Wrexham 2 Portsmouth 1: Neil Allen's verdict - An away game too far, yet Blues fight to be admired
The Blues’ third successive away game ended in a Racecourse Ground defeat
Never will Fratton Park represent a more welcome sight for Pompey’s players after their exhausting road trip finally ended.
Wales represented a third away fixture in eight days, a match too far for John Mousinho’s men, nonetheless, they emerged from a difficult period with plenty of credit.
They were finally undone by Wrexham in a 2-1 loss, yet the Blues went down fighting, somehow mustering up energy and endeavour in the second half, having seemed spent at the interval.
Indeed, Wrexham cruised into half-time 2-0 up through headed goals on Sam Smith and Max Cleworth against a Pompey team apparently dead on their feet.
Certainly the leg-weariness on display during that opening 45 minutes was understandable, following hard-fought victories at Charlton and Millwall since their last home fixture.
To make matters worse, John Swift was forced off with an apparent hamstring injury, while Gustavo Caballeri didn’t even appear after the break, with Harvey Blair replacing him.
Then Zak Swanson’s deflected finish on 49 minutes offered a lifeline - and turned the game on its head.
Dredging up untapped energy levels from deep within, the second half was Pompey’s, forcing a procession of corners and putting Wrexham on the back foot for the majority of it.
Suddenly a Wrexham stroll became a scrap, with the Blues, prompted by the super Marlon Pack, offering a consistent threat.
The equaliser wouldn’t arrive, yet, tellingly it was the home fans who were mightily relieved when the final whistle ended four minutes of time added-on - with the Blues still pouring forward.
That’s now two wins and a defeat in eight days away from Fratton Park, yet Mousiho’s men return from their latest excursion buoyed by another strong display.
The Blues’ head coach named the same starting XI for a third successive match, following eye-catching 3-1 away wins at Charlton and Millwall.
Although Conor Chaplin was back following a three-game absence, he had to settle for a place on the bench as John Swift continued in the number 10 role.
Instead the fit-again attacker, who had recovered from a groin injury, was included on the bench in place of Reuben Swann.
That represented the only change to the 20-man squad on duty at The Den on Saturday, when Gustavo Caballero, John Swift and Marlon Pack all netted in an impressive victory.
However, Makenzie Kirk, Hayden Matthews, Andre Dozzell, Keshi Anderson, Florian Bianchini, Josh Murphy, Conor Shaughnessy and Thomas Waddingham remained absent through injury.
Wrexham kicked off and created the game’s first chance after just 22 seconds, when George Dobson drove a right-footed shot well wide from outside the box.
The visitors responded minutes later, when Gustavo Caballero fired in an angled shot from the right-hand side of the box, yet it was blocked, resulting in the first corner of the match.
On seven minutes, Millenic Alli cleverly got the better of Issa Kabore down the left and put in a dangerous cross which Colby Bishop connected with at the front post, yet the on-target effort was deflected for another corner.
The deadlock was broken in the 23rd minute, with the hosts securing the breakthrough.
A ball came in from the left and there was Smith rising above Connor Ogilvie to produce a superb header, planting it out of Nicolas Schmid’s reach to his right to make it 1-0.
Wrexham continued to offer the greater threat and, when Kabore put in a tremendous cross from the right, it was met by a team-mate’s header, but Ogilvie was on the spot to clear the danger.
Then, on 39 minutes, the hosts broke down the middle, but a last-ditch block from Regan Poole slightly deflected the ball over the bar.
From the resulting corner, delivered by George Dobson from the left, Cleworth beat Adams in the air to comfortably head home and make it 2-0.
Pompey made a substitution on 42 minutes, with Swift, who had been feeling his right hamstring for several minutes, replaced by Adrian Segecic.
The Australian’s first contribution was clipping a lovely ball in from the left which looped into the air to the far post, but his team-mates were slow to react and the opportunity was wasted.
With half-time approaching, Zak Swanson let fly from 25-yards after a Pompey corner was half cleared and it whistled over the bar, with keeper Arthur Okonkwo struggling.
With a 2-0 deficit at the break, Mousinho introduced Harvey Blair for Caballero on the right wing. Yet, within four minutes of the restart, the visitors had themselves a crucial lifeline following a driving Swanson run.
The left-back exchanged passes with Poole and surged into the box before producing a shot which took a deflection off Callum Doyle and looped into the net.
The goal had come from nowhere, created by Swanson’s determination to make something happen, and suddenly Pompey were back in the game at 2-1.
Moments later, Swanson’s corner from the left was met with a Bishop header which flashed wide, with a goal-kick given despite the striker’s appeals for another flag-kick.
Pompey were unrecognisable from the first half, with the home fans suddenly fearing for their lead, as Mousinho’s men pushed forward, winning corner after corner.
On 65 minutes, Segecic played the ball to the left wing and Alli surged into the box, only to see his shot deflected for another corner and the pressure continued to pile on Wrexham.
The Blues made a double substitution on 79 minutes, with Ibane Bowat and Chaplin replacing Swanson and Adams.
Wrexham almost sealed their victory when substitute Oliver Rathbone crashed a shot against the left-hand post on 85 minutes, yet the game remained alive a while longer.
Madiodio Dia was introduced late on for Poole for his debut, but, despite four minutes of time added-on, the equaliser eluded Pompey. Now it’s back to Fratton Park at least - on Saturday against Hull.