En scoring av midtstopper Christian Burgess sørget for tre viktige Pompey-poeng mot opprykksrival Luton.

Christian Burgess scoret sitt tredje mål for sesongen da han headet inn en corner fra Carl Baker etter rundt en halvtime. Seieren kunne og burde blitt større, men Pompey misbrukte blant annet et straffespark (Gary Roberts) og store sjanser ved blant annet Gareth Evans og Enda Stevens.

Seieren sørger for at Pompey har sikret seg full pott mot opprykksrivalen Luton ettersom vi vant 3-1 borte tidligere i sesongen. Pompey er nå nummer fire på tabellen, Luton nummer seks. Det er fire poeng for Pompey opp til Carlisle på 3. plassen som gir direkte opprykk.

For Luton ble tapet ekstra bittert ettersom de mistet Cameron McGeehan med skade i 1. omgang. Han ble kjørt til sykehus og vil være ute i lang tid.

Kommentarer fra Pompeys ass. manager Leam Richardson

«To win was the main priority today. First half our possession was excellent. In the second half Luton put us under pressure, they are a good team. They have got a lot of good individual players. Luton will be right up there come the end of the season. It was a good game for neutrals.

We have been putting pressure on our centre halves to score on our set pieces and we have worked hard on them. This was a great start of the second half of the season for Christian Burgess.»

Kommentarer fra matchvinner Christian Burgess

«A clean sheet is the thing we focus on first and foremost as defenders, but I’m obviously delighted that the header went in. It was a great ball in from Baker and I just had to attack it. I got across the keeper and then it was pretty much an open goal.

I’m disappointed that I couldn’t get a second from another fantastic cross from Naismith – I should have put it on target. Luton did well in the second half and put us under a lot of pressure, although we still had chances on the break.

“So we’re chuffed as a unit not to concede and when you do that, you increase your chances of winning games. I’m proud of the boys – Clarkey was fantastic and Gareth Evans deserved his man-of-the-match award.”

League Two, Fratton Park, 2. januar 2017

Portsmouth – Luton Town 1-0 (1-0)

31. min. 1-0 Christian Burgess

Opstillingen (4-2-3-1): Forde; Evans, Burgess, Clarke, Stevens; Rose (Linganzi 84), Doyle (c); Baker (Hunt 80), Naismith, Bennett (Roberts 68); Smith

På bænken: O’Brien, Whatmough, Lalkovic, Chaplin

Advarsel: Forde og Hunt

Udvisning: Ingen

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