A first half to forget at Ashton Gate as Portsmouth end 2024 with defeat to Bristol City, who get their revenge following their 3-0 loss at Fratton Park earlier in the month.
John Mousinho’s side end the final week of 2024 with 0 points out of a possible 6, but today’s performance arguably did not merit even 1.
From minute 1, the Robins dominated the Pompey midfield, with Anis Mehmeti causing chaos for Ryley Towler and captain Marlon Pack at central defence.
The Albanian was controlling the game with his flair, whilst Nahki Wells was feeding the ball onto the ex-Wycombe winger.
Inside just 15 minutes, Mehmeti’s threatening play was rewarded when he played a one to two with Scott Twine, before placing the ball down the right-hand side of net to give City the lead, with keeper Nicholas Schmid not having anything he could have done to prevent the goal.
Portsmouth managed to get hold of the ball for the next few minutes prior to the first goal, but it was an error from the captain Pack, who gifted the ball to his former side that led to the second goal for Bristol City.
Twine and Max Bird got hold of the ball, and linked up to find Mehmeti again, who sped past Terry Devlin down the left-hand side and passed the past Schmid, this time sending the Austrian the opposite way to his first to make it 2-0 to Liam Manning’s side on 32 minutes.
Just there a mere three minutes later Bristol City controversially made it 3, when Rob Dickie came from what an offside position to tap home what was Scott Twine’s manic corner, to which Pompey failed to get clear of.
Dickie was on the floor and got up of the pitch from an offside position and poked the ball past Schmid to give City a third and Portsmouth more damage to come back from with over an hour of football left to be played.
Half-time: Bristol City 3-0 Portsmouth
Bristol City had chances second half to make the score even more one sided second half, with Wells having multiple efforts pushed away by shot-stopper Schmid.
Sam Bell came on for Wells and the City number 20 could have had two or even a hat trick, but Schmid’s heroics kept the score at just three for the amount Portsmouth would concede all afternoon.
Just over an hour in and the three out of the four changes John Mousinho made prior to kick-off were made. Owen Moxon, Sammy Silvera, and Matt Ritchie made way for Freddie Potts, Josh Murphy and Callum Lang.
The other change from the 2-1 defeat to Watford on Boxing Day - Terry Devlin kept his place ahead of Zack Swanson whole ninety-minutes.
Bristol City had more dominant play for the rest of the ninety minutes and could of had a fourth and Mehmeti could of have had a hat-trick, but the Albanian winger could not quite get onto the end of Sam Bell’s cross, with his bicycle-kick like effort being too powerful and going over the bar.
With a few minutes of the clock Pompey had their chance to give the over 3,000 Blues fans something to cheer about.
The final substitute made from Mousinho was bringing of an exhausted Colby Bishop, for Christian Saydee who made his first appearance since the horror show in Derbyshire 2 weeks ago.
Substitute Josh Murphy made an encouraging run, dribbling past Tanner with ease, crossing the ball on a plate for a mint green shirt and the substitute Saydee was there, but the number 15 was just inches off the mark to score a conciliation for the Blues.
Full-time: Bristol City 3-0 Portsmouth
Portsmouth will get a chance to rectify this week’s back-to-back losses on the first day of 2025 at Fratton Park, as they welcome Luke Williams’ Swansea down from South Wales for a 3pm kick off on New Years Day.
Bristol City: 1. O’Leary (GK), 2. McCrorie (19. Tanner) 14. Vyner, 16. Dickie, 15. McNally, 3. Pring, 12. Knight (C), 6. Bird (29. McGuane) 11. Mehmeti (7. Hirakawa) 21. Wells (20. Bell), 10. Twine (40. Earthy) (Formation: 3-4-3)
Unused Subs: 23. Bajic (GK), 5. Atkinson, 9. Mayulu, 24. Roberts
Manager: Liam Manning
Goals: Mehmeti 15’, 32’ & Dickie 35’
Bookings: McCrorie 55’
Portsmouth: 13. Schmid (GK), 3. Ogilvie, 7. Pack (C), 4. Towler, 24. Devlin, 30. Ritchie, 17. Moxon (8. Potts) 21. Dozzell, 20. Silvera (23. Murphy), 32. Lane (49. Lang) 9. Bishop (15. Saydee) (Formation: 4-2-3-1)
Unused Subs: 31. Archer (GK), 16. McIntyre, 18. Sorensen, 22. Swanson, 41. Clout
Manager: John Mousinho
Bookings: Lang 67’
Referee: John Busby
Venue: Ashton Gate
Attendance: 24,560
For even more reaction to today's defeat, replay the Pompey Live: Extra-Time podcast to hear the thoughts of Jake Smith and James Wilson, who watched the game at Ashton Gate.
Jake will be back with the next instalment of The Football Hour on Monday (December 30th) evening from 6pm, where he'll be joined alongside Kev Stokes and Kirsty Roxanne to discuss today's Championship action, remember Portsmouth's best moments from 2024 and look ahead to the visit of Swansea City to Fratton Park on New Year's Day.
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