AS is expected to be the case on Thursday, there was no landslide victory in this Reds v Blues contest.

York City certainly displayed plenty of honest labour in their traditional colours to earn a 1-1 draw at Portsmouth although their navy-clad hosts were far from conservative in their pursuit of maximum points during an entertaining, end-of-season encounter.

The 2008 FA Cup final winners peppered a stubborn Bobby Olejnik’s goal during a strong second-half performance before Matt Tubbs - that perennial scourge of City defences – eventually beat the recalled keeper on 83 minutes.

It was the eighth goal that Tubbs has scored for four different teams against the Minstermen but Brad Halliday’s first senior strike, just moments later, proved sufficient to secure a share of the spoils for Russ Wilcox’s men.

Halliday’s effort also meant the visitors avoided breaking up for the summer on the back of three straight defeats, ensuring a positive finale as Wilcox begins his preparations to govern the club for a second term.

The City chief now knows that the future success of his leadership will largely rest on an ability to provide the team with a greater cutting edge than has been the case for long stretches of 2014/15.

At Fratton Park, the visitors’ frontline trio of Jake Hyde, Shaq Coulthirst and Michael Coulson were all subdued.

Hyde did not manage a shot on goal until the 91st minute, Coulthirst failed to get a single sniff and Coulson’s only attempt saw him drill a free-kick into the home defensive wall.

It was left to the likes of Halliday and defensive trio Keith Lowe, Stephane Zubar and John McCombe to offer a greater goal threat.

Lowe crashed a spectacular overhead kick against the bar, while Zubar drove narrowly wide from 30 yards and McCombe curled over from the edge of the box.

Pompey, meanwhile, could call on more traditional areas of the pitch for attacking inspiration.

In 24-goal Tubbs, they possessed a striker who always looked likely to hit the target while creative midfielder Jed Wallace was also unlucky not to add to his 17 strikes this season during a virtuoso display on what is expected to be his Fratton Park farewell.

The 21-year-old’s talents should certainly ensure that he can soon afford to build the extension that will surely be needed to house the plethora of Player of the Year trophies he was presented with before the game.

Appreciation of his skills is clearly not confined to these shores either, as was illustrated by the one award he received from Pompey’s far-flung USA Supporters’ Club.

Despite the votes having already been cast for Fratton Park’s goal of the season, meanwhile, Lowe’s acrobatic fourth-minute bicycle kick might have demanded a recount had it dropped an inch or two lower.

The City centre-back displayed great athleticism to improvise ten yards from goal after Hyde had dropped off his marker to receive Luke Summerfield’s low driven free-kick from the left but well-beaten home keeper Paul Jones was relieved to see the ball bounce back into play.

After Tubbs had fired over from 25 yards following a purposeful forward surge, Zubar then drove narrowly wide of Jones’ right-hand post from a longer distance.

Tubbs went on to display uncharacteristic profligacy when he sliced a 12-yard half-volley over after he intercepted Dave Winfield’s misjudged header back to Olejnik and only had the City keeper to beat.

On 35 minutes, Summerfield called Jones into action low to his left with a 25-yard drive after Coulson’s free-kick was blocked.

But McCombe ensured City went into the break on level terms when he cleared Conor Chaplin’s goalbound effort after Wallace had raided through the left channel. Wallace started the second half in similarly dangerous fashion, forcing Olejnik into a flying save from his well-struck 15-yard effort and then rattling the on-loan City shot-stopper’s left-hand upright with a rasping and rising, angled half-volley from a little closer in.

The visitors enjoyed brief respite when Halliday’s edge-of-the-box effort lacked the power and direction to beat Jones but, just past the hour, Olejnik made a double save to parry from Chaplin and then shovel behind Ben Close’s follow-up effort.

From the resulting corner, Adam Webster headed Wallace’s left-wing delivery against the far post and Olejnik stayed alert to keep out a Close drive from the rebound.

After Summerfield had lofted a 35-yard shot over at the other end, Olejnik was at it again, getting his fingertips to a looping James Dunne attempt before producing arguably his finest stop of the afternoon when he dived swiftly to his left to get an arm to a second far-post Webster header from another Wallace flag kick and it took a special strike to belatedly break the deadlock.

Picking the ball up 20 yards from the away goal, ex-Salisbury, Crawley and Wimbledon marksman Tubbs took aim before drilling a low shot into Olejnik’s bottom right-hand corner.

City drew level, though, from the game’s next attack.

First, Femi Ilesanmi was stopped in his tracks as he tried to make inroads into the Pompey penalty box.

Next, a shot from fellow replacement Tom Platt was charged down before the ball ricocheted to Halliday.

The on-loan Middlesbrough teenager then showed great composure to stride forward and send a low ten-yard shot across Jones into the home keeper’s bottom right-hand corner.

Both teams refused to settle for a point with a deflected Tubbs chance looking like it might wrongfoot Olejnik for a second and Hyde calling Jones into injury-time action before Zubar made what could be a memorably telling contribution in what might be his final outing for the Minstermen.

As Chaplin prepared to pull the trigger four yards from goal, the Guadeloupe international made a terrific block as relieved City supporters sat back safe in their seats.

 

Match stats

York City

Bobby Olejnik: 9 – STAR MAN looked almost unbeatable before Tubbs finally made the breakthrough.

Keith Lowe: 8 – composed in possession and almost scored a centre-back’s collectors’ item.

Dave Winfield: 6 – went close to gifting Tubbs a first-half goal before going off injured.

John McCombe: 8 – made a crucial block on the stroke of half-time and read the game well.

Brad Halliday: 8 – stuck to his task and provided forward momentum resulting in his first senior goal.

Russell Penn: 7 – competed with typical determination as he patrolled the middle of the park.

Luke Summerfield: 7 – always willing to receive and distribute in all areas of the pitch.

Stephane Zubar: 8 – vital late tackle saw team avoid defeat and was solid throughout.

Michael Coulson: 6 – found it difficult to unlock home defence from central positions.

Jake Hyde: 6 – struggled to retain possession at times for the team and bullied off the ball.

Shaq Coulthirst: 6 – needed to threaten more with his movement off the ball and generally quiet.

Subs: Femi Ilesanmi 7 – positive (for Winfield, 46), Tom Platt 7 – eager (for Coulson, 68), Shaun Miller (for Coulthirst, 78). Not used: Lindon Meikle, Lewis Montrose, Michael Ingham, Marvin McCoy.

Portsmouth

Paul Jones, Joe Devera, Johnny Ertl, Adam Webster, Dan Butler, James Dunne, Ben Close, Jed Wallace (Bradley Tarbuck, 88), Danny Hollands, Matt Tubbs, Conor Chaplin. Subs not used: Michael Poke, Nicky Shorey, Wes Fogden, Criag Westcarr, Nigel Atangana, Adam May.

Star man: Wallace – a class act who was probably playing his last game for Pompey.

 

Referee: Rob Lewis (Shrewsbury).

Rating: 7/10 – a little lenient, but kept on top of most things.

Booked: Butler 80.

Attendance: 17,254 (480 from City).

 

Shots on target: Portsmouth 12, City 5.

Shots off target: Portsmouth 3, City 4.

Corners: Portsmouth 7, City 1.

Fouls conceded: Portsmouth 15, City 4.

Offsides: Portsmouth 3, City 2.