Connect with us

Championship

Scenes as Portsmouth boost survival hopes and leave Leicester ‘staring third tier in the face’

There were scenes at Fratton Park as Portsmouth boost their survival hopes and leave Leicester ‘staring third tier in the face’.

The first half was rather uninspiring, one talking point in Sky Sports’ half time analysis looked into a penalty claim for Leicester. Conor Shaughnessy decides he got the ball, when footage shows Daka’s heel was clipped.

Deadlock finally broke mid-way through the second half, Portsmouth fans singing “We are staying up” after Adrian Segecic sent in a deep corner, meeting Ibane Bowat at the back stick to put the hosts ahead.

BBC Sport said via their live blog that it looked as though the ball touched his hand before going in off his knee.

The result leaves Portsmouth sitting seven points clear of the relegation zone with three games remaining. Leicester meanwhile are in serