Jake Smith provides the report of Pompey's 4-1 victory over Reading at Fratton Park.
Head coach John Mousinho named a starting XI with 3 changes from the Blues' midweek victory over Cambridge United at Fratton Park, 2 of which enforced due to injury. Tom Lowery was substituted in the first half on Tuesday night and was subsequently replaced in Saturday's lineup by Owen Moxon, meanwhile Myles Peart-Harris was out of the squad entirely and replaced by Callum Lang and Colby Bishop was chosen to start over Aussie striker Kusini Yengi.
The reverse of this fixture at the Select Car Leasing Stadium was nothing short of explosive as the Blues managed to come from 2 goals behind to win 3-2 - Terry Devlin the matchwinner on that day back in October. The Northern Irishman was nowhere to be seen on this occasion however as he had recently suffered a shoulder injury which Mousinho later confirmed would likely see him miss the remainder of the season.
Gavin Whyte and Christian Saydee were back in the matchday squad as a result of those injuries sustained in the week to Tom Lowery and Myles Peart-Harris.
This match welcomed 20,113 supporters through the gates of Fratton Park - Pompey's highest attendance on home soil since 2011!
First Half:
Pompey weren't able to fully carry over the momentum from their midweek victory over Cambridge United into this game and allowed Reading to hit the ground running to start the match the strongest of the 2 teams.
Femi Azeez had a big chance 10 minutes in but his shot was deflected toward Will Norris, who could only parry into the path of Paul Mukairu at a tight angle, however that rebounded effort was gathered with ease.
The Royals continued their relentless start to the game and that gave confidence to Andy Yiadom to try his luck from outside of the box on the 16th minute, though that sailed high into the Fratton End.
John Mousinho's side had their half-chances in the opening half an hour but most of which were wasteful with final balls in dangerous areas being overhit and teammates not quite being on the same wavelength.
Reading's stretched play out wide with thanks to the likes of Lewis Wing and Femi Azeez forced at times Marlon Pack to drift out to the right-hand side and allow space in central areas for the visitors to exploit, leaving Owen Moxon on his first start for the club battling alone to try and hold off the continued pressure.
Kelvin Ehibhatiomhan proved to be a handful in the first half, teeing up Paul Mukairu on the 20th minute for Reading's best chance of the game, however Mukairu's touch from inside the 6-yard box with Norris virtually helpless was poor and somehow the effort went over the bar - It looked easier to score than miss, so a massive let off for the Blues.
3 minutes later the visiting pressure continued and again Ehibhatiomhan was at the centre of it, this time he opted to shoot inside of the box, though Norris equal to it to parry out for a corner.
Pompey had their own chances between minutes 25-35 and 2 of the best came from dead-ball situations - Free kicks from Abu Kamara and Marlon Pack forcing late clearances from The Royals to deny the Blues the opener.
GOAL - With 36 minutes on the clock, it was the hosts who took the lead and probably against the run of play too. Paddy Lane the goalscorer after some fight from Abu Kamara running down the middle of the pitch toward goal to keep the chance alive, feeding Lane on the left-hand side - Lane then took a touch and fired a powerful effort toward David Button, who got a touch on the shot but couldn't prevent it from hitting the back of the net - PORTSMOUTH 1-0 Reading.
Shortly before the interval, Sean Raggett had to act quickly to make a last-ditch challenger after Marlon Pack had sold him short with a poor pass backwards - That mistake was quickly cleared.
The final chance of the half came for Portsmouth through Paddy Lane, intercepting a poor lofted ball from one side to another - He took a couple of touches and unleashed a low driven effort toward goal which went agonisingly wide.
Half-time: Portsmouth 1-0 Reading
Second Half:
Everybody inside Fratton Park knew that Pompey had to start the second half off quickly with Reading's pressure likely to continue after the break.
Marlon Pack had a free kick less than 2 minutes after the restart cleared out to Owen Moxon, who looked likely to shoot first time but decided to play safe and feed the ball out wide to Abu Kamara. Moxon received the ball back and put a dangerous cross into the path of Sean Raggett, who climbed highest to connect to a header, though unfortunately it went wide.
GOAL - And just 4 minutes after the restart Pompey doubled their lead through captain Marlon Pack, who cushioned a right-footed shot into the far corner of the Reading goal, taking a few touches in the box and avoiding a few attempts from The Royals' defence to clear the ball - Abu Kamara with his 2nd assist of the game after an excellent bit of skill on the right-hand side, turning a player in midfield and bursting down the wing to tee up Pack in the middle - PORTSMOUTH 2-0 Reading.
Sam Smith was introduced shortly after that goal and replaced Paul Mukairu - Smith had an instant impact and provided something up-top for Reading that they had lacked since Pompey's first half opener. Less than 60 seconds after coming on, he fancied himself with an effort from range, only for Will Norris to claim comfortably.
