Excellent Valiants performance earns point at Fratton Park as Darrell Clarke’s side move to 45 points in League One.

• Match Report | Portsmouth 2 – 2 Port Vale
• Matty Taylor and Funso Ojo goals – as well as Aidan Stone penalty save – gave Darrell Clarke’s side a two-goal advantage at the break
• A Colby Bishop penalty and Michael Jacobs finish levelled for Portsmouth at Fratton Park in three second-half minutes

PORTSMOUTH 2
Bishop (pen) 67
Jacobs 70

PORT VALE 2
Taylor 8
Ojo 40

Attendance: 18,046 (795 away)

An excellent Valiants performance on the road was rewarded with just a point as Darrell Clarke’s side were pegged back in three second-half minutes after leading 2-0 at the break at Fratton Park.

Matty Taylor gave the Valiants the lead inside the first ten minutes before Funso Ojo fired in a wonderful second five minutes before the break.

Aidan Stone saved a Colby Bishop penalty before half-time but the hosts’ second half comeback was initiated from the spot as Bishop managed to beat Stone after Ellis Harrison had been penalised for a foul on Connor Ogilvie. Within three minutes, Michael Jacobs levelled the score to put a tinge of disappointment on the afternoon for Clarke’s side, who were outstanding for the most part at Fratton Park.

Clarke was forced into one change from last weekend’s defeat to Burton Albion as Will Forrester missed out due to injury, with Mal Benning returning to the starting XI and Sammy Robinson dropping into a back three alongside Nathan Smith and Aaron Donnelly.

The Valiants started on the front foot and had themselves in front on eight minutes when Harrison’s flick played in Benning on the left side and the wing back’s cross found its way to Taylor, who calmly finished at close range.

It continued to be a positive start from Clarke’s side, who went in search of a second on 15 minutes with a succession of corner routines; first Benning had a cross deflected behind from the face of the goal before David Worrall chipped a ball to the back post, which was headed back across goal before Smith was denied at close range by Matt Macey in the Portsmouth goal.

The first-half got even better for the Valiants five minutes before the interval as Taylor pressed Macey and blocked his clearance, which fell to Conlon before Ojo retrieved the ball and fired a brilliant strike beyond the goalkeeper from 25 yards.

Two minutes later the hosts were awarded a penalty as Smith was seemingly harshly penalised for a foul on Sean Raggett. Bishop’s penalty was well saved by Stone low to his right, though, before Donnelly cleared the loose ball away.

Clarke’s side managed the opening 15 minutes of the second-half well before the hosts created their first opportunity when substitute Jacobs broke through on the right but blazed over under pressure from Robinson.

However, four minutes later Portsmouth had a way back into the game as Harrison was adjudged to have fouled Ogilvie in the penalty area and this time Bishop just before Stone – who dived correctly to his left but couldn’t keep the ball out of the back of the net.

Within just three minutes, the hosts were level as the Valiants couldn’t clear a cross from the left from Ogilvie, with Jacobs collecting the loose ball and firing in from eight yards.

The momentum was with the hosts and Clarke’s side had to battle to stay firm as Stone was called upon to tip a header round the post from Vale defender Robinson, who had looked to cushion the ball back to his goalkeeper from a cross.

In the final minute of five added on at the end of the 90, Reeco Hackett was denied by a strong save from Stone as he looked to grab a late winner for the hosts.

Portsmouth: Macey; Rafferty, Raggett (Capt), Towler (Robertson 46), Ogilvie; Tunnicliffe, Thompson (Lowery 55); Lane (Jacobs 35), Dale, Hackett; Bishop.
Subs not used: Oluwayemi, Bernard, Hume, Mottoh

Port Vale: Stone; Robinson, Smith, Donnelly; Worrall (Massey 86), Ojo, Pett (Capt), Benning; Conlon (Butterworth 80); Harrison (Proctor 68), Taylor (Wilson 68).
Subs: Stevens, Agyakwa, Politic.