Kenny Jackett hinted that he will keep on rotating Pompey's wide men after Ronan Curtis almost helped bring about a victory at Bristol Rovers on his recall to the starting XI.

Curtis scored Pompey's second at the Memorial Stadium before Rovers fought back to draw 2-2 - and Jackett said he didn't think a few games out of the starting XI had done him any harm.

Now it is Marcus Harness's turn to kick his heels and wait for his chance and it's a policy Jackett seems keen on.

The manager told www.portsmouthfc.co.uk: 'We had real threat on both wings and I was really pleased with that, while Marcus Harness has to draw breath and be ready to go again.

'There are three places behind the striker and Gareth produced another good performance, taking his penalty well. It hasn’t done Ronan any harm to have a few games out of the side and hopefully his goal can signal the start of a positive run of form.'

Jackett was upset to come home with just a point after Pompey led 2-0 with 15 minutes to go. He said: 'We’d got ourselves into a very good position and were ahead at the break — we could have had more and their keeper made some great saves.

'They put us under a lot of pressure at the start of the second half, but it did seem as though we’d come through it. We were playing really and got the second goal through John’s cross for Ronan, but then we conceded from two set-pieces.

'Rodman’s got the first and then it’s obviously gone in off our own player right at the end, with the ball finding its way into the net. You always know that you need to see it out, but that’s two Saturdays in a row where late set-pieces have directly cost us.

'We’ve got one point out of six from those situations and have to improve to be able to kill those games off. You can try to give away fewer free-kicks, although I do want my players to compete, and we have to keep working to eradicate those instances.

'There are times when you go away from home and are happy with a draw, but this isn’t one of them because we looked in control.'

Pompey: MacGillivray; McCrorie, Burgess, Raggett, Brown; Naylor (c), Close; Williams, Evans, Curtis; Marquis (Harrison 90+1). Subs not used: Bass, Bolton, Downing, Haunstrup, Cannon, Harness

Referee: Darren Handley

Attendance: 8,648 (1,404 Pompey fans)

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