Liam Cullen inspires Swansea comeback to earn point at home to Portsmouth

Liam Cullen inspired a Swansea fightback after they had been stunned by two first-half goals from Portsmouth before settling for a 2-2 draw at the Swansea.Com Stadium.

Matt Ritchie, with his first goal for Pompey, and Josh Murphy gave the visitors a healthy lead before Cullen provided the cross for Myles Peart-Harris, whose effort was deflected in by Connor Ogilvie, to pull one back on the stroke of half-time.

The Wales international then levelled things up in the 53rd minute with his fifth goal of the season as the Swans swept themselves back into the game.

For Pompey boss John Mousinho and his side, a three-week wait since their last game finally came to an end at kick-off as they continued their battle to move off the bottom of the table following their promotion last season.

Storm Bert put an end to their game at Blackburn immediately after the international break and then their midweek clash with Millwall was called off due to a floodlight failure. It meant they had not played since their 3-1 home win over Preston on November 9.

Referee Will Finnie wasted no time in asserting his authority by handing out his first yellow card to Pompey centre-back Marlon Pack within 26 seconds of the start.

That gave Swansea an instant free-kick which ultimately ended with Harry Darling heading just over the crossbar. Joe Allen, the only survivor from the last league meeting between the two teams in west Wales in 2010, then had a great chance to open the scoring with a free header at the near post from a Grimes cross.

Having struggled to break down the aggressive and energetic press put on them by the visitors, they then coughed up possession wide out on their right flank and went behind in the 25th minute.

Murphy took the ball away from Josh Key and his cross found Ritchie in the centre of the goal and he scrambled the ball over the line to take the lead.

Murphy then doubled the lead with a great piece of individual skill as he beat Ben Cabango before firing home from an acute angle.

No sooner had the visitors got over their celebrations when Cullen swung in a superb curling cross from the left to the far post, where Peart-Harris put enough pressure on Ogilvie to get the ball over the line for a much-needed home goal on the stroke of half-time.

Swansea started the second half far more aggressively and Peart-Harris hit the bar before he provided a low cross into the box for Cullen to sweep home for the equaliser.

There were chances at both ends in a frantic finish, but neither team was clinical enough in front of goal to find a winner.