Portsmouth 2 Fleetwood 2: Neil Allen's verdict - Boos greet progress up League One table for unconvincing Blues

Certainly the boos which so audibly greeted the final whistle provided a telling critique of Pompey’s performance on a windy south-coast evening.

Joey Barton’s headed to the Blues unbeaten in 11 League One encounters, and level on points, representing promotion rivals in this congested race.

Yet it was difficult to gauge who should be more pleased with the outcome of last night’s 2-2 draw in both sides’ game in hand.

Kenny Jackett’s men were again unconvincing, relying on Sean Raggett’s header and a bizarre own goal from the otherwise outstanding Harry Souttar.

Other than that they offered very little in the Fleetwood penalty area, with keeper Alex Cairns barely challenged – much to the frustration of the home faithful.

While Ellis Harrison was a welcome return to the side and impressed as ever, his team-mates charged with providing attacking impetus largely failed to emerge.

Granted Ryan Williams’ blistering pace carved out the Souttar own goal on 48 minutes, which put the Blues in the lead for the first and only time.

But, otherwise, the hosts were flat.

They had fallen behind to Barrie McKay’s close-range finish, before Raggett equalised with a looping header on 36 minutes.

Then arrived Souttar’s mistake on 48 minutes, which threatened to earn a Blues victory, only for the centre-half to level at the other end seven minutes later.

In truth, Pompey didn’t threaten enough to warrant regaining the lead, with Ronan Curtis off-colour and even the attacking introductions off the bench of John Marquis and Marcus Harness failing to provide spark.

The point leaves Kenny Jackett’s men two points off second-placed Rotherham, still encouraging.

Yet it wasn’t a performance to toast as the Peterborough blip stretches into another match.

The Blues boss made three changes to the side which performed so disappointingly at London Road at the weekend.

With Ben Close sidelined by an ankle injury collected during that 2-0 defeat, Andy Cannon was restored to the midfield, primarily in the more advanced role.

The energetic performer was desperate for a start after occupying the bench in the previous two games while Jacket sought not to burn him out.

Following his difficult comeback against Peterborough, Jack Whatmough made way from the centre of defence, with James Bolton switching from right-back to replace him.

That meant Ross McCrorie came in at right-back, while Harrison was available following the birth of his son on Saturday, replacing Marquis in attack.

Interestingly, Whatmough was excluded from the 18-man squad altogether, with forgotten man Paul Downing instead selected as the central defender offering cover from the bench.

There was also a recall for Gareth Evans among the substitutes, but no place for Brett Pitman, who remains stuck on 99 Pompey appearances as he nears the end of his Fratton Park days.

Fleetwood kicked the match off and within minutes Curtis placed an angled right-footed shot just over the bar when well placed.

Glenn Whelan collected the game’s first booking following an ugly late challenge on Williams as the winger sped past him down the right.

An uneventful start finally stirred into life on 18 minutes when the visitors took the lead.

Ched Evans was allowed to easily pull back a cross from the byline, only for McKay’s shot to be parried by Alex Bass, who then, while still grounded, pushed the ball out once more.

However, McKay followed up to tap home right-footed from close range, with the keeper stranded on the floor and Steve Seddon also trying unsuccessfully to keep the effort out.

Pompey were struggling, and when McKay sent in a corner from the left, Cameron McGeehan stooped to almost send a header into his own net, instead the ball flying out for another flag kick.

The Blues staged their first meaningful attack on 28 minutes when Curtis flighted a dangerous cross from the left which deflected back into the path of McGeehan.

The Barnsley loanee’s right-footed half-volley appeared on target, with Souttar – positioned on the far post – smashing it away from near his own goal line.

At other end, Bass did superbly to claw out Jack Sowerby’s shot from outside the area which took a deflection as it headed towards the keeper.

The match was livening up a little and, on 34 minutes, Seddon put in a tempting cross from the left which Cairns fumbled while challenging with Harrison, but the keeper then gathered up the second ball.

It was level at 1-1 on 36 minutes following a towering header from Raggett.

The defender remained in the Fleetwood penalty area after a Pompey corner and when McCrorie flung in an excellent diagonal cross towards the far post, the defender was there to send a looping header over Cairns and into the net.

On the stroke of half-time, Tom Naylor brought down Sowerby with a sliding challenge just a fraction mistimed, resulting in a free-kick outside the box.

Glen Whelan stepped up to fire a left-footed shot which smacked against the far post and bounced clear, with Bass beaten.

Within minutes of the second half, the Blues took the lead for the first time following lightening feet from Williams down the right.

The winger brilliantly stretched his legs to outpace Lewis Gibson to reach Cannon’s pass down the right, before pulling it back, where Souttar inexplicably crashed a right-footed shot past his own keeper.

Williams rightly received the credit from his team-mates, while Souttar was left wondering how costly his moment of madness might be.

Pompey were almost undone on 53 minutes following a counter-attack, after Seddon’s free-kick delivery from the right.

When the ball was squared to Josh Morris, the visitors were completely outnumbering Bass, yet the keeper brilliantly thwarted his shot with his legs.

The lead would last seven minutes before Fleetwood grabbed a 55th-minute equaliser – this time Souttar netting in the right net.

A corner from the left was headed back across goal at the far post by Evans and the towering centre-half was there to nod home from close range.

Jackett made a double substitution on 65 minutes, with Marquis and Marcus Harness introduced for McGeehan and Williams.

Pompey were on the front foot and Curtis headed wide at the far post after Harness collected Harrison’s excellent pass to send in a deep cross from the right.

Yet the winner wouldn’t come and the boos from some which greeted the final whistle was a strong statement.