Plymouth manager Ryan Lowe was not too despondent despite seeing his side concede a stoppage-time equaliser to draw 2-2 at Portsmouth

The Pilgrims looked to be heading to the top of Sky Bet League One after Ryan Hardie had scored twice to cancel out Lee Brown’s early goal.

But defender Sean Raggett rescued a point for Pompey in the fifth minute of time added on.

Lowe said: “I’m absolutely proud of the boys. It was two teams going end-to-end, a competitive game and I think the last three games between Portsmouth and Plymouth have finished 2-2.

“Yes, we’d have liked to have hung on until the end but I’m really pleased with a point and what is the point in being top of the league in September?

“Ryan had four stitches in his right ear and we thought he might have to come off because it looked a serious injury. He was in the wars so maybe that gave him a bit of a boost and he took his goals really well.”

Pompey took just six minutes to break the deadlock as left-back Brown drove a free-kick low into the net from the edge of the penalty area.

Plymouth drew level three minutes into the second half when the lively Hardie rounded off a rapid counter-attack from a Pompey corner with a cool finish.

Hardie took advantage of more poor defending to double his and Plymouth’s tally 10 minutes from time.

Shaun Williams went diving in on the halfway line, allowing Hardie to run clean through on goal before calmly rounding helpless goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu to slot home.

Just as Plymouth fans were singing ‘We are top of the league’, Raggett slammed home in the fifth minute of stoppage time after Ellis Harrison had nodded Ronan Curtis’ cross across the face of goal.

Portsmouth head coach Danny Cowley said: “It was a crazy game and the neutral would have had their value for money.

“We were really pleased with our first-half performance but in the second half we made a mistake for the goal and that affected our rhythm.

“The two goals we conceded were terrible.

“We are fragile at the moment and when you go 2-1 down and you have lost the last three games, you learn a lot about your players.

“The players deserved it and the supporters deserved it because they stayed with us.

“It was an important equaliser. We want to win, especially at home, but sometimes when you score late like that, it can be worth more than a point.

“When you are a new group you need moments like this to build relationships and bring the group together.”