There was lots to love about Pompey on the Kassam on Saturday.
It was a “job executed” away efficiency that had each ingredient we have come to anticipate from a John Mousinho aspect successful a recreation of soccer on the highway – solidity within the again line, loads of midfield substance and an actual function in assault.
Even in case you have been to place his match-winning second apart, Adrian Segecic had one of the vital achieved league debuts I can bear in mind a Pompey participant having for a lot of a season.
His footballing diligence and software is sensational, to not point out his ferocity in placing the ball which we received glimpses of.
One league recreation is a small pattern dimension, nonetheless his pre-season showings coupled with Saturday afternoon’s show excite me for his marketing campaign forward.
The returning duo of Conor Shaughnessy and Regan Poole, albeit not error free, did not strike me as a partnership 20 months within the making. John Swift demonstrated precisely what he can deliver to the desk for Pompey, Colby Bishop’s shock inclusion was a welcome one, and I feel partly that allowed for Callum Lang to shine as he did.
It was solely actually the closing 20 minutes of the sport the place Pompey’s slender one-goal benefit felt in danger, naturally invoking nervousness heightened by the will to see the sport via.
A part of me feels a much less effectively outfitted and ready Pompey aspect might effectively have succumbed to the late Oxford stress. Mousinho seems to now have his aspect in a spot whereby we will compete from begin to end and emerge with a outcome befitting the efficiency.
It took a leafy weekend in West London halfway via October final season for Pompey to register a league win, dwelling or away. This time spherical that inaugural victory got here on the opening weekend.
Whereas Portsmouth will nearly definitely have harder checks on our travels this season, we all know by now that successful anyplace away from dwelling within the Championship is an achievement.
Mousinho credited his aspect’s vitality and challenged them to maintain it. A stern take a look at for our Fratton Park curtain raiser subsequent weekend (at dwelling to Norwich) cannot come quickly sufficient.
