Shrewsbury boss gives verdict on Portsmouth draw - and where Blues will finish in League One
Sam Ricketts hailed Shrewsbury’s draw against a Pompey side ‘that will be in the top six’ this season.
The Shrews gave Kenny Jackett’s men an awkward start to their 2020-21 League One promotion push.
The Blues were lacklustre throughout the majority of their third-tier curtain-raiser and deserved little more than the point they picked up.
Amid fan unrest after failing to win promotion at three attempts, it wasn’t the opening that Jackett needed against a Shrewsbury outfit that finished 16th last campaign.
But Ricketts is convinced that Pompey will once again be involved in the play-offs, at least, for a third successive season come May.
And he was delighted that his troops didn’t look ‘out of place’ at Fratton Park.
Ricketts told the Shrews’ website: ‘We are delighted with the point, this is a really difficult place to come. Coming away from here with anything is a good result. We ended up with a point but there is much more we can take from this game.
‘I thought the players were excellent, yet they are disappointed in there because they know there are little areas where we can improve. We could have, and should have scored.’
‘We hit the post, Brad had a good chance and we had a few other half chances.
‘We went toe-to-toe with a team that will be in the top six come the end of the season. We didn’t look out of place here in anyway.’
Aaron Pierre was sent off for Shrewsbury deep into second-half added-time for a second booking.
But Pompey felt the centre-back should have been dismissed in the first period when he tripped John Marquis when through on goal.
While Ricketts stayed coy on Pierre’s first yellow card, he had no complaints with the second.
He added: ‘It’s a second yellow, unfortunately. I need to see his first one again but we can’t complain about a second yellow. The referee was left with no option.’