Cook delighted with Ipswich cup display
Pompey saw their hopes of causing an FA Cup upset dashed by a late Ipswich leveller at Portman Road.
But Paul Cook was delighted that his side were able to provide plenty of entertainment against their Championship hosts.
After dominating the first half, they fell behind to Tommy Oar’s strike, only for Kyle Bennett to quickly draw them level.
Conor Chaplin then came off the bench to find the bottom corner late on and have the large travelling support dreaming of a place in the fourth round.
But there was still time for Ryan Fraser to curl home a free-kick and ensure a Fratton Park replay.
Rather than curse his side’s misfortune, though, Cook was proud of how his troops performed against their higher-ranked opponents.
The Blues boss said: “When you have two sides who are intent of having a good game of football, then you’ll have a good match.
“This game’s all about scoring goals and providing entertainment, so it was pleasing that we were able to provide that.
“We had 2,500 fans make the long journey here – they wanted to see us on the front foot and having a go.
“To come away from home and have around 70 per cent of the ball speaks volumes, but it doesn’t mean you’re going to win.
“We should have been in the lead at half-time and we allowed Ipswich to take control at the start of the second half.
“But credit to our players for the goals we scored and chances we created after that – I’m sure everyone went home thinking what an enjoyable game it was.
“I’m not going to single out individuals because we had so many great players out on the pitch.”
Pompey will have a second chance to see off Ipswich in the replay and Cook is looking forward to the contest.
He said: “There’s a tinge of disappointment because we had enough chances to win the game at the first attempt, but now we can look forward to another exciting cup tie.
“It’s a bit of a distraction from our league campaign, but I’m sure Fratton Park will be rocking that night.”
Watch Cook's thoughts on the game below or subscribe to Pompey PlayerHD for extended interviews with the manager and Chaplin.
Watch Cook's thoughts on the game below or subscribe to Pompey PlayerHD for extended interviews with the manager and Chaplin.