Preview: Portsmouth

2 November 2021

The month of November begins with a visit to Portsmouth's Fratton Park for Cheltenham Town on Tuesday (kick-off: 7.45pm).

Fresh off the back of a busy month of home fixtures, the trip down to Hampshire is the first of three consecutive away trips in a month that features five away games.

Level on points with just goal difference separating the two sides, it's sure to be another intriguing League One encounter for Michael Duff's men after a 2-2 home draw with Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday.

Tickets for the match are required to have been bought in advance. There will be no tickets available to buy on the night.

If you are not making the journey you can watch all of the action live on iFollow by purchasing a match pass.

Team news

The squad came through Saturday's game with no additional problems, so it remains that Will Boyle, Charlie Raglan, Taylor Perry and Callum Wright (pictured) are the absentees for the game.

Media talk

Boss Michael Duff is expecting a better performance in an away fixture from his side.

"It's a really good place to go and play football in an old fashioned type of stadium. I used to love going to play at Portsmouth," he told the media on Monday.

"It would be nice if we delivered a performance and a result. The reason we wanted to get out of the league below is because we wanted to be competing against these big clubs.

"Their manager has been successful wherever he's gone. It is going to be a challenge because of the resources they do have and the players they can bring in. Week in week out we're playing against teams that are bigger than us.

"We are due a better performance away from home."

Watch the whole of Duff's press conference on iFollow where you can also check out Matty Blair's preview of Tuesday's encounter.

Opposition

Sitting 13th in League One after 15 games, Portsmouth will be aiming to stay in touch with the promotion spots in the division as they eye up a place back in the second tier of English football.

Having gone three League One games without a win, they received a boost on Saturday when they recorded a 1-0 home victory over Bolton Wanderers.

Previous to that their last League win had been a 4-0 mauling of Sunderland, but they have at times been inconsistent this season, losing 4-0 and 4-1 to Ipswich Town and Rotherham United, though registering maxiumum points against the lowly Fleetwood Town, Shrewsbury and Crewe.

They have quality throughout their squad, from goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu who is on loan from Manchester City and the current Republic of Ireland number one, to the likes of former Cheltenham midfielder Joe Morrell who was a regular for Wales in the EURO 2020 championships in the summer.

Another former Robin loanee, John Marquis, provides a threat for them at the top of the pitch, while the likes of experienced midfielder Shaun Williams, former Fulham man Ryan Tunnicliffe and ex-Norwich City man Louis Thompson bring knowhow from playing further up the pyramid.

The manager: Danny Cowley

Appointed in March, Danny Cowley is in his third Football League post having also previously taken charge at Huddersfield Town and Lincoln City who he led to promotion to League Two from the National League.

He works closely with his brother Nicky who he has worked alongside in management when they started with huge success in non-league football at Concord Rangers and Braintree Town - leading the unfancied Essex side to the play-offs in the National League.

He has managed from the Essex Senior League all the way up to the Championship in 12 years in management.

Tickets & travel

Tickets for the game must have been bought in advance. They are not available to buy on the night.

If you've bought from the Cheltenham ticket office and haven't been able to pick up your tickets they will be available to pick up at Fratton Park before the game.

Supporters booked onto the Travel Club coach are reminded that it leaves from the Jonny-Rocks Stadium at 3pm.

Head-to-Head

This is the first ever League One fixture between Pompey and the Robins. All previous meetings in league matches have taken place in League Two.

There have been six League Two meetings as well as one EFL Trophy clash which took place last season.

Cheltenham are yet to record a win when the sides have come face-to-face, though of the six league matches between the two Pompey have won only once, with the first five meetings between the two clubs ending in draws.

Coverage

Watch live: The game is available to watch on iFollow. Purchase a match pass for £10 and subscribe online.

Social media: Follow @CTFCofficial on Twitter for team news and updates, CTFC on Facebook for score updates and @CTFCofficial on Instagram.

Website: Read the match report post-match and see reaction to the result from inside the camp.

Radio: Tune in to live commentary on BBC Radio Gloucestershire and on iFollow.

Highlights: Watch extended highlights on iFollow and YouTube.

Match Reports

Report & highlights: Portsmouth 1-1 Robins

2 November 2021

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Portsmouth v Cheltenham Town - Extended highlights - Tue 2nd November 2021

Extended highlights of Portsmouth v Cheltenham Town, Tue 2nd November 2021 in the Sky Bet League One

Cheltenham Town produced a performance full of character and grit to pick up a useful point in Portsmouth this evening.

Lewis Freestone's goal, the first of his young career, handed the Robins an early lead at Fratton Park but it was cancelled out before the interval by Reeco Hackett.

Again they created some great chances to add to their goal tally while at the other end, they battled manfully to restrict their hosts, a point being a the fairest outcome on the night.

