Portsmouth and Sheffield United players ended up being pulled apart during a melee after the final whistle on Saturday afternoon.
The Blades face further punishment from the Football Association following another an altercation at the conclusion of the goalless draw.
They had already been fined twice this season, now the FA are expected to launch another investigation into the events that transpired at Fratton Park.
Sheffield United were awarded a foul deep into injury time, but instead, referee Matt Donohue decided to end the game, much to the visitors’ frustration, with Vini Souza booked for protesting, then came a confrontation during which home goalkeeper Will Norris fell to the ground.
It prompting both teams to be separated as Sheffield United’s players then went over to applaud their supporters who had traveled to the Championship fixture.
FT AT FRATTON #Pompey #SUFC pic.twitter.com/LmToecp0fO
— PompeyNewsNow🎙PO4cast (@PompeyNewsNow) September 28, 2024
Little scrap after the game.. #Pompey pic.twitter.com/8urGBF7blX
— Jacob PFC (@Jacob_PFC) September 28, 2024
Portsmouth: Norris, Poole, McIntyre, Pack, Potts, O’Mahony, Farrell, Silvera (Saydee 61), Swanson, Murphy, Lane (Blair 84).
Unused: Schmid, Williams, Towler, Sørensen, Dozzell, Kamara, Blair, Ritchie.
Sheffield United: Cooper, Gilchrist (Seriki 69), Souttar, Hamer, Moore (Campbell 78), O’Hare (Brewster 63), Rak-Sakyi (Brooks 63), Burrows, Ahmedhodžić, Souza, Peck.
Unused: A. Davies, McCallum, Shackleton, Norrington-Davies, Marsh.
Attendance: 20,330 (2,149)
Blades boss Chris Wilder: “For me, it is a big learning curve for the team. Everyone sees Sheffield United as a team which has just come out of the Premier League and should go straight back up, you know, and I know that it is a completely brand-new team who are learning.
“We’ve brought Femi (Seriki) on for Alfie (Gilchrist), they are both 21, Brooksy’s 21, Rak-Sakyi’s 21 – we’ve got young players all over the team. Whether they are young players learning their trade, or young players coming out of Premier League teams to play here on loan – it is a massive learning curve.
“They won’t have come across this passionate, ferocious, atmosphere that is created by the opposition, who gave everything to the manager and the football club. There is no hiding place here, their boys stepped on it and caused us problems, we caused them problems at times, and we were just disappointed that we didn’t find that little bit of quality because we got into some fabulous positions.
“Of course, there’s stuff we can work on and be better with but if we can’t get a win, then don’t get beat. We got a clean sheet, it’s another point on the road and we’ll learn from it.”
Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder told BBC Radio Sheffield: “We’d have liked more. We’d have liked to have shown a bit more quality. But we’ve done our analysis on Portsmouth and we knew it was going to be that type of game.
“It’s a big learning curve for the team. Everyone’s seeing Sheffield United as this team that has come out of the Premier League and should go straight back up. But it’s a completely brand new team and they’re learning.
“We’ve got young players all over the team. They wouldn’t have come across in this passionate, ferocious atmosphere that was created by the opposition that gave everything.
“There’s no hiding place here. Their boys stepped on it and caused us problems. We caused them problems at times and are just disappointed we haven’t found that bit of quality.
“There’s stuff we can work on and be better with. But if you can’t get a win then don’t get beat. We’ve got a clean sheet, a point on the road and we’ll learn from it.”
Wilder per Sky Sports: “It wasn’t our day and maybe we didn’t deserve it, that’s how the game goes. Portsmouth were good and you have to give them credit.
“If they play like that for all their home games and their away games, they will get results and they will win games.
“They will make it as difficult for other teams as they made it for us. Teams will get beaten here if Pompey play like that all season.
“I found out today that my goalkeeper can make some saves, as he hadn’t had to make a save yet!
“I’m being tongue in cheek, we knew he could make saves, but now he has proved it to everybody, including our coaching staff and supporters.
