Boss felt Blues deserved more against Cobblers
Andy Awford promised a tight encounter before Pompey’s trip to Northampton and he was not wrong.
A first half Ricky Holmes strike was enough to settle the contest and end the visitors’ long unbeaten run.
They poured forward in search of an equaliser after the interval, with Matt Tubbs and the returning Wes Fogden both going close.
But Pompey were unable to secure the share of the spoils that Awford felt they deserved.
The Blues boss said: “We’ve been on a really good run and now it’s come to an end.
“We switched off from a throw and when you give any player that amount of time and space then you can get punished.
“I thought we had a right go and pushed Northampton all the way – we threw the kitchen sink at them in the second half.
“But we couldn’t find the goal unfortunately, which is disappointing considering our possession and chances created.
“Both teams went toe-to-toe and we had enough opportunities to have got something out of the game.
“The keeper made a great save from Matt Tubbs in the first half – it’s as good as I’ve seen all season.
“We also had one cleared off the line and Wes Fogden was unlucky not to score at the end.
“The performance level was decent, but there are very fine lines in football and this time things didn’t go our way.”
A bright spot for Pompey was Fogden cameo role from the bench – his first appearance since damaging knee ligaments in February.
Awford said: “Wes will always give you energy and spark in the middle of the park. We’ve missed that and so it’s great to have him back.”