May, a summer signing from Cheltenham, scored for the third successive match and took his tally for the campaign to four goals as the Addicks ended a four-match losing streak in Sky Bet League One.
Chem Campbell’s perceptive pass put the 30-year-old through and he threaded his finish confidently past Cod Army keeper Stephen McMullen in the 43rd minute. It wiped out Jayden Stockley’s header which had put the visitors in front in the 16th minute.
Charlton’s second-half pressure finally paid off in the 73rd minute. Fleetwood defender Olabusun Lawal tripped Corey Blackett-Taylor inside the penalty area and May opted to lash his spot-kick straight down the middle.
Pearce, placed in charge after manager Dean Holden was sacked on Sunday, said: “Alfie keeps getting in the right place and the right time. He’s a natural goalscorer. As long as we provide the service then he’ll get the goals.
“What I’ve liked since he came in is that his work rate is outstanding. At the end of the game he is doing doggies back and forth for the team.
“Hopefully this win kick-starts the season. I could feel the second goal was coming – shooting towards the Covered End, with the fans behind us. I felt at the time we needed to get someone up there with Alfie and changed to a 4-4-2, went a little more attacking, and it paid off.
“In the first half I was a little bit disappointed. The first time we put the ball behind them was Alfie May’s goal – our counter-press when we lost the ball wasn’t good enough and defending our box needs to be better. We had a little pop at them at half-time, they agreed with us and performed very well in the second half.”
Fleetwood have taken one point from a possible 18.
Head coach Scott Brown said: “We controlled large periods of the first half and were the better team, yet again someone makes a mistake and we get punished – one shot on target.
“They start the second half a little more eager and with more positivity, then Roons (Shaun Rooney) switches off then Blackett-Taylor gets in behind.
“It’s one mistake after another at this moment in time. We are giving teams encouragement to score.
“They didn’t really play through us and that one time they do, we’re not big enough and brave enough to hold the positions. Don’t give away penalties and make it easy for them.
“The first half we were by far the better team, they didn’t know how to deal with us. We need to be more ruthless. We get in behind and cause problems but we don’t pick the right pass – we panic. Alfie May gets in there and scores.
“We’ve not got that little bit of quality in the final third.”
New Zealand goalkeeper Max Crocombe kept Albion in contention with three brilliant first-half saves including a fingertip effort to deny former Brewers striker Victor Adeboyejo.
Sam Hughes and Joe Powell threatened to ruin the Trotters’ 2024 celebrations with early efforts.
Albion went close after 48 minutes but Bez Lubala could not make firmer contact and Moon’s next major intervention decided the contest.
But Bolton’s frustration in front of goal – and at Burton’s go-slow game management – evaporated six minutes after the break.
Burton skipper John Brayford cleared Josh Dacres-Cogley’s cross from the right but the ball went straight to unlucky Moon.
This time Crocombe, bidding for a hat-trick of clean sheets, was powerless to stop the ricochet going into his net.
Bolton’s latest win was their fourth in 10 days and only their second in 11 meetings against their opponents.
For Burton caretaker boss Gary Mills, it was a first defeat in four outings.
There was little between Sky Bet League One’s 22nd and 23rd-placed teams and the result does little to help either side’s chances of avoiding a relegation battle in the second half of the season.
The visitors took the lead after 27 minutes through Owen Moxon. When Alfie McAlmont’s shot was blocked by a defender, the ball fell kindly for Moxon and his sweetly-struck shot flew past Jay Lynch in the Fleetwood goal.
The Cod Army drew level 10 minutes before half time. Phoenix Patterson and Josh Earl moved the ball neatly down the left and the former put in a teasing low cross. That gave Stockley the simplest of finishes, forcing the ball over the line at close range.
With both sides struggling for goals it was little surprise that chances were otherwise few and far between.
Carlisle were handed two excellent opportunities early in the second half but failed to capitalise.