“He’s played a part today. We brought him in to make saves and when he is, he is playing his part.
“Everyone has to defend, it isn’t just the keeper and back four that have to stick their bodies on the line. We defend from the front.
“We want to win games and take risks, we feel we are an attacking team, so to get those four sheets gives us a great base to move on.”
🗣️ “It’s a big learning curve for the team”
📹 Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder on the goalless draw away to Portsmouth.
🎧 Full interview plus Michael Cooper on Blades Heaven 👉https://t.co/SVx0LlohSM#SUFC | @BBCSheffield pic.twitter.com/1MQu6B8iBJ
— Football Heaven (@footballheaven) September 28, 2024
Portsmouth boss John Mousinho told BBC Radio Solent: “It was a really good game of football, we competed really well, and I think if we’d have come away with the win no-one would have been shocked.
“It goes to show that we’re building week-on-week. I’ve been much more pleased with the performances in the last three weeks.
“We’re going away up to Stoke on Wednesday and it’s going to be a very difficult tie with them having a new manager.
“It’s time for us to keep building on those performances and try to get a few more points on the board.
“Wednesday is a great chance to do it. We have to do a bit more than we did today – we weren’t quite good enough to get the win but it was certainly a positive performance.”
Mousinho per Sky Sports: “It is nice to hear that [see below] from such a good coach and manager. He has so much experience at this level and the level above.
“We need more of that, we need sides to come off and know they have been in a match and know it isn’t going to be easy here.
“We have spoken about that at length this week, having conceded six in our last two home games, and we need more of that from the players.
“I am really pleased we went toe-to-toe with a promotion-chasing team. If we had come away with a win no one would have been shocked, but a point was a fair result.
“I have been much more pleased with the performances in the last three weeks. This was a much more solid display.
“I hope that win is coming, we have to do a bit more than we did today. We weren’t quite good enough to get the win but it was certainly a positive.”
Mousinho per the club website: “It was a really good game of football and we competed well – nobody would have been shocked had we come away with a win.
“If I’m honest, I think a draw is probably the fair result, but it goes to show that we’re building week on week.
“I’ve been much more pleased with the past three performances and this was a much more solid display from us.
“We had a lot of corners and put Sheffield United under plenty of pressure, while also defending our own box well.
“Now we go up to Stoke on Wednesday and it’s time for us to keep building and look to get more points on the board.”
Twitter users reacted on Portsmouth and Sheffield United players being pulled apart during a melee after the final whistle…
@timrud1: Embarrassing from Sheffield united
@MitchHalley: Nothing wrong with a bit of needle after 90 hard fought minutes. Thought your keeper was a disgrace jumping backwards after that push but think he realised quickly and jumped back up
@shorehamblade89: No surprise. Another inept refereeing performance losing control of the game meaning things boil over at the end
@Joshuapear95: How strange is this chant in that accent 🤣🤣
@abbie700000: How did Norris end up on the floor (before this)? I’m a bit further down towards the FE and just saw him drop to the floor but couldn’t see how
@LukeEllisPUP: Best thing about yesterday was seeing every #pompey player getting involved in the little scrap at the end. Just shows that they’re all there for each other and in it together. Mousinho and these players will make sure we’re ok. Pup
@AlexanderSUFC: What a joke of a Ref
@Money_Memphis: THIS REFS A FUCKING JOKE
@Sufc_Jam3s:
Shocking Game
Shocking Ref
@AdamLukeSufc: referees in this division are a joke
@JM_Hill: Ref was awful. Ruined the game.
@_sufcadam_: Another fine coming our way, get in
@ToddySUFC: That ref is fucking woeful, good point on the road aswell
@LJ_PFC12: Gave us a good game, think we can all agree the ref was pure shite, good luck for the rest of the season though
@BladeLVI: Referee absolute joker could see this end coming a mile off
@lenihan1974: Who is this referee he is shocking thinks it’s all about him the muppet
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