Cesar Peixoto wants Wolves to have more courage after Portsmouth draw

Wolves head coach Cesar Peixoto admitted his players are “anxious” and need to “play with courage” after being held to a 1-1 draw against Portsmouth at Molineux in the Championship.

Substitute Jordan James looked to have rewarded a much-improved second-half performance from Wolves with a second successive win only for Terry Devlin to equalise in the 86th minute.

Peixoto said: “I think the players, because of the last games, were a little more anxious and played more secure. They didn’t find the right courage to play in the first 45 minutes.

“At half-time I told them to play with more courage, with more mobility. We made two substitutions and I think we were better.

“In the last few minutes we conceded a goal from their first shot on goal. I think it is an unfair result but we have to do better in the first 45 minutes.

“I said at half-time, go and run, play free, play with courage and be brave in the game. But in the last few minutes we dropped deep because the players wanted so much to win the game to take off this pressure.”

In a forgettable first half, midfielder Andre sent a bouncing shot just wide from 25 yards for Wolves while Portsmouth’s only chance of the opening half came when Rocco Shein’s low shot flew wide.

Wolves’ double change at half-time sparked a much-improved display. Tawanda Chirewa, Friday’s matchwinner at Burnley, and Jordan James replaced Sean Neave and Marshall Munetsi.

Chirewa quickly rattled the bar with a tight-angled, rising shot and Matheus Mane dragged a low drive well wide, before Fer Lopez volleyed wide as Wolves chased the breakthrough.

That came in the 62nd minute from James, who slammed home a fierce low first-time drive after his one-two with Lopez split the defence, beating Nicolas Schmid at his near post.

Pompey’s Ebou Adams headed over but Devlin equalised when he chested down and volleyed into the corner of the net from 18 yards after Marezi’s free-kick came off the defensive wall. Chirewa’s low shot was clawed around a post by Schmid in the closing stages.

Head coach John Mousinho insisted Portsmouth deserved a point.

He said: “I thought it was about right. Wolves had more possession and shots and the onus is on them as a club coming down from the Premier League to do that.

“But overall we did a really good job of restricting that and when you take everything into consideration I thought we deserved it.”

Mousinho played down the angry scenes between the two benches at the final whistle.

He added: “I shook their manager’s hand and he said I talk too much and I said that’s what I do as a head coach.

“It was handbags and I walked off – it’s fine, no worries.”