Richardson disappointed with a point

Latics were in control for much of the contest but failed to make their chances pay, before Chey Dunkley’s red card opened the door for the visitors to snatch a point.

And Paul Cook’s number two, who was standing in for the manager on media duties after the game, admitted that his side should have put Pompey to the sword before the interval, in a first half in which his side hit the woodwork twice.

He said: “I think certainly in terms of chances created and domination of the game we’re disappointed that we didn’t get the result today.

“On another day it could have been different, but fair play to Portsmouth. I thought they were very resilient and the goalkeeper was outstanding today.”

However, he couldn’t fault the effort of his players on the day. He said: “I don’t think our lads left everything on the pitch, so there won’t be any criticism from our camp for a lack of effort.”

Chey Dunkley’s dismissal on the hour mark was the turning point in the game in terms of the result, and Richardson stated that it was something that he would have to learn from.

He said: “It’s disappointing, and a big learning curve for Chey.

“He’s still a young man learning and when you give referees decisions to make like that, you’re always walking a fine line.

“The lads are still getting to know each other though, and it will give them confidence that they’ve had to dig together to get a result.”

Latics don't have a league game for a fortnight now thanks to the international break, meaning that it's a chance for both Richardson manager Paul Cook to get to know the squad better.

He said: It’s great for the club that they’ve got internationals playing for their countries and it’ll give us time to continue building our relationshsips and move forward over the next fortnight."