Femi Azeez persisted in his attempts to breach the Blues' defence by trying his luck down the right-hand side again, but his cross in on the 58th minute found nobody in grey and Joe Rafferty was able to clear.
GOAL - Pompey added a 3rd on the 59th minute and it was Callum Lang getting in on the act this time but another assist for Abu Kamara, who claimed a hattrick of set-ups with this goal - The Blues had caught The Royals napping in midfield, intercepting a quickly-taken free kick and allowing Kamara to run free down the right yet again. Lang finished calmly to claim his 3rd goal as a Portsmouth player - PORTSMOUTH 3-0 Reading.
It was pretty much one way traffic from this point forward with Portsmouth frustrating The Royals by winning plenty of free kicks in dangerous areas and using the momentum of their 3-goal cushion to push forward and try to add a 4th, which they eventually did.
Marlon Pack delivered a tasty ball in from the left-hand side following the rewarding of a free kick on the 64th minute - Conor Shaughnessy beat the offside trap and glanced at it but was unable to get a connection on the ball with Colby Bishop lurking just yards behind him ready to tap home himself, though likely unable to due to the unknowing of whether or not his teammate was going to get a touch. The chance went begging and Reading won a goal kick.
John Mousinho's first substitution of the game saw Paddy Lane replaced on the 73rd minute by Christian Saydee, who made his 1st appearance for the club since he last featured away at Fleetwood on the 20th of January.
The Royals threatened to make it nervy for Pompey and had a great chance to do so on the 79th minute when Sam Smith latched on to a ball over the top which had Sean Raggett beaten - Smith tried to poke it around the onrushing Will Norris, who got a pivotal touch on the effort to deny a goal.
GOAL - Striker Colby Bishop rounded off the scoring as far as Pompey were concerned at Fratton Park, providing the Blues with a 4th goal of the afternoon and securing a 4th consecutive League One victory. Joe Rafferty had floated a ball into the mixer in the 84th minute, Reading keeper David Button had leapt above a pressuring Conor Shaughnessy but drops the ball into the path of Bishop, who pokes home into a pretty empty net from inside the box. The visitors protest but referee Josh Smith is not interested in rewarding them with a free kick for a foul on Button - PORTSMOUTH 4-0 Reading.
Portsmouth's 2nd, 3rd and 4th subs came on the 86th minute when Abu Kamara, Callum Lang and Colby Bishop were replaced by Gavin Whyte, Josh Martin and Kusini Yengi.
GOAL - Son of Robbie Savage, Charlie gave the remaining travelling Royals fans inside the Milton End something to celebrate in the 89th minute, capitalising from a failed clearance after a corner, hammering it low underneath Will Norris, however it proved to be nothing more than a consolation - The Blues' defence will undoubtedly be frustrated to have conceded late on and throw away a clean sheet, albeit delighted with the victory - Portsmouth 4-1 READING.
That ended up being the final action of the game on the South Coast, where Pompey romped to victory thanks to a ruthless attacking display in the second half to secure a double over Reading this season.
Full-time: Portsmouth 4-1 Reading
Goalscorers: Paddy Lane 36', Marlon Pack 49', Callum Lang 59', Colby Bishop 84', C. Savage 89'
Attendance: 20,113 (including 1,987 away fans)
Jake's Man of the Match: Abu Kamara - To claim a hattrick of assists in a big league fixture against a side unbeaten in their last 6 matches is something I cannot ignore, it was another excellent performance from the Norwich City loanee.
An honourable mention must go to centre-back Conor Shaughnessy, who was here, there and everywhere in the first half to deny Reading the goals they ultimately deserved, keeping the Blues in the game under constant pressure.
Full-time scores from elsewhere in League One today: Bolton Wanderers 3-3 Charlton Athletic, Carlisle United 0-4 Cambridge United, Cheltenham Town 3-2 Port Vale, Derby County 1-0 Stevenage, Fleetwood Town 1-2 Barnsley, Leyton Orient 1-2 Burton Albion, Lincoln City 1-0 Exeter City, Northampton Town 3-1 Bristol Rovers, Peterborough United 1-2 Blackpool, Shrewsbury Town 0-1 Wigan Athletic, Wycombe Wanderers 0-0 Oxford United
Louie Sibley's late goal in the 90th minute for Derby at home to Stevenage means that Pompey's gap to 2nd remains at 6 points, however Bolton's stalemate with Charlton means The Trotters are now 9 points behind the Blues with those 3 games in hand. Peterborough's 4th consecutive defeat means they drop to 5th and remain on 56 points, leapfrogged by Barnsley who go 4th following their win at Fleetwood.
Catch all of the reaction to this game when The Football Hour returns with Jake Smith and 2 more Pompey supporters, this Monday (February 19th) evening at 6pm!
The Blues next take on Charlton Athletic away from home next Saturday (February 24th) afternoon - Pompey Live will be on hand to provide full coverage of that match here on 93.7 Express FM from 2pm, LIVE from The Valley for a 3pm kick-off.
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