Match ends, Fleetwood Town 2, Portsmouth 5.
FleetwoodFleetwood Town2PortsmouthPortsmouth5
Portsmouth ended 2018 on a high as the League One leaders fought back to thrash 10-man Fleetwood Town at Highbury.
Portsmouth took the lead in the 26th minute as Ben Thompson's sublime strike fizzed in off the woodwork.
Fleetwood had failed to pick up a point in their previous 24 games after conceding first but they found a way to fight back through talismanic forward Paddy Madden.
The striker fired home Lewie Coyle's cross in the 39th minute and then won the penalty that saw Town flip the game on its head before the break.
The Irishman was fouled in the box by Matt Clarke with Ched Evans rolling home the subsequent spot-kick in the 43rd minute.
But Town were down to 10 men in the 51st minute as Dean Marney picked up his second yellow card for a foul on Thompson.
Portsmouth were level moments later as Ross Wallace was ruled to have fouled Jamal Lowe at the back post.
Brett Pitman made no mistake from the penalty spot with Anton Walkes rocketing the ball home from distance to make it 3-2 in the 58th minute.
Fleetwood's James Wallace and Madden hit the woodwork but Joey Barton's side would be punished for those missed chances as Portsmouth increased their lead against the run of play in the 81st minute.
Lowe pirouetted in the box to fire past Cairns and then thundered another home to make it 5-2 in the 84th minute.
Match report supplied by the Press Association
Line-ups
Fleetwood
Formation 4-4-2
- 1Cairns
- 2Coyle
- 20Morgan
- 5Eastham
- 23Wallace
- 22HunterSubstituted forWallaceat 54'minutes
- 25MarneyBooked at 51mins
- 27BigginsSubstituted forBolgerat 79'minutes
- 7BurnsSubstituted forDempseyat 63'minutes
- 9Evans
- 17MaddenBooked at 41mins
Substitutes
- 4Holt
- 8Dempsey
- 10McAleny
- 12Bolger
- 16Jones
- 29Sheron
- 38Wallace
Portsmouth
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 15MacGillivray
- 2Walkes
- 5ClarkeBooked at 43mins
- 16Whatmough
- 3BrownSubstituted forHaunstrupat 19'minutes
- 7Naylor
- 32Thompson
- 10Lowe
- 33CloseSubstituted forEvansat 53'minutes
- 11CurtisSubstituted forGreenat 90'minutes
- 8Pitman
Substitutes
- 6Burgess
- 14Mason
- 22Wheeler
- 26Evans
- 35Bass
- 37Green
- 38Haunstrup
- Referee:
- Matt Donohue
- Attendance:
- 3,494
Match Stats
Home TeamFleetwoodAway TeamPortsmouth
- Possession
- Home49%
- Away51%
- Shots
- Home13
- Away13
- Shots on Target
- Home6
- Away7
- Corners
- Home3
- Away10
- Fouls
- Home13
- Away9
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, Fleetwood Town 2, Portsmouth 5.
Post update
Attempt saved. Jack Whatmough (Portsmouth) header from the centre of the box is saved in the top right corner.
Post update
Corner, Portsmouth. Conceded by Craig Morgan.
Post update
Anton Walkes (Portsmouth) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Post update
Foul by Ross Wallace (Fleetwood Town).
Substitution
Substitution, Portsmouth. Andre Green replaces Ronan Curtis.
Post update
Foul by Anton Walkes (Portsmouth).
Post update
Ross Wallace (Fleetwood Town) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Post update
Attempt missed. Lewie Coyle (Fleetwood Town) right footed shot from the right side of the box is close, but misses the top left corner.
Goal!
Goal! Fleetwood Town 2, Portsmouth 5. Jamal Lowe (Portsmouth) right footed shot from the right side of the box to the top left corner. Assisted by Ben Thompson following a fast break.
Post update
Ched Evans (Fleetwood Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Post update
Foul by Matthew Clarke (Portsmouth).
Goal!
Goal! Fleetwood Town 2, Portsmouth 4. Jamal Lowe (Portsmouth) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Ronan Curtis.
Post update
Craig Morgan (Fleetwood Town) hits the left post with a right footed shot from the centre of the box.
Post update
Paddy Madden (Fleetwood Town) hits the right post with a header from the centre of the box.
Substitution
Substitution, Fleetwood Town. Cian Bolger replaces Harrison Biggins.
Post update
Corner, Fleetwood Town. Conceded by Jack Whatmough.
Post update
Attempt blocked. Kyle Dempsey (Fleetwood Town) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Post update
Foul by Harrison Biggins (Fleetwood Town).
