Pompey draw 3-3 in training ground friendly
Jayden Stockley returned from injury to score against his parent club and give watching Blues boss Paul Cook plenty of food for thought.
The striker – who played the whole 90 minutes – was on target as Pompey played out an entertaining 3-3 draw with Bournemouth at their Copnor training base.
An own-goal by Baily Cargill and a Conor Chaplin strike either side of Stockley’s effort secured the home side a share of the spoils.
It might have been even better for the loan star, who was a threat throughout, hitting the woodwork twice and seeing another shot cleared off the line with the last kick of the match.
Pompey were quickly out of the traps and after a Ben Close corner was hooked back by Nigel Atangana at the far post, Stockley rose to head against the crossbar.
But the Blues did break the deadlock on 15 minutes when Brandon Haunstrup’s low cross caused panic and Cargill seemed to lose his footing as he attempted to clear, only succeeding into putting the ball into his own net.
Chaplin so nearly doubled their advantage, but was denied by a great save from Cherries keeper Patrick O’Flaherty.
Bournemouth were level on 26 minutes, however, when Sam Matthews tried a shot from the edge of the area which took a wicked deflection to wrong-foot Alex Bass.
And the Dorset outfit were ahead within two minutes of the second half, as Adam Barton was caught in possession and Tomas Andrade swept the ball home.
They should have increased their lead moments later after Matt Clarke was robbed, but Josh O’Hanlon’s close-range shot was superbly saved by Bass.
Close then nearly brought Pompey level when he burst into the box and left defenders flailing, only to see his effort brilliantly turned onto the inside of the post by O’Flaherty.
Stockley then hit the woodwork again, heading against the bar from Barton’s cross before he made it third time lucky.
This time it was Gareth Evans who burst down the right and sent in a pinpoint cross that Stockley converted with a fierce shot.
And they regained the lead within a minute, with Chaplin getting in on the act by advancing forward and firing the ball into the far corner.
The chances were now coming thick and fast. Chaplin’s low cross from the left narrowly evaded the incoming Stockley, while at the other end, Matthews burst through and shot past the advancing Nick Hall, but also past the post.
However, Bournemouth were level late on after Hall had made a super stop to deny Dominic Dower.
The loose ball rebounded back into the striker’s path and he made no mistake at the second time of asking, hitting the ball high into the net.
Fittingly, it was Stockley who had the last word, but his cross-shot was headed off the line by Jake McCarthy.
Pompey: Bass (Hall 75); Boco (Nilsen 70), Clarke (Saidy 75), Barton (Field 67), Haunstrup; Close (Oxlade-Chamberlain 70), Atangana (May 67); McGurk (Haitham 46), Chaplin (Widdrington 75), Joseph-Buadi (Evans 46); Stockley
Bournemouth: O’Flaherty, Lee, Muleba (McCarthy 67), Cargill, Costa, Green, Cannataro (Wakefield 67), Butcher, Matthews, Andrade, O’Hanlon (Dower 75)
Referee: Alex James