Pompey videre i Checkatrade Trophy

Med sejren på 2-0 over gæsterne fra Northampton, er Pompey nu blandt de sidste 16 hold i pokalturneringen, som stadig ikke er populær blandt fansene. Lidt over 1700 tilskuere var på plads til kampen, og de fik set to mandskaber, der faktisk stillede op med nærmest stærkeste opstilling!

Kampen startede dog noget roligt men med spredte forsøg til begge hold inden kampen eksploderede i det 40.minut. Først med et forsøg fra Rose fra distancen, og på det efterfølgende hjørne får gæsterne en kontramulighed med en god chance og et efterfølgende hjørne, som bliver brudt og på kontraen, ja der lægger Conor Chaplin en præcis aflevering til Gareth Evans der let kunne score til 1-0 med hovedet.

Efter pausen kom gæsterne stærkt ud og satte Pompey under pres, men det kneb med effektiviteten og da de havde den gode mulighed, ja så reddede McGee hovedstødet.

Pompey fik stille og roligt arbejdet sig ud af presset og det så lidt for let ud, da Nathan Thompson fandt O’Keefe der stille og roligt kunne score til 2-0.

I slutfasen havde Pompey to store chancer, og Drew Talbot må spørge sig selv hvordan han kunne brænde den mulighed efter at Chaplin havde spillet ham fri.

Pompey assistent manager Joe Gallen:

‘I thought it was a very efficient performance from ourselves and very professional, we deserved to win the game. ‘It is always the aim to start the game solid, not to concede goals or allow too many chances and that is how it panned out for us. ‘I was a bit disappointed how just after half-time we gave away what I thought was a bit of a needless free-kick and that led to their best chance with the header from Taylor – and our keeper made a brilliant save. ‘It is fair to say, though, we probably could have scored a few more, their keeper had quite a good day in the second half and had a spell for 30 seconds where we seemed to save three or four goal-bound shots.

‘Obviously we will take the two goals we scored and move on.’

Northampton manager Jimmy Floyd Haisselbank:

“It didn’t quite happen for us today and that has been the case in a few of our games this season,” he said.

“We created a couple of chances today and you have to take those chances. We are getting into some good positions but we must capitalise on that.

“The game was a bit up and down for us today but we are trying to improve and find consistency in the things that we are doing well.

“Sam Hoskins got a good 60 minutes, I could have played him for a bit longer but he is an important player for us and I wanted to make sure he would be fine for Oldham.

“Chris Long rolled his ankle and that’s why we took him off at half-time but I don’t think it’s anything too serious.

“Shaun McWilliams should be back next week, Daniel Powell will be close but John-Joe O’Toole may need a little bit longer. He is running again but we will see.

“We are disappointed to be out this competition but we only have the league to focus on now and hopefully that will help.”

Checkatrade Trophy, Fratton Park, 2/12-2017

Portsmouth – Northampton 2-0 (1-0)

41 min 1-0 Gareth Evans

56 min 2-0 Stuart O’Keefe

Portsmouth (4-2-3-1): McGee; Thompson, Burgess, Clarke, Haunstrup (Talbot 69); O’Keefe, Rose; Evans (c), Chaplin, Lowe (Kennedy 88); Main

Bænken: Bass, Casey, May, Bennett, Lethbridge, Main, Talbot, Kennedy

Gule kort: Ingen

Tilskuere: 1.780

Under følger videoer og flere bilder fra kampen: