Bradbury bags brace against Newport
Pompey Academy were twice pegged back as they opened their Youth Alliance campaign with a 2-2 against Newport at Furze Lane.
They forged ahead late in the first half when Theo Widdrington’s shot ricocheted into the path of Harvey Bradbury (above), who finished sharply.
But Dion Molyneux nipped in ahead of Nick Hall from a corner to head the visitors level just after the hour mark.
Widdrington and Bradbury were then involved in the Blues restoring their advantage, as the latter lost his man to convert the former’s dangerous free-kick.
Newport secured a point from another corner, however, as the hosts failed to clear their lines and Molyneux was presented with a simple finish.
Academy manager Mark Kelly said: “The first half was very good. We controlled the game and created plenty of opportunities.
“We went ahead and should perhaps have extended that lead after starting on the front foot following the break.
“Harvey and Tommy Scutt both hit the woodwork, but all of a sudden Newport pressed us a bit more and we should have been braver. We started going longer when we should have been playing shorter passes.
“We allowed them to equalise, but then we started to build again, troubled their defence and retook the lead.
“We had more chances to kill the game off and then we started to hit long balls again instead of taking the sting out of proceedings.
“Newport levelled again and we threw everything at them to try to get a winner, but unfortunately couldn’t find one.
“It was a mixed performance overall, but useful from an educational point of view as it shows how the game can change when the away team have nothing to lose. We needed to be more disciplined and structured to see things out.
“The lads were disappointed in the dressing room. It was a big learning curve for them and something to work on in training during the week.”
Pompey: Hall (Collins 79); Chandler, Saidy, Wakley (Casey 67), McDowell; Scutt, Brooks (Read 76), Widdrington; Woodward (Johnson 82), Bradbury, Mayes