Sean Maguire nicked the ball off the toe of defender Harrison Holgate before pulling it back to Ryan Edmondson but the former Fleetwood striker was denied by a save from Lynch.
Moments later, Edmondson robbed Lynch after a heavy touch from the keeper but his lob over the retreating Lynch was inches wide of the near post.
Lynch again rescued his side with a save from substitute Jordan Gibson eight minutes from time and with neither side able to muster a winner it ended all square.
The former Exeter striker ended the game on a high but also helped put Rovers in charge after 25 minutes when he crossed for the unmarked midfielder Luke McCormick to nod past Connor Ripley.
It went from bad to worse for Vale after 38 minutes as their hopes of retaining a place in the play-off zone receded when defender Jesse Debrah was sent off after earning a second yellow card for scything down Ryan Woods.
Former Sheffield Wednesday right-back Hunt took advantage of Thomas’s absence when he doubled the lead two minutes into first-half stoppage-time when he drove in Aaron Collins’ pinpoint cross.
Valiants manager Andy Crosby made a quadruple change at the break to revive his team’s fortunes but Rovers continued to dominate and Brown sealed victory with a delightful long-range effort after 86 minutes.
Jamie Reid, who bagged 14 goals last term, had seemingly secured three points for Boro with his double either side of Sean Maguire’s equaliser.
But Paul Simpson’s side headed back to Cumbria with a point thanks to Garner’s stoppage-time leveller.
Jokull Andresson produced a string of fine saves in the visitors’ goal but could not prevent Boro from taking the lead after 15 minutes, Reid firing home after Carl Piergianni had flicked on Dan Butler’s free-kick from the halfway line.
The hosts could have made it two soon afterwards as Jordan Roberts’ volley was kept out by Andresson.
Parity was restored five minutes late when Maguire tucked home Jack Armer’s upfield punt with a deflected shot and in the aftermath Stevenage assistant Paul Raynor was booked for dissent.
Andresson produced another fine stop to keep out Charlie McNeill’s effort on the half-hour mark and was at it again five minutes before the break as he denied Reid a second with his feet.
After the break, Piergianni met Butler’s corner only for his header to cannon off the bar.
The defender then went close again but was thwarted by an inspired Andresson.
Reid doubled his tally as he fired the hosts in front again with 16 minutes to go before being denied a hat-trick by the Icelandic keeper.
Those saves proved vital as Garner secured a share of the spoils with his last-gasp header, but Boro still went top after Leyton Orient scored a late winner at previous leaders Exeter.
The 21-year-old centre-back put the Chairboys ahead after 19 minutes when he rose unchallenged to powerfully nod in Luke Leahy’s free-kick, only to be booked for goading the home fans who greeted his celebrations with disdain.
Low, whose father Josh started his career at Rovers, then excelled on the defensive front to frustrate Joey Barton’s side who lacked direction but almost equalised after 43 minutes when striker Jevani Brown struck a post from close range.
In contrast, Wanderers attacked with purpose and Leahy twice went close to doubling the lead from long range against his old club but Rovers keeper Matt Cox pulled off excellent saves to deny the midfield playmaker.
Wanderers suffered a setback when Dale Taylor was carried off on a stretcher following a heavy challenge.
But Matt Bloomfield’s visitors stood firm and went further ahead thanks to substitute Garath McCleary’s clever finish after 74 minutes.
Chelsea loanee Harvey Vale, 19, gave Rovers hope with a deft strike in the 84th minute shortly after appearing as a substitute.
But Low led the Wycombe resistance and his desperate stoppage-time block to divert Tristan Crama’s shot wide ensured a victorious return to Bristol.
The midfielder capped a superb performance with a stunning equaliser after Charlie Hughes had put Wigan ahead before firing home from the penalty spot to seal victory.
Wigan hit the Brewers with a sucker punch just before half-time when Albion defender Sam Hughes headed a long throw clear to the edge of the box where Wigan counterpart Charlie Hughes was there to fire through a crowd of bodies to put Latics ahead.
