Globe gate was second-lowest in Pompey history

Michael Doyle on the ball in front of a crowd of just 1,399 at the Globe Arena. Picture: Joe Pepler

And in doing so were involved in the second-lowest Football League crowd in Pompey’s history.

Tuesday night’s fixture saw keeper Barry Roche head home a Morecambe equaliser in the fourth minute of time added on.

Delight for the home faithful following three successive defeats, two at the Globe Arena.

Yet there was a crowd of only 1,399 there to witness such late drama on a chilly, wind-affected Lancashire evening.

For the Blues, the attendance was second only to May 11, 1979, at Darlington in terms of a record low.

On that Division Four occasion, caretaker boss Frank Burrows’ side lost 2-0 to a team which tumbled out of the Football League.

And that penultimate match of the 1978-79 season attracted a crowd of 1,140.

Following Jimmy Dickinson’s heart attack at Barnsley months earlier, Burrows had taken the reins – his role made permanent in the summer of 1979.

For the Feethams trip, he elected to give a debut to Trevor Roberts in a team which also consisted of the likes of Peter Mellor, Colin Garwood, Derek Showers, Peter Ellis and Keith Viney.

However, a double from John Peachey in the opening 12 minutes of the second half condemned the visitors to defeat as they went on to finish seventh.

Since then Pompey have attracted sub-3,000 attendances on their Football League travels on a number of occasions.

Until Tuesday, the lowest was also against Morecambe, with 2,065 present on a Saturday in April 2015.

That fixture was Andy Awford’s last as manager, while substitute Conor Chaplin netted his first goal for the club in the 3-1 defeat.

Pompey’s first-ever visit to the Globe Arena saw 2,550 supporters witness a 2-2 draw in January 2015, with Jake Jervis scoring twice. Other notable low attendances since the trip to Darlington include 2,310 at Dagenham & Redbridge in February 2015 for a midweek goalless draw.

While Pompey’s first away fixture of the 2013-14 campaign was a televised visit to Accrington Stanley in August 2013 which yielded a crowd of 2,531.

There have also been recent Johnstone’s Paint Trophy lows at Torquay (1,951) in September 2013 and Exeter (2,323) in September 2015.