas.

Cowley lacks flying full-backs and natural drive on the ball from central midfield, rendering it essential he can unlock attacking potential from wing areas.

For the visit of Lincoln, he handed Hackett a first start since the 3-3 draw against Fleetwood in February, an absence primarily through injury rather than falling out of favour.

He was preferred on the right wing to Ronan Curtis, representing the sole change to the team which drew at Sheffield Wednesday the previous weekend.

The squad was still missing Clark Robertson, Joe Morrell and Denver Hume through injury, with Ryan Tunnicliffe having now joined them on the sidelines with a hamstring injury following his appearance off the bench at Hillsborough.

Hackett, who signed a new two-year deal in May to demonstrate Cowley’s belief in his talents, couldn’t quite inspire the Blues – and neither did Curtis when he replaced him on 62 minutes.

While Michael Jacobs on the left flank has still to get into this stride this season and offer those tantalising moments we’ve often seen during his time at Fratton Park.

It was actually left-back Connor Ogilvie who created the best chance of the game, when, on 43 minutes, he pulled the ball back from the left, with Colby Bishop cleverly dummying to allow it to find Hackett positioned behind him.

The winger’s first shot was blocked, with his follow-up attempt a difficult acrobatic half-volley which flew over the bar and into the Lincoln fans in the Milton End situated behind.

For all Pompey’s efforts over the 90 minutes, that proved to be their best opportunity as they toiled under the fierce south-coast sunshine.

As Cowley confessed afterwards, a number of his squad had been impacted by illness in the build-up, among them Louis Thompson, Ogilvie and substitute Jay Mingi.

Worth bearing in mind when assessing the reasons behind a lethargic team performance and, similarly, those affected by the stomach bug unselfishly declaring themselves available for selection regardless.

Still, having rattled in three goals against Sheffield Wednesday, the Blues drew a blank in a match they would have expected to claim victory from.

Influenced by injury and unavailability, Cowley even threw on right-back Zak Swanson for his Football League debut in the final nine minutes during a last attempt to break through Lincoln’s resilience.

However, the goal just would not arrive – and Redman will have returned to America in the knowledge the Pompey roller coaster is back fully operational.

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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