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          2017-18 English League One, Regular Season
          Plymouth Argyle Plymouth Argyle PLY
          0
          FT
          0
          Portsmouth Portsmouth POR

          South coast play-off rivals cancel each other out in stalemate

          Apr 14, 2018
          • PA Sport

          Plymouth slipped to sixth as they survived late drama to claim a goalless draw against close play-off rivals Portsmouth.
          Pompey winger Jamal Lowe rounded Argyle stand-in keeper Kyle Letheren in the last minute of normal time but his shot was cleared off the line by Plymouth's on-loan Bristol City central defender Zak Vyner.
          Seconds later Portsmouth skipper Brett Pitman's powerful stoppage-time header crashed off the face of the bar.
          That was as close as either side came to scoring in an engrossing encounter between the South Coast League One play-off rivals.
          At the other end, Plymouth playmaker Graham Carey tested Pompey keeper Luke McGee with a drilled left-footed drive.
          Carey twice came close before that shot with two audacious efforts from the edge of the box.
          The first in the 49th minute drifted just over the bar and the second - not long after - went even closer as Plymouth pressed for an opener.
          In the first half the best efforts fell to Lowe, whose shot was saved by Letheren, and Pitman, who scuffed a Lowe cross from six yards out.
          Argyle's best first-half chance came when Ruben Lameiras sent a cross flying over from the right but just out of the reach of striker Joel Grant.
          Grant was called up as Argyle target man Ryan Taylor was ruled out of taking his place in Argyle's winning line-up.

          English League One Standings

          POS Team GP GD PTS
          1 Peterborough United 30 +25 61
          2 Lincoln City 30 +18 57
          3 Hull City 32 +24 56
          4 Portsmouth 30 +19 52
          5 Sunderland 30 +20 51
          6 Doncaster Rovers 28 +11 49
          7 Accrington Stanley 29 +9 47
          8 Ipswich Town 29 +5 47
          9 Oxford United 29 +8 45
          10 Plymouth Argyle 31 -6 45
          11 Crewe Alexandra 31 +2 44
          12 Charlton Athletic 31 +1 44
          13 Blackpool 27 +7 43
          14 Milton Keynes Dons 31 +4 42
          15 Gillingham 31 -3 41
          16 Fleetwood Town 31 +5 37
          17 Shrewsbury Town 28 -1 37
          18 Swindon Town 31 -19 31
          19 Bristol Rovers 30 -19 30
          20 Rochdale 31 -16 28
          21 Burton Albion 29 -19 28
          22 AFC Wimbledon 29 -23 28
          23 Wigan Athletic 31 -27 27
          24 Northampton Town 31 -25 26