It was harsh on Albion to find themselves behind but they clawed themselves back onto level terms midway through the second half when Powell lashed home a ferocious 25-yarder.
Powell doubled his tally for the night from the penalty spot six minutes from time after Kell Watts had been adjudged to have handled in the box.
Burton had to hang on with 10 men for the closing minutes after striker Beryly Lubala picked up a late second yellow card.
Joe Taylor’s second goal in as many games was added to by Reeco Hackett-Fairchild’s late penalty to secure all three points for the visitors, who extended their unbeaten run to eight matches.
Vale’s loss is their third in a row since Moore replaced the sacked Andy Crosby, stretching their winless streak to nine games and keeping them firmly in the relegation zone.
Lincoln were gifted a second-minute lead as Taylor pounced on Nathan Smith’s loose pass from a free-kick and, with Connor Ripley out of his goal, guided the ball into an empty net from just outside the area.
James Wilson’s long-range effort brought a good save out of visiting goalkeeper Lukas Jensen just before half-time as the hosts went into the break trailing.
Wilson was denied again by Jensen in the 54th minute after the ball fell kindly to him in the box.
Ripley nearly handed Lincoln a goal in the 83rd minute after playing a poor pass to Ted Bishop when off his line, but he did well to recover and claw the midfielder’s low shot behind before saving Paudie O’Connor’s header from the resulting corner.
The game was put to bed, though, in stoppage time as Hackett sent Ripley the wrong way from the penalty spot after substitute Dylan Duffy was brought down inside the area.
Barton praised Brown after his 20-yard goal late on completed a good night’s work for the summer signing from Exeter, who put the Gas on course for victory when he crossed for Luke McCormick to head the hosts into a 25-minute lead.
Vale defender Jesse Debrah was sent off after 38 minutes for a second bookable offence before right-back Jack Hunt popped up in first-half stoppage-time to double the lead and then Brown capped a fine personal show in style, four minutes from time.
Barton said: “Jevani’s a quality operator and that goal was important because it will lift a weight off his shoulders and I’m sure that he’ll now go from strength to strength for us.
“It was his best performance in the blue and white quarters and a lovely top-binner like that right in front of our most vociferous fans will certainly settle him and endear him to the supporters.
“It was a hell of a ball in for the first goal and everyone in the stadium now knows what a top-notch operator JB is.”
Barton says he is confident Brown will turn Rovers into a formidable attacking force.
He added: “JB’s had to be patient because it takes bit of time to get up to speed but tonight we looked unplayable up front with JB, Aaron Collins and Chris Martin and their pace and link-up play.
“I always knew his goal would come and I’m buzzing for him. We’re lucky to have him at our club. We have had to be streetwise to beat the rat race for him.
“But I know he’ll bear fruit over the next few months amid all the challenges we face this season.”
Vale boss Andy Crosby tipped former Halifax defender Debrah to learn from his sending off.
Crosby said: “Jesse is going to be fantastic for our club. He’s got fantastic attributes and we’ll be there to support him. He’ll learn from this and we’ll back him.”
“The referee has made a decision but I’m not sure (over) the first one, which looked like just a coming-together from the bench.
“As soon as you go down to 10 men, it’s going to be extremely difficult but the referee had a decision to make, the rules have changed in terms of how tackles are interpreted. It was a cheap one.”
Crosby praised his side for their show of resilience in the second half.
Crosby added: “We beat their press numerous times and got into their final third many times but if you don’t track your men into your own box and concede poor goals, you give yourself a big mountain to climb.
“We freshened things up at half-time with four changes to stay in the game and I’m so proud of the players’ reaction because they kept fighting and didn’t go under. We hung in there and defeat is difficult to take.”
The on-loan Luton striker produced two unerring finishes to inspire the Tykes after an uninspiring first-half showing from Neill Collins’ promotion chasers.
Burton, trying to distance themselves from the bottom four, grabbed the lead eight minutes before the break when Joe Powell drove home from the edge of the box.
