Pompeys reserver klarte seg bra i ligacupkampen borte mot Coventry, men det endte med tap etter ekstraomganger.

Ude af Cuppen efter 1.runde er resultatet for Pompey da de i overtiden tabte 2-3 til Coventry fra League One.

Manager Paul Cook satte et særdeles ungt hold og garneret med de spillere der ikke fik spilletid i den første kamp, ja så var der tale om 11 ændringer.

Det betød Bass fik plads mellem stængerne og flere af de unge ligså fik spilletid. Dermed viste Cook ligeså hvad Liga Cuppen betød for ham, det eneste det handler om er ligaen. Med tanken på den nye cupturnering i JPT, må vi nok forvente det ikke kun er tilskuerne der ikke vil turneringen.

God start

Pompey startede godt og fik stille og roligt sat sig på kampen efter en god start fra The Sky Blues. Bennett som var særdeles livlig igennem hele kampen og var involveret i meget, var spilleren der blev begået straffe imod, da Tudgay (hvad lavede angriberen i eget felt) begik straffe.
Det fik dog Coventry spillerne til at protestere voldsomt, men straffet var dømt og det blev Curtis Main der satte sit første mål for Pompey.

Pompey holdt føringen op til pausen og var som sådan holdet i kontrol.

Efter pausen kom indskiftningen der ændrede meget. Coventry satte 18 årige Jodi Jones ind, og hvilken kamp han spillede. Han var med i stort set alt der skete og Coventry fik da også sat sig på kampen.

Med 2 mål, det sidste sat ind af deres nye spiller fra Bulgarien, så lignede det exit for Pompey. Men Kal Naismithder fik chancen fra start som back, trods det han er sat på transferlisten, ja han satte et godt frispark fra 22 meter kort før tid.

Pompey havde to løse chancer for at lukke kampen, men fik ikke udnyttet dem.

I ekstratiden fortsatte mønsteret, og det var ikke ufortjent at Coventry vandt og bookede en plads i 2.runde.

Hvad så videre

For Pompey ligner det 11 nye ændringer i start XI til kampen i weekenden.

For Pompey må vi glæde os over vi har en stærk trup, når vores 2.hold kan spille lige op med et League One hold. Men med denne brede trup, er Cooks udfordring at holde alle spillerne glade, så der er spilletid. Omvendt får spillerne deres løn og skal agere professionelt, men mekanismerne der starter hvis Pompey ikke får point, dem kender alle kun alt for godt…

Pompey manager Paul Cook:

‘With all due respect, I will not shirk decisions. ‘

I am not going to be a manager who does that at this club.

‘We are a massive football club doing our best to get out of the league. ‘Our priority this year must be for our main players in name at the minute to be on the pitch in those games and I will stick to that.

Great credit to our supporters who turned up but we all know the priority and I think if we all stay on that page then we will be okay. ‘Coventry made three changes and it meant a lot to them to win last night.

‘Good luck, every club has different priorities, I don’t mind that. ‘The reality for us is this competition is not our priority, albeit last year we enjoyed a couple of big games.

The same goes for the EFL Trophy. ‘If teams want to beat us and if, unfortunately, we are not good enough to win then I’ll accept that.

The league is our bread and butter and priority.’

Pompey målscorer Curtus Main:

“The lads put absolutely everything into the tie and I felt that it was a very strong performance.

“It’s disappointing to come away without having got the result because I felt we deserved our lead.

“It’s always nice to put the ball in the back of the net and I’m pleased to have scored my first goal for the club.

“We were probably a bit unlucky not to get a second because that could have meant a different story.

“The game got stretched as legs got a little bit tired and that allowed their quality players to get on the ball and dictate play more.”

Coventry blogger:

Another roller coaster ride of a night watching Coventry. The first half was very worrying and we had similar problems to what we saw on Saturday – a lack of incision in the final third. Again, we kept the ball well at times but at no point did Portsmouth’s back line look in any real danger. On a positive note, our own defence restricted the space in front of Reice Charles-Cook very well and apart from the dubious penalty, the away side didn’t really have any clear openings.

Just finally, I’d like to thank the loyal band of Portsmouth fans who made the long jaunt to watch the game. You behaved impeccably throughout and supported your side with great vocal backing, but all Coventry fans appreciate you joining in with the applause to remember the life of Jayden Parsons, a City supporter who sadly passed away a year ago. You are a credit to your club.

League Cup 1.round, Ricoh Arena, 9/8-16

Coventry – Portsmouth 3-2 aet (0-1)

19 min 0-1 Curtis Main

60 min 1-1 Ryan Haynes

82 min 2-1 Vladimir Gadzhev

85 min 2-2 Kal Naismith

106 min 3-2 Andy Rose

Portsmouth: Bass (GK), Davies, Naismith, Buxton (Talbot 77′), Barton (C), May, Linganzi, Bennett, Tollitt, Evans (Chaplin 64′), Main (Hunt 84′).

Bænken: O’Brien (GK), Whatmouth, Doyle, Baker. Talbot, Hunt, Chaplin

Gult kort: Naismith