Barnsley 1 Pompey 1
Pompey maintained their unbeaten away record by gaining a hard-fought point at Barnsley’s Oakwell ground.
After the defeat by Charlton in the week, Kenny Jackett decided against changing the team but fit-again Dion Donohue was on the bench with Alex Bass as back-up keeper with Luke McGee having a wrist injury.
Being December and playing in the north of England the weather was atrocious as Storm Deidre swept across the country. A howling gale and constant freezing rain are not the greatest conditions for good football but the game was played at a frantic pace with the home side on top for the majority of the game. Add to that one of the floodlight towers failing for a spell and it could easily have been a miserable afternoon.
It was Gareth Evans who put Pompey in front just before the interval. It was in the dark corner that Lee Brown chased Alex Mowatt and his clearance fell for Evans to arrow his left foot shot across the keeper and into the net.
Halfway through the second half, the home side levelled when Woodrow turned home a low cross.
That point leaves Pompey four points ahead of Luton who won at Coventry with Sunderland third after coming from behind to beat Bristol Rovers at home.
Pompey (4-2-3-1): MacGillivray; N.Thompson, Whatmough, Clarke, Brown; Naylor, B.Thompson; Lowe, Evans (c), Curtis (Walkes 75); Hawkins
Goals: Evans 43
Booked: Naylor, Curtis, Brown
Subs not used: Bass, Burgess, Close, Donohue, Green, Pitman
Referee: Jonathan Moss
Attendance: 12,441 (1,674 Pompey fans)
PUP
2018-19 Prediction League – December
Sunderland (h) – Saturday 22nd December 2018 – click here.
Gillingham (a) – Wednesday 26th December 2018 – click here.
Fleetwood (a) – Saturday 29th December 2018 – click here.
