Sikker sejr på 1-0 eller hvad?
Kal Naismith var en lettet mand, sidste sæsons topscorer for Pompey har ikke fået meget spilletid under manager Kenny Jackett, og først i de seneste par kampe har Naismith været med fra start.
Så endelig at score, det må have været et lettelsens suk der kom fra Naismith, der faktisk var tæt på at score en gang mere, da han på en friløber sparkede på indersiden af stolpen.
Inden da havde Pompey rokeret rundt på 3 pladser, Matt Clarke rykkede ind centralt og gav plads til unge Haunstrup, der faktisk har samme alder som Clarke, ude på venstrebacken, en opgave han løste flot igen. På højrebacken var Nathan Thompson med og endelig fik Conor Chaplin for blot anden gang i denne sæson, chancen fra start.
Pompey havde bolden mest, og satte pres på Plymouth, der skabte meget lidt.
Plymouths keeper, fik hovedrollen i kampen, for en lang bold nede fra forsvaret, ja den bedømte keeperen forkert, for pludselig var han lige uden for feltet, og kunne ikke tage hænderne i brug, og så var Naismith hurtig i at få bolden fra keeperen, og kunne lige få fart nok på bolden, så den trillede over stregen.
Gareth Evans havde i anden halvleg en stor chance, og det krævede noget af en redning af Plymouths emergency loan keeper at redde den bold, som de fleste havde set inde.
Oplægget kom fra Chaplin, som spillede en god kamp, og som linkede rigtig godt op med Naismith, og de to store spillere fik Plymouth aldrig fat på.
En afslutning havde Plymouth på Pompeymålet, og det fortæller en meget sikker sejr, som i overtiden var ved at smutte, da Ciftci lige akkurat ikke nåede frem til en bold, havde den tidligere Pompeyspiller nået den, havde det lignet et ufortjent 1-1.
Med sejren rykker Pompey op på 7.pladsen, men har 5 point op, og desværre har de to hold placeret lige over os, 2 kampe i hånden, så sejren var vigtig for ikke at blive sat helt.
Plymouth-manager Derek Adams:
“It was a 0-0 draw written all over it but we make a mistake and they get a goal.
“Both teams didn’t have any real efforts on goal so, from my point of view, it’s the worst game I have been involved Portsmouth against Plymouth. It was rubbish.”
They (Portsmouth) weren’t in our 18-yard box in the first half. We were the better team.
“In the second half we pushed on and we went for it. Overall, as a spectacle, it wasn’t great.”
“There was nothing in the game,” said Adams. “Both sides probably lacked a bit of firepower and the goalkeepers had really no saves to make.
“We had some good balls in the box but we weren’t able to get that goal to get back in the game.”
“We have been on a very good run and picked up a lot of points. We just move on now.
“I don’t feel we deserved to lose the match. It was a poor game from the point of view of chances created.
Pompey-manager Kenny Jackett:
“We’ve need to find the goalscoring equation with Brett being out and Naismith has got a key one for us on this occasion.
“We had a spell at the start of the second half when we played very good football and created a lot of chances.
“At that point we were looking to get goal number two and perhaps even three, but they just didn’t come.
“We were a bit unlucky and Kal hit the post, but the emphasis then changed and we had to show our battling qualities.
“There were a lot of long throws into our box late on and we showed a very good attitude to negate them in a tense period.
“The referee added a lot of injury time, so the players had to remain resolute to ensure we got over the line.”
“We had to make changes and we’ll see how the injuries are, but Burgess will be back next week after his one-match ban.
“Hawkins had a very good game for us at the back and Naismith has obviously made a telling contribution to get us the three points.”
Pompey ratings:
Luke McGee: Did well with little thrown his way – 7
Nathan Thompson: Solid as ever – 7
Oli Hawkins (1): Injury ended another impressive display – 7
Matt Clarke: Absolute rock – 8
Brandon Haunstrup: Superbly dealt with Graham Carey – 8
Ben Close: Back on song after Peterborough blip – 7
Danny Rose: Dominated the midfield – 9
Gareth Evans: Denied goal by brilliant Matthews save – 7
Kal Naismith (2): You can never write him off – 8
Jamal Lowe: Excellent first half – 7
Conor Chaplin (3): Ran himself into the ground for Pompey cause – 7
Subs:
(1) Matty Kennedy (59 mins): Asked to defend mainly – 6
(2) Stuart O’Keefe (83 mins)
League One, Fratton Park, 25/11-2017
Portsmouth – Plymouth 1-0 (1-0)
25 min 1-0 Kal Naismith
Pompey (4-2-3-1): McGee; Thompson, Hawkins (59.Kennedy), Clarke, Haunstrup; Close, Rose; Evans (c), Naismith (83. O’Keefe), Lowe; Chaplin (90.Main)
Bænken: Bass, Talbot, May, O’Keefe, Bennett, Kennedy, Main
Gule kort: Kennedy
Tilskuere: 17.923
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