The comeback kings.
Trods nede med 0-2 lykkedes det på næsten vanlig vis at få vendt kampen ude mod Reading til en sejr. Dermed er vi samlet set oppe på nu 26 ligakampe uden nederlag, og har fået skabt et forspring på hele seks points ned til nr. 2 og 3, der dog begge har en kamp i baghånden.
Der var fire ændringer i startelleveren denne lørdag. En af dem var at Terry Devlin fik sin første ligastart for holdet, mens også Tino Anjorin, Joe Rafferty og Jack Sparkes var med fra start.
Den officielle kamprapport
Eftertanken
Endnu engang kom vi i problemer og formåede at spille os ud af dem, men hvor længe varer det ved? Med tanke på hjemmeholdets form og hvor få mål de på de seneste havde scoret var det lettere foruroligende, hvor let Reading kom til chancer mod os. Havde de scoret på den store mulighed de havde ved stillingen 2-1 kunne det være blevet en anden kamp. Heldigvis fik vi derefter sat os tungt på kampen mens gassen gik af deres ballon. Mod en bedre modstander er det ikke sikkert at det var gået godt. Så fra tid til anden lever vi livet farligt, men omvendt skal spillerne også have kredit for aldrig at give op. Det kan bære os rigtig langt, og har reelt allerede gjort det. Et andet plus er, hvor hurtigt de nye spillere har sat deres præg på truppen, og leverer når de kommer på banen. Terry Devlin er det seneste eksempel. Det er synd at sige, at vi har været forskånet for skader, men det har ikke kostet fordi at vi nu har bredden til at kompensere for det.
Et hurtigt liga-overblik
Lige bag os smed Oxford for tredje kamp på stribe points da det kun blev til 2-2 hjemme mod Wycombe i en kamp, som de ellers sad godt på. På tredjepladsen finder vi Bolton, der efter lidt svingende form efterhånden er oppe i omdrejninger igen. De vandt med 2-0 hos ellers også formstærke Charlton. Også Peterborough begynder at røre på sig og vandt med 4-2 hos Blackpool. Barnsley, derimod, måtte se den dårlige statistik hjemme på Oakwell fortsætte da det blot blev til 2-2 mod Fleetwood, der endda førte indtil kort før tid.
I bunden af rækken sendte vi Reading ned på sidstepladsen da Cheltenham samtidig vandt hos Port Vale, der efterhånden er gået helt i stå. Fleetwood er stadig under stregen trods det ene point mod Barnsley mens Carlisle røg ned blandt de fire sidste efter 0-1 hos Cambridge.
Kommentarer fra head coach John Mousinho
“We made life extremely difficult with the way we started the game – it was as poor as we’d been. It was unrecognisable from us for half-an-hour and took a proverbial kick in the face to really get going. We can’t use the protests as an excuse because Reading had exactly the same issues to deal with. It was just sloppy things that cost us. After that, though, we were excellent and for the first 30 minutes of the second half, we were the only team in it. I was still very positive that we could get back because we weren’t 2-0 down due to problems that we couldn’t solve. We just hadn’t woken up and weren’t playing the way we know they can. Then there was a switch, we did things properly and got our rewards. It did get slightly nervy towards the end of the game, but that was a consequence of us not putting it to bed. There are periods where we have to be a lot better than that, although overall there are certainly a lot of positives.”
Et par ord fra Terry Devlin
“It hasn’t really hit me yet, but it was an amazing feeling when it went in and the noise the fans made was crazy. Sometimes Colby will go for goal there, but thankfully he’s nodded it down and I was there to finish it. I’ve been working hard with Zesh after training on timing my runs to get into the box. I’d missed a couple before, but took the chance. I don’t think that I’m going to forget that in a hurry – it’s going to have to be a really good moment to top that one. To get my first league goal in my first start in my first year in English football is a dream come true for me. I was surprised to be told I was in the team on Thursday after being left out on Tuesday night, but it’s about the whole squad if you want to be promoted. You need to be ready when you’re called upon and thankfully I was for this one. I slept well the night before and couldn’t wait to get on the pitch. We know we’re a good team and could get ourselves back in the game. We just flipped a switch and were confident we could win it.”
League One, The Select Car Leasing Stadium, 28. oktober 2023
Reading – Portsmouth 2-3 (2-2)
23. minut: 1-0 Lewis Wing
27. minut: 2-0 Charlie Savage
33. minut: 2-1 Tino Anjorin
45. minut: 2-2 Colby Bishop
58. minut: 2-3 Terry Devlin
Opstillingen (4-2-3-1): Norris; Rafferty, Poole, Shaughnessy, Sparkes (Swanson ‘90); Robertson (Raggett ‘90), Morrell (anfører); Lane (Kamara ‘73), Devlin (Saydee ‘73), Anjorin (Whyte ‘62); Bishop
På bænken: Schofield, Yengi, Swanson, Raggett, Kamara, Saydee og Whyte
Advarsler: Robertson og Saydee
Udvisning: Ingen
Tilskuere: 14.417, heraf 2.871 medrejsende Pompey supportere
Interview efter kampen med John Mousinho
Interview med Terry Devlin
Kampens Højdepunkter
