Portsmouth 0 Lincoln 1 - Neil Allen's verdict: Gutsy Blues undone by refereeing controversy in hard to stomach defeat

Tonight, for 79 minutes, they were stubborn, obstinate and downright gutsy, battling to fend off their promotion rivals while armed with the numerical disadvantage.

Unfortunately, the outcome against Lincoln was successive League One defeats for the first time in more than two years.

The Blues warrant recognition for a whole-hearted display amid festering injustice over Jack Whatmough’s dismissal.

The centre-half was shown a straight red card by referee Sam Purkiss following a challenge on Jorge Grant in the 29th minute.

The decision was met with disbelief by Blues players and those of Pompey persuasion watching iFollow at home.

Nonetheless, on the occasion of his 200th match in charge, Jackett was handed a mountain to climb for the remainder of the game.

Inevitably, it became an attricial battle for the hosts, clinging on while retaining faint hopes of threatening on the break.

Then, 11 minutes from time, substitute Morgan Rogers achieved Lincoln’s breakthrough - and settled the fixture.

Not since January 2019 had the Blues suffered consecutive losses in the league, a proud statistic now shredded.

Pompey will be rightly bitter over the decision to send off Whatmough, yet they have now been overturned by League One’s top two at home in the last 72 hours.

Undoubtedly a worrying statistic, albeit with a dubious refereeing moment influencing tonight’s setback.

The reaction Joe Gallen expected and spoke about in the build up happened, but unfortunately the most influential moment was out of their hands.

Jackett kept faith in the side embarrassed 4-0 by Hull at Fratton Park on Saturday in that top-of-the-table clash.

Regardless, representing only a second defeat in 12 League One matches, he elected to name an unchanged side against the Imps and hope for a positive reaction.

That meant newcomers George Byers and Charlie Daniels, who both joined on Saturday, having to settle for a place on the bench.

Ben Close was absent with a hamstring injury, while James Bolton also dropped out of the 18-man squad, creating the substitute spaces for Daniels and Byers.

Meanwhile, once again there is no room for Jordy Hiwula, who was also not involved against Hull.

The striker had been an ever-present for 20 successive squads before his recent omission for footballing reasons.

Alex Bass (calf) and Paul Downing (hamstring) remain sidelined.

In a lively opening, Craig MacGillivray had to be sharply off his line to intervene, gathering Brennan Johnson’s dangerous through ball.

Then, at the other end, Callum Johnson’s cross from the right almost picked out Ronan Curtis rising at the far post, but good defending headed it clear.

The match ball had to be replaced on four minutes after it burst following a block tackle, a sight not seen often in modern football.

In the 10th minute, Anthony Scully curled in a right-footed shot from 25-yards, yet it was comfortably caught by MacGillivray.

There was plenty of bite about the game, but little to separate the sides during early exchanges, although Tom Naylor did strike a right-footed shot wide.

Marcus Harness collected the game’s first booking on 15 minutes from a strong challenge on Brennan Johnson, which also irritated a fair few of the opposition.

He was followed into the book by Sean Raggett, who tripped Scully when the midfielder had nipped in and taken the ball off him after the Blues man had controlled it on his chest.

The Imps were passing the ball quickly and positively and a move emanating from the left on 23 minutes saw Scully spin inside the box and fire off a shot which brought a save from MacGillivray.

The Blues were reduced to 10-men on 29 minutes after Whatmough was shown a red card.

With Grant bursting past the halfway line, the centre-half strode forward and jumped in for a tackle for the loose ball.

Whatmough won it, but also connected with the Lincoln striker, who screamed and went to ground with his team-mates incensed.

It appeared a yellow card was in order, but instead referee Sam Purkiss issued a straight red and Whatmough came off in clear disbelief.

Curiously, Lincoln’s intensity dropped off following that decision, although on 39 minute Lee Brown somehow managed to divert Scully’s far-post header over the bar.

It appeared goal-bound, but the left-back’s intervention diverted it narrowly away and the scoreline remained goalless.

The visitors were winning a succession of corners approaching the break and, during one attack, Edun’s shot from distance rattled the bar.

At half-time, Daniels and Rasmus Nicolaisen were noticeably warming up, but it was the Dane introduced for Harness when the second half began.

He slotted alongside Raggett in the centre of defence, with the Blues reuniting a back four for the tough 45 minutes ahead.

On 55 minutes, Curtis came within a whisker of taking the ball of keeper Alex Palmer as he attempted to deal with a backpass.

The winger then raced to the other end of the pitch to help his side defend, commitment which was mightily impressive.

Understandably, Lincoln were dictating play and MacGillivray claimed the ball at the near post to deny Scully’s close-range effort.

In an encouraging Pompey moment on 60 minutes, Williams tricked his way down the right and delivered an excellent cross which seemed destined for the head of Marquis, only for Palmer to tip it away.

Ellis Harrison was introduced to the action on 70 minutes, replacing Marquis, for the Blues’ second substitution.

There was then a penalty appeal when substitute Morgan Rogers went down under a challenge from Nicolaisen, but nothing was given.

On 75 minutes, Michael Jacobs came on for Williams, occupying the right flank.

Lincoln finally achieved their breakthrough on 79 minutes when Rogers turned it home from close range at the near post.

Jackett immediately made a double substitution on 81, with Daniels and Byers on for Cannon and Brown, with the Blues now chasing a leveller.

Daniels’ first touch was a corner from the left which was met with a Curtis far-post header and cleared off the line.

The Blues continued to huff and puff, but they couldn’t prevent defeat – and successive losses to promotion rivalss.