But Barnsley made a double change at the start of the second half, with McAtee one of those introduced, and within nine minutes he had fired in the equaliser before finding the bottom corner from Sam Cosgrove’s flick to put the visitors ahead.
A third followed for Barnsley after 69 minutes when Luca Connell was able to advance into the box and drive a low shot across Max Crocombe and into the bottom corner.
Defeat left Albion just outside the bottom four after a sixth straight home defeat, while the Tykes remained on course for the play-offs after extending their unbeaten away run to 11 games.
Conor Shaughnessy scored a last-gasp header as the League One leaders stretched their unbeaten run to 24 games.
Head coach Mousinho said: “I’m delighted we’ve won of course. The manner of it, scoring in added time at the Fratton End, was just brilliant.
“I feel we’ve nicked one today and Carlisle can feel very hard done by because they played very well. But I thought we were excellent in the first half.
“We controlled the game, but we just couldn’t put the ball in the net.
“The second half was disappointing all in. I think we let ourselves down tactically to be honest.
“I thought we went a bit straight too much to the centre forward. I like to see us get the ball around the outside, wide down the wings because we cross the ball well.
“There’s a weight of expectation on the lads to get the goal and that can cause us to be exposed at times.
“Will (Norris) made an excellent save near the end which enabled us to keep chasing that goal.”
Pompey dominated the first half and Colby Bishop came close with headers in in the seventh and 15th minute.
The visitors nearly went ahead in the first minute of the second half when a weak shot from Alfie McCalmont hit the post.
Carlisle could have snatched it on 90 minutes but a Dan Butterworth strike was pushed around the post by Norris.
Shaughnessy’s dramatic late winner was a bitter pill for the Cumbrians to swallow.
Carlisle manager Paul Simpson said: “I am absolutely gutted for the lads out there. We didn’t deserve that at all.
“We came here with a really solid game plan and I thought the players executed it really well.
“I don’t think it was a lack of concentration for the goal. They worked it and got a block on, which they did well, and the delivery was good.
“If I’m honest, perhaps we should have taken advantage of the chances we had in the game.
“Their fans and the players were getting frustrated, but it’s a game of fine margins.
“Unfortunately, the performance gets forgotten. People look at the results, but those here today witnessed how well we played yet came away with nothing.
“The challenge is now to perform like that in every game. I’d rather play rubbish and pick up points.”
The shell-shocked south coast outfit conceded all three goals before half-time as their poor recent run extended to one win in six games.
Mousinho did not hold back in his post-match assessment and said: “I thought we were awful, to be honest. In the game as a whole we weren’t good enough.
“We started OK but it is not good enough to just be OK for 20 to 25 minutes.
“We went under after we conceded the first goal and that summed up our afternoon.
“We did not create enough in the final third and did not defend our box well enough. We were just a yard off it in everything we did.
“Our job is to dust ourselves down and go again and try to put our finger on what went wrong.
“The message to the players is we are at a stage of the season now where it goes one of two ways.
“We are somehow still top of the league and that gives us something to hold on to. We have 19 games to put that to bed.”
Orient could have been ahead inside the first 10 seconds, but Dan Agyei’s shot was deflected for a corner.
They did take the lead after 30 minutes when a one-two between Shaq Forde and Max Sanders saw Forde score easily.
It was 2-0 five minutes later when Jordan Brown stabbed home after a goalmouth scramble.
Pompey had a chance to get back in the game after 40 minutes with a penalty after a foul on Jack Sparkes, but Colby Bishop’s tame effort was easily saved.
Things got worse for Pompey in the last minute of first-half added time when Agyei headed home from a corner.
Orient maintained their dominance in the second half, stifling Pompey’s efforts to get back into the game and came away worthy winners.
Visiting manager Richie Wellens said: “I am really proud of all my players.
“The last five or six games has been an accumulation of what we have been doing all season, but we have not been able to play the way we wanted to play and have not been able to get certain players on the pitch.