Michael Duff's men face another gruelling month on the road with all but one game in November coming away from the Jonny-Rocks Stadium, however this impressive display has put them in good stead for the challenge ahead.

It came at a cost though with Mattie Pollock limping out of the game in the second half, leaving Michael Duff with some thinking to do ahead of Saturday's FA Cup first round trip to Gillingham.

"You'll always take a point at Portsmouth," the manager said afterwards.

"I thought we wre more than good value for it. I was disappointed with the goal we gave away but we scored a good one and had several good opportunities, which we didn't take. There were similarities to Saturday [against Sheffield Wednesday] but the performance was really pleasing.

"The last three or four away games we've been disappointed. We've run around but we haven't shown any courage to get on the ball. Today looked a little bit more like how we want to play. We moved the ball around with a purpose.

"We're still learning. We're still growing in this league and we're 15 games in now. To play Sheffield Wednesday and Portsmouth in four days and be more than competitive in both games shows signs of progress."

Duff made two changes to his side, recalling Freestone and Alfie May at the expense of Dan Crowley and Kyle Joseph. He reverted to a 3-5-2 formation after a couple of weeks with playing with a four-man diamond midfield and it seemed to surprise Pompey, who found themselves behind in the opening exchanges.

There were early chances for Alfie May, Matty Blair and Ellis Chapman but it was Freestone who broke the deadlock with a well taken finish after only six minutes, opening his account for the club.

Sean Long slung in an arching throw from the right, met by Mattie Pollock. His glancing header fell to a defender who inadvertently turned it back into the path of the young defender who with his back to goal, turned and planted a left foot effort beyond Gavin Bazunu, the Irish goalkeeper.

But then Pompey then began to get a foothold in the game and were particularly enjoying some success down the right.

Scott Flinders was called into his meaningful save of the night with half-hour played, tipping over a clever effort by Lewis Thompson from a tight angle down that side.

But the home side were level moments later when Mahlon Romeo picked out a cross, pushed away by Flinders into the path of Hackett who looped a header into the net.

Kyle Vassell had a fantastic opportunity to post an immediate reply but he slipped at the crucial moment after being found in the centre, unmarked, by Blair's cross from the right.

At the other end Joe Morrell, one of two former Robins in the Pompey side alongside striker John Marquis, let loose from fully 25 yards but his curling effort fizzed past the top right-hand corner of the target.

Dan Cowley's side went close five minutes after the restart, Hackett glancing Ronan Curtis' inswinger a foot wide of the right post.

Grant Horton was pressed into action after Pollock had pulled up with an injury with 56 minutes on the clock and went on to deliver another mature performance in defence.

Curtis saw a header flash past a post and Hackett's cross was decisively parried by Flinders, who then went on to produce a fine low stop to his right to deny Marquis.

There was some desperate defending at times and Curtis had a fine chance in the closing moments, meeting Marcus Harness' centre with a firm effort but he couldn't keep it down.

PORTSMOUTH (4-5-1): Bazunu; Romeo, Raggett, Ogilvie, Brown (c); Morell, Thompson (Williams 70); Harness, Hackett (Azeez 73), Curtis; Marquis (Hirst 81). Subs not used: Bass (Gk), Ahadme, Freeman, Jacobs.

CHELTENHAM TOWN (3-5-2): Flinders; Long, Pollock (Horton 56), Freestone; Blair, Sercombe (c), Thomas, Chapman (Crowley 68), Hussey; May, Vassell (Joseph 76). Subs not used: Evans (Gk), Barkers, Williams, Norton.

REFEREE: R Lewis

ATTENDANCE: 14,322 (208 from Cheltenham)

Ticket News

Tickets & travel: Portsmouth

21 October 2021

Supporters can purchase tickets and away travel for the rearranged match at Portsmouth's Fratton Park.

The international break postponed the original fixture date between the two sides, and now they will go head-to-head on Tuesday 2 November with a 7.45pm kick-off.

It's Cheltenham's fourth ever game down at the south coast venue and the first between the clubs to be played in League One.

Ticket prices are as follows:

Adults £24
Senior (65+) £18
18-22 £16
Ambulant Disabled £16
Under 18 £7

All tickets must be purchased in advance as no tickets will be available on the night.

The Travel Club coach will leave from the Jonny-Rocks Stadium at 3pm.

Travel Club prices for the game are:

Non Members £16 / £14
Members £14 / £12
Junior Robins £6

Wheelchair users can contact Portsmouth Ticket Office directly on 0345 646 1898. Wheelchair spaces are located among home supporters in the Fratton End.

Alcohol will not be available in the away section due to the area being in sight of the pitch.

When buying through Cheltenham 5% of ticket sales go to the Robins.

If you can't collect from Cheltenham they will be available to collect from Portsmouth on the night.

Due to this being a recently postponed fixture, the tickets will have the details for the originally planned game printed on them.