The match started well enough as Daryl Fordyce blundered his way through the Blackpool defence in the 4th minute for Brett Pitman to bundle the ball home for his first League goal this season (he's now got more League goals [this season] than Steve Fletcher! lol).
Stewart got his first taste of real action when he had to be on his toes when a an excellent turn and shot was beaten away for a corner.
Even though we were in front, the rest of the half was fairly forgetable! Debutant Aaron Brown (from Reading) was doing okay at the back with his new colleagues. Blackpool, who did have the greater amount of possession couldn't convert this in to real pressure and real chances. When they did, their shooting boots had clearly been left back in Lancashire!
To sum up our half, Neil Young was even left to take a free kick! Needless to say it was a tad off target!
HT: 1-0
The second half proved to be just as frustrating as the first! More so in some respects because Blackpool really forced the issue and could have claimed any one of a number of chances before they did get their deserved equaliser - 2 such chances came within the opening 5 minutes of the second half!
Unusually, we made a change with more than half an hour to go. Steve Fletcher was introduced at the expense of Brett Pitman! For myself, I'd have taken off Fordyce as he was largely ineffective. Within 3 minutes of the change, Blackpool had levelled through a sweeping move which saw Murphy sweep the ball home past Stewart. Well deserved and such a simple move! Something we were not capable of doing!
Meanwhile, Stewart was called on make all sorts of saves to keep Blackpool at bay! A combination of brave keeping and inept finishing!!
The final insult of the match came when the ball was blasted into the Blackpool box. Which ever defender the ball hit couldn't get out of the way, so a [harsh] penalty was awarded. Hayter stepped up to take the spot kick which he managed to place against the angle of cross bar and left hand upright!
Another frustrating afternoon!!
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AFCB: Stewart, Young, Brown, Hart, Purches, Cooke, Rix, Browning, Fordyce, Hayter, Pitman
Subs: Fletcher (on for Pitman, 58), Coutts (on for Fordyce, 72), Tindall (on for Cooke, 84), Broadhurst, Cummings
Andy Burton, Portsmouth