“It was probably a good time to play Portsmouth and we started the game well and did not give them any breathing space.
“We pressed them and they could not really play through us. They had a couple of opportunities in the first half but we had chances to score more goals.
“From one to 11 today and the subs that came on everyone was excellent and the work-rate was brilliant as well.”
Colby Bishop pounced deep in added time to cancel out James Collins’ 85th-minute penalty in a 1-1 draw.
Until the late drama, there were few clear chances as both teams failed to capitalise on some promising positions.
Portsmouth had kept Derby at arms length until the 85th minute when Martyn Waghorn’s near-post shot was handled by Regan Poole and Collins coolly converted the spot-kick.
That looked to have secured the points but, in the fifth minute of stoppage time, Bishop found space in the six-yard box to turn in Terry Devlin’s cross.
Mousinho admitted there was “elation” in the dressing room but wants to see improvement in two areas.
“We need to start games better, we were sloppy in the first half, and I didn’t have to say a huge amount at half-time because I came in and the players were saying ‘we’ve been a bit sloppy in possession’,” he said.
“We had the majority of the chances in the second half and there were a couple of goalmouth scrambles so we need to be more ruthless in that respect definitely but we have to start games better and not wait for things to happen and that’s my problem to address.
“The feeling when we scored was absolute elation but now that things have settled down we slightly rue the fact we haven’t come away with three points.
“In the second half I didn’t have too much criticism, I thought they were really good, we created chances, were brave on the ball and the only thing we didn’t do was put the ball in the back of the net.”
Derby head coach Paul Warne could not hide his disappointment at conceding so late in the game.
“We weren’t at our best, Portsmouth came here in really good fettle and they kept going to the very end but to concede one so late on is disappointing,” he said.
“We can’t leave Bishop in the middle of the six on his own when we’ve got three centre-halves – that is very disappointing.
“We will obviously play a lot better and lose but today, once you’ve got your head in front we should be able to see the game out.
“If we had won everyone would have left the ground thinking great but I wouldn’t have thought that, I just thought we made too many unforced errors today which isn’t really like us.
“I think this team can achieve really good things but we have to perform collectively a little bit higher than that.”
The home supporters were absolutely incensed as they felt they had a strong claim for a free-kick on Ethan Chislett, moments before Conor Grant brought down Abu Kamara in the box.
Referee Craig Hicks pointed to the spot, though, and leading marksman Colby Bishop converted in the 88th minute to keep Pompey top of the League One table.
A couple of minutes later after play had re-started, the fan entered the pitch and attempted to confront Hicks from behind.
Having seen the fan closing in on him, Hicks ran away before stewards stepped in and dealt with the situation.
“First of all we don’t want to see any of that on a football pitch,” Mousinho said.
“It was a really bizarre incident.
“Thankfully nothing happened and the referee managed to evade the fan. Just very, very strange.
“But I think for the boys to compose themselves after that – there’s some really young lads out on the pitch as well – and make sure they then dealt with the barrage after that for six or seven minutes, that’s how you win games I think at any level, but particularly at this level.
“If you go 1-0 up late away from home, you’re going to have to sustain attacks and corners and crosses, and we did that really well.”
Port Vale released a statement shortly after the conclusion of the match, condemning the actions of the individual.
“We will work with the relevant authorities to ensure the matter and the individual is dealt with a zero tolerance approach,” it read.
“We remind all supporters that entering the field of play is a criminal offence.”
Valiants boss Andy Crosby believes the initial challenge on Chislett was by no means a definite foul.
“I think the initial challenge with Chis and their player, having looked at it now, I think it could have gone either way – I’ve got to be honest,” he said.
“The referee had a decent view of it.
“Sometimes you get them, sometimes you don’t.
“And then obviously the ball breaks into the box and taking that incident in isolation, I think then it’s a penalty yeah.
“We’ve got a set of players who are representing the club and care about it.
