An electric first half at Fratton Park is just about enough to see the Blues back to winning ways in a crunch match against Cardiff City at the bottom end of the Championship.
Pompey climb up to 18th in the Championship table and above Cardiff City, now sitting a firm 4 points above the relegation zone.
It was 2 goals in less than 10 minutes for Portsmouth in the first half, but Callum O’Dowda’s constellation was not enough for The Bluebirds.
The second half was jam-packed with chances, but neither side could extend the score lines either way.
Heroics from Portsmouth keeper Nicolas Schmid and goalline scrambles from Cardiff’s defence were chances that neither side could convert from in the dying moments of the game.
Portsmouth took the lead very early on, when ex-Bluebird Josh Murphy teed up Colby Bishop who made no mistake of smashing the ball past Jack Alnwick to give Pompey the lead inside just 10 minutes.
Murphy then got his second assist of the night when his corner was headed home by Connor Shaughnessy who extended the Blues lead to 2-0 in less than 20 minutes.
Cardiff eventually found their feet in this tie, when former Portchester man; Andy Rinomhota’s ball was headed into the net by Irishman; Callum O’Dowda who clawed one back for City not long after Pompey’s 2 goals.
Half-time: Portsmouth 2-1 Cardiff City
Bishop had a chance to grab his second goal of the night in the second half, but his half volley off of Callum Lang’s lay off was comfortably parried away by Alnwick.
Conor Shaughnessy was subbed off after an hour, after the centre back went down with a hamstring injury which forced the Irishman
off for Australian defender; Hayden Matthews.
Cardiff then had what could have been a penalty with ten minutes of normal time remaining after Salech’s header deflected off of Matthews’ hand, but referee Tom Nield decided to not point to the spot.
Callum Robinson had a golden opportunity to equalise, but the Irishman’s effort was hit straight at Schmid who made a strong save to keep Pompey in front.
Bishop then got the better of Alnwick when he took the ball around the City keeper, but his effort which deflected off Goutas struck the crossbar, before coming back to Adil Aouchiche who was denied and then Marlon Pack from outside the area whose shot was saved.
In the final moments of the game Connor Ogilvie was fortunate to avoid a straight red card after his 2-footed challenge on Egyptian winger Anwar El Ghazi, but the Pompey left-back was only cautioned with a yellow card.
Full-time: Portsmouth 2-1 Cardiff City
Next up: Next on the cards for Portsmouth is a trip to the Kassam Stadium as John Mousinho’s side visit Oxford United in a 12:30pm kick off.
It will be yet another sell out away end from the committed Pompey faithful as the hunt for a win away from home in 2025 continues at a ground Pompey are not quite known for grabbing 3 points at.
Last season it was debuting Callum Lang who stole the show in Oxfordshire, scoring his first Blues goal just minutes after being substituted onto the pitch.
However, Lang’s efforts were cancelled out by a 90th minute James Henry equaliser making Mosuinho still without a win as a manager at the club he spent over 6 years at.
Portsmouth: 13. Schmid, 22. Swanson (24. Devlin) 6. Shaughnessy (44. Matthews), 35. Atkinson, 3. Ogilvie, 21. Dozzell, 45. Hayden (7. Pack), 30. Ritchie (C) (17. Aouchiche), 49. Lang (18. Bramall), 23. Murphy, 9. Bishop
Unused subs: 31. Archer, 11. O’Mahony, 14. Gordon, 15. Saydee
Goals: Bishop 9’, Shaughnessy 17’
Bookings: Lang 75’, Ogilvie 90+2’
Head Coach: John Mousinho
Cardiff City: 21. Alnwick (GK), 35. Rinomhota (38. Ng), 4. Goutas, 2. Fish, 23. Bagan (29. Alves), 11. O’Dowda, 12. Chambers, 15. Mannsverk (22. Salech), 8. Ralls (C), (27. Colwill), 47. Robinson, 45. Ashford (20. El Ghazi)
Unused subs: 1. Horvath (GK), 16. Willock, 31. Simic, 49. Giles
Goals: O’Dowda 22’
Bookings: Goutas 76’, Salech 90+5’
Manager: Omer Riza
Venue: Fratton Park
Referee: Tom Nield
Attendance: 20,251 (Including 1,374 Cardiff fans)
Tonight's Pompey Live: Extra-Time podcast has now been uploaded so you can hear the full debrief of the Express FM panel, which was made up of Jake Smith, Andre Barnard and James Wilson at Fratton Park.
Join Jake Smith for the next instalment of The Football Hour this Friday (February 14th) evening from 6pm for further reaction to tonight's win and a look ahead to Saturday's encounter with Oxford United at the Kassam Stadium.
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