Close but no cigar, da Pompey kom under pres.

Det var igen et ungt hold Pompey sendte på banen til 2.runde kampen mod Reading fra Championship.

Igen viste de unge spillere vejen, og kunne spille op med favoritterne.
For igen viste Pompey vejen og skabte mange chancer, og det foran mere end 18.000 tilskuere. Det er ikke ofte at så mange er på Fratton Park end tirsdag aften til en cup kamp.

Godt spil

Stockley var første mand med en chance, men han kom ikke frem til indlægget, kort efter måtte Readings Cox se et skud afrettet.
Så var Chaplins tur, han var med fra start, og hans forsøg fra 20-25 meter, var ikke helt ufarlig. Det var til gengæld Stockleys afslutning, da han tæt uner mål, skød over. Der skulle Pompey have bragt sig på 1-0.

Pompey havde bolden mest i første halvleg, men Reading var lurende på kontraer og forsøg udefra.

Føring

Pompey kom foran 1-0, da unge Chaplin kynisk og skarpt udnyttede en fejl hos reading efter en lang bold fra Hollands, og satte den ind fra en meget svær vinkel.

Så var Fratton End i ekstase.

Efter pausen skiftede Reading gear og kom med mere tempo og mere fysik. Det var dog Pompey der var nær 2-0, da Chaplins skud gik snert forbi

Udligningen var et flot mål, god indsats fra Blackman og 6 min før slutfløjtet satte indskiftede McCleary bolden ind til 1-2.

Eftertanke

Pompey faldt med ære vil være en slidt frase at bruge, og falde med ære, er der ikke så meget brugbart i. Men der må være masser af optimisme at tage med, når de unge igen kan spille med. Men Reading kom med mere fyisk, og for de unge, kan de se hvad der skal arbejdes på.

I alt 6 unge spillere på max 20 år var på banen for Pompey, og igen et forsvar med 3 helt unge spillere

Kommentarer fra The News:

Good show all around lets keep our feet on the ground Reading did not want to
get too stuck in they want Promotion like us not this silly cup.

Great performance all around, a few more players and we could do well in The Championship we have players who will get better and better especially some of the young ones like Chaplin

Well done Connor excellent take. Full credit to to Danny Hollands who was outstanding. Great team performance first half, I thought we got a little ‘bullied’ of the ball in the second, but a great all round performance non the less.

I enjoyed the game last night and was fortunate enough to be sat in the South Stand right behind Conor as he skipped around their keeper and somehow managed to squeeze a very fierce shot through a tight angle into the net… What a GOAL!!! He is a special talent, we’ll have to work hard at to keep him in the coming months/years. Well done to all involved last night it was a good game and well supported 18,000 + Amazing!!.

So two up top as I suggested last week and Cooky went for a good compromise… Chaplin has the speed, hunger and eye for that goal. If he can do it against Championship players he’ll be able to do it against Luton at the weekend.

I’d also play Jones and Close. Webbo did well too, but I’d have him on the bench for now. As Cooky said everyone’s doing a great job and no one will be left out for not performing… 

It really is the best headache to have

Reading Assistant manager Kevin Keen:

“We maybe have not had the luck in front of goal in our league games so perhaps last night was the culmination of all our hard work because the winning goal was from a couple of yards.

“Perhaps that’s something we’ve deserved in the last couple of games which hasn’t come about.

“We’re really pleased with the result. It kept our little run going, although perhaps we haven’t got the results we’ve wanted in the league, that’s still five unbeaten now.

“Coming back from 1-0 down at Porstmouth, with that crowd, was a really good effort. We’re really pleased with the boys.”

Pompey-manager Paul Cook:

“All in all it was a very positive night for us – it’s just a shame that we couldn’t quite get through and we wish Reading the best of luck in the next round.

“We’ve got a good work ethic at the club and you could see how high our fitness levels were and the appetite the players have for the game.

“The young players all did well – Webster looked outstanding, Close played very well, Chaplin scores goals for fun and Haunstrup’s coming through with flying colours.

“But I also thought that Kyle Bennett was very impressive at times and Paul Jones was excellent in goal – I could go on and on.

“We’ve got selection headaches, but I’ve had them since pre-season and we’re very lucky that we’ve got such good players.

League Cup 2.round, Fratton Park, 25/8-15

Portsmouth – Reading 1-2 (1-0)

40. min.: 1-0 Chaplin

64. min.: 1-1 Blackman

84. min.: 1-2 McCleary

Pompey (4-2-3-1): Jones; Evans, Webster, Clarke, Haunstrup; Close, Hollands (c); McGurk (Dunne 79), Chaplin (Tollitt 83), Bennett (Tubbs 89); Stockley

Bænken: Murphy, Burgess, Atangana, Roberts, Tubbs, Dunne, Tollit

Tilskuere: 18.190 (2.082 away fans)