“We don’t want to lose games of football obviously, so when you concede a goal in that manner late in the game against the league leaders, obviously it’s frustrating and people are angry.
“But we have to look at that and learn lessons from that game like we do every one, and focus on the next one.”
The Robins produced a stubborn defensive display to pick up their first point of the season but it was the officials who stole the limelight when not one but two assistant referees limped off.
Fourth official Stephen Brown took over in the first half, but then he had to be replaced early in the second as an appeal was made for a qualified referee to volunteer, leading to 21 minutes of stoppage time.
Mousinho said: “I thought there was a chance the game could be called off because nobody knew what the affiliation of the fan who took over was.
“I was happy because he came down from our South Stand, so fair play to Cheltenham because they could have refused to play on.
“We were not quite on our game and it was a good opportunity for them to secure a point, which they did.
“Putting the game into words, up until the final third we were totally dominant.
“I don’t think we did quite enough to win the game, and we must start breaking these teams down. They come and play a certain way, which is frustrating, but we must overcome that.”
Cheltenham arrived without a win or a goal to their name and it showed, with no shots on targets in the opening half.
Pompey struggled to break down a five-man defence, and their two chances of note were in the seventh minute when a Connor Ogilvie shot flew wide, and an 11th-minute long-range effort from Joe Rafferty, saved by Luke Southwood.
Pompey came out fighting in the second half and Regan Poole thought he had scored with a header, but the ball hit a post and flew straight into goalkeeper Southwood’s arms.
Not even the lengthy stoppage-time period could produce a goal.
Cheltenham boss Wade Elliott said: “It was an outstanding performance from the team today.
“Over the past three or four seasons, a Cheltenham performance would be seen as gritty, organised, charismatic, one that carried a threat, and I thought we were all those things today.”
“I am very pleased that we are going home with a point.
“You could see that everybody played their part. There’s a spirit and camaraderie. There’s some tired bodies with wounds, limps and strains. It’s a tough league, and it’s been a tough start, with Saturday and midweek games.
“It will be nice to not have a game until next Saturday, which will give the players time to recover.”
“I thought the substitute assistant was the best we’ve had.”
The Robins produced a stubborn defensive display to pick up their first point of the season but it was the officials who stole the limelight when not one but two assistant referees limped off.
Fourth official Stephen Brown took over in the first half, but then he had to be replaced early in the second as an appeal was made for a qualified referee to volunteer, leading to 21 minutes of stoppage time.
Mousinho said: “I thought there was a chance the game could be called off because nobody knew what the affiliation of the fan who took over was.
“I was happy because he came down from our South Stand, so fair play to Cheltenham because they could have refused to play on.
“We were not quite on our game and it was a good opportunity for them to secure a point, which they did.
“Putting the game into words, up until the final third we were totally dominant.
“I don’t think we did quite enough to win the game, and we must start breaking these teams down. They come and play a certain way, which is frustrating, but we must overcome that.”
Cheltenham arrived without a win or a goal to their name and it showed, with no shots on targets in the opening half.
Pompey struggled to break down a five-man defence, and their two chances of note were in the seventh minute when a Connor Ogilvie shot flew wide, and an 11th-minute long-range effort from Joe Rafferty, saved by Luke Southwood.
Pompey came out fighting in the second half and Regan Poole thought he had scored with a header, but the ball hit a post and flew straight into goalkeeper Southwood’s arms.
Not even the lengthy stoppage-time period could produce a goal.
Cheltenham boss Wade Elliott said: “It was an outstanding performance from the team today.
“Over the past three or four seasons, a Cheltenham performance would be seen as gritty, organised, charismatic, one that carried a threat, and I thought we were all those things today.”
“I am very pleased that we are going home with a point.
“You could see that everybody played their part. There’s a spirit and camaraderie. There’s some tired bodies with wounds, limps and strains. It’s a tough league, and it’s been a tough start, with Saturday and midweek games.
“It will be nice to not have a game until next Saturday, which will give the players time to recover.”
