En forløsning.
Der var aldrig tvivl om udfaldet da Pompey uden besvær hentede sæsonens største ligasejr mod formsvage og modløse Cheltenham. De tre point ændrede intet i tabellen, hvor vi stadig ligger på en 10. plads, men de understregede fremgangen under John Mousinho.
Vores head coach havde to ændringer i ærmet til startelleveren. Ronan Curtis fik chancen på bekostning af Reeco Hackett mens Paddy Lane måtte vige pladsen for Michael Jacobs. Med scoringer til både Curtis og Jacobs gav de fuld bonus.
Den officielle kamprapport
Eftertanken
Vi har ikke set mange kampe med et potent og flydende angrebsspil i denne sæson. Derfor må sejren mod Cheltenham have føltes for en forløsning for både spillere og supportere. Baggrunden kan diskuteres men vi har tidligere i sæsonen haft problemer med bundklubberne så resultatet er et konkret tegn på at der gradvist er flere ting som falder i hak for holdet. Forud for kampen mente Mousinho da også, at han gennem de seneste uger havde observeret flere små eksempler på at automatismerne i spillet var ved at nærme sig. Det ville have givet tro på mere, hvis det altså ikke var fordi at der er (for) langt op til top seks. Som det er nu må vi nøjes med at glæde os over fremgangen og håbe på, at det er noget som kan overføres til næste sæson.
Et hurtigt liga-overblik
To af top 6 klubberne rendte ind i store nederlag denne lørdag. Derby tabte med 1-4 til Barnsley, der understregede, at de ikke har planer om at give sjettepladsen fra sig. Plymouth gik ned med 2-5 hos Peterborough, der samtidig viste at de på ingen måde har opgivet at hente netop Barnsley. Bolton, Ipswich og Sheffield Wednesday hentede alle tre points via knebne sejre mens Wycombe, der just har mistet deres manager Gareth Ainsworth til QPR, virkede modløse da de blev slået med 2-0 i Shrewsbury.
Kommentarer fra head coach John Mousinho
“The first 45 minutes is the best I’ve seen us play under my tenure – and probably as good as you’ll see in League One this season. It wasn’t so good after the break. We got a bit sloppy and that allowed Cheltenham to apply some pressure. But it can be difficult to sustain those levels when you’re 3-0 up and overall we’re really pleased with the performance. We moved the ball well in the first half and were brave in possession, making it very difficult for our opponents to get to grips with our shape. The lads were supporting each other, not keeping possession just for the sake of it and providing options. We mixed things well. To come away with a 4-0 win and our centre-forward hasn’t scored – although, of course, we’d have liked him to – is important. When I came in it was clear that we didn’t have a lot of goals from midfield or wide areas and that’s so important, so we need to keep focusing on that. It shows the lads are capable of playing like that – and against a side who took Plymouth all the way earlier in the week. Things will change on Tuesday, but it instils some belief in them and we’ll keep reinforcing the positives. We want to maintain those standards.”
Et par ord fra Ryan Tunnicliffe
“The first half performance was the best we’ve put on this season and it was great from the lads. I just tried to pass the ball into the bottom corner for my goal – as all the best finishers do – and thankfully this one went in. It was nice to also get the assist for Ronan. He’s a good friend of mine, so it was great to be able to put one on a plate for him. Every footballer wants to be out there on the pitch and contributing and so I was pleased to be able to play a part.”
“We knew Cheltenham would come out stronger after the break and we had to weather a 15-minute storm, while still having more clear-cut chances of our own. I think that all the work the new manager has done since coming to the club has shown in how we played. He put his stamp on things and the energy was high, we were patient with the ball and created so many opportunities. And it makes thing so much easier when everyone in the side is playing well – we had a lot of control.”
League One, Fratton Park, 25. februar 2023
Portsmouth – Cheltenham Town 4-0 (3-0)
05. minut: 1-0 Ryan Tunnicliffe
20. minut: 2-0 Michael Jacobs
26. minut: 3-0 Ronan Curtis
90. minut: 4-0 Louis Thompson
Opstillingen 4-2-3-1): Macey; Rafferty, Raggett (anfører), Towler, Ogilvie; Tunnicliffe (Thompson ‘68), Morrell; Dale (Hume ‘85), Jacobs (Lane ‘76), Curtis (Scarlett ‘68); Bishop (Pigott ‘76)
På bænken: Oluwayemi, Bernard, Thompson, Hume, Lane, Scarlett og Pigott.
Advarsel: Ogilvie
Tilskuere: 17.504, hvoraf 366 havde taget turen ned fra Cheltenham
Post-match interview med John Mousinho
Interview med Ryan Tunnicliffe og Ronan Curtis
Kampens højdepunkter