“I thought the substitute assistant was the best we’ve had.”
Pompey looked to be missing their opportunity in front of their own fans when, needing one point to return to the second tier after a 12-year absence, they were 2-1 behind after Devante Cole and John McAtee struck either side of Kusini Yengi’s equaliser.
But the hosts hit back in the final seven minutes with Colby Bishop scoring from the penalty spot and Conor Shaughnessy heading home the winner.
Mousinho told BBC Radio Solent Sport: “I think once everything settles down it will sink in properly. I’ve never experienced anything like that, the last 15 minutes, it was absolutely incredible.
“Even at 2-1 down, to get the momentum and the crowd behind us, I am just so proud of the boys. I’m genuinely just so pleased for everyone connected to the football club. They’ve gone through so much.
“When we got it back to 3-2 I thought we have played so poor, but found a way to win somehow in a game where we really struggled. It really does sum up the boys.
“A tough night, tough conditions, but they got the job done. It’s hard for me to sum it up, but I get what’s happened over the last 15 years at the club and how difficult it was, on the brink of liquidation, to come back and have a night like this is incredible to be involved in.
“To be head coach, it is a privilege. Hopefully we can have a few more nights like this.
“I never could have imagined this happening this quickly. This was obviously the goal at some point, but didn’t think it would happen with two games to go this season. It is a remarkable achievement. That is a serious effort to be crowned champions ahead of some of the big boys in this league as well.”
Play-off chasing Barnsley, having lost three of their last four games, are four points above seventh-placed Lincoln.
Boss Neill Collins told the club’s official website: “There are a lot of positives. But the biggest frustration is that all those positives didn’t add up to what I thought would be a deserved victory.
“We perform like that, we’ll be fine. We’ll win games. It’s just the fine margins. For me, it’s the fine margins that have gone against us the past four or five games.
“Tonight again, it’s some of our doing. But that’s what we need to concentrate on. That’s what the Football League is all about.”
Pompey cemented their place at the summit after coming from behind to beat Lincoln 2-1 at Fratton Park.
A Paddy Lane effort and a Reagan Poole header against his old club ensured the hosts maintained their unbeaten start to the season after Hakeeb Adelakun’s opener.
Portsmouth lead the table by a point and Mousinho said: “It is very early in the season, but we would prefer to be here than anywhere else.
“It is a really good thing to have and to hold on to. We look at the league table and enjoy it and we hear the fans singing. We use it as extra motivation.
“I thought it was a professional performance and we controlled the game for large periods.
“The only criticism I have is that we didn’t put the game to bed in the second half, but it would have been very harsh if we hadn’t won the game.
“The noise is always noticeable, so for the crowd to go up after they scored made a massive difference because we know they’re behind us and willing us to win.
“It is a consequence of what the fans have seen here over the last few weeks.”
Striker Colby Bishop’s goals were key for Portsmouth last season, but the scoring burden has been shared around more this term, with a winger and centre-back both netting on this occasion.
“Last season we relied heavily on Colby for his goals and there wasn’t a huge amount beyond that,” said Mousinho.
“The coaching staff have worked with Paddy to get him in behind and score more. It is pleasing to see him do that.
“We need that as Colby isn’t always going to have the opportunities and goals so it is important everyone else chips in.”
Lincoln more than held their own and could have levelled late on but for a stunning Will Norris save and boss Mark Kennedy was full of praise for their performance.
He said: “I thought we were outstanding today. I have been head coach at Lincoln for about 70 games and that is one of the best performances we’ve had. But we’ve come out on the wrong end of the score.
“If we play like that most weeks then we will win loads of games. We were excellent today in multiple areas.”
Adelakun’s freak goal, after the ball was kicked into him, was his first of the season after coming close to leaving in the summer.
Kennedy added: “He’s trained really well.
“He’s been a top pro and I’ve told him from day one that if he comes in and does himself justice, I was genuinely pleased with him.
“I told him in the team talk that he was playing on merit.”
Colby Bishop was among the goals as Pompey came from behind to take the points.
Mousinho said: “We didn’t start particularly well but we became more consistent as the game went on, especially in the second half. I thought in that second period that we were the only side that looked like scoring.
“It seems to be a pivotal moment in the season by putting a marker down against one of the best teams in the league.
“We changed the way we pressed early on because (Peterborough defender Ronnie) Edwards was having too much time on the ball bringing it out.
“After that, I felt that we got the bit between the teeth having gone a goal down.
“The only criticism I would have is that we didn’t get a fourth, but we defended extremely well especially when down to 10 men.”
Posh took the lead after 20 minutes minutes as, with plenty of room and only one defender to beat, Ricky Jade Jones cut inside and curled the ball into the far corner.
Pompey equalised in the 38th minute when a Marlon Pack cross found Bishop, who headed home from close range.
Within five minutes, Pompey had the lead. A corner from the right saw Kwame Poku slice the ball into his own six-yard box for a surprised Abu Kamara to sweep home.
After Hector Kyprianou headed against his own bar, Pompey increased their lead after 59 minutes when a powerful low cross from Kamara saw Regan Poole net from close range.
Joe Morrell saw red after a second yellow five minutes from time, but Pompey held on for the points despite nine added minutes of play.
Peterborough boss Darren Ferguson said: “It’s a disappointing result. Nobody likes losing, but that’s three defeats in a row now.
“We’ve got an extremely young squad and I’m not sure we are quite ready yet for this sort of game.
“It’s always a difficult place to come and we need to learn to keep our focus and concentration. That is key to getting results. We just haven’t got that ruthless touch at the moment.
“We started well. Ricky scored and missed a good chance for 2-0. He was a thorn in their side until he went off. He turned his ankle after hitting the barriers, took another knock after that, and had to come off.”
Centre-back Shaughnessy bagged his first Pompey goal in the 98th minute when he connected with Jack Sparkes’ corner to send Fratton Park wild.
Pompey had gone behind to Wycombe captain Josh Scowen’s near post-flick from Luke Leahy’s in-swinging corner in the 22nd minute but responded after 58 minutes when Abu Kamara’s low cross was stabbed in by Colby Bishop, who netted his sixth goal of the season.
Mousinho said: “It feels amazing to be honest. To have the reaction to scoring the goal in front of the Fratton End; the whole stadium went up.
“I thought we thoroughly deserved the win. We obviously left it very late, and I only allowed myself a few seconds to celebrate because I knew I had to get Sean Raggett on straight away”
“I thought our chance had gone when Colby missed a chance at the far post.
“My emotions wouldn’t have been quite as happy if we hadn’t scored that late goal but I would have been as happy with the performance and how we went about things. Overall I’m pleased with tonight.
“We stood up to the physical test really well. Wycombe are really good at what they do. They have a Premier League centre forward and have plenty of Championship calibre behind it.
“We went a goal behind and it is difficult from there. Wycombe sat in and made it difficult. We stuck at it under difficult circumstances and were absolutely superb.”
Pompey recorded their 22nd game unbeaten in Sky Bet League One to stay top.
Wycombe boss Matt Bloomfield complained Shaughessy’s winner had come after a foul on his goalkeeper Max Stryjek.
He said: “I am very angry and frustrated, and also sorry for the supporters who made the journey on a Tuesday night.
“It was a blatant foul on the goalkeeper for their second. Their player jumps into him and prevents him from catching the ball and flattens him.
“I was very proud of the lads tonight and thought we carried a threat even in the second half. We deserved something from the game.
“Decisions against us are becoming a regular occurrence.
“It is so disappointing that the lads work extremely hard and decisions like that cost us getting something out of the game. That’s the second game in a row we have been hard done by.
“We were really looking forward to this game, so disappointed to come away with nothing.
“We obviously have to pick ourselves up from this. We go to Fleetwood on Saturday, and we need to start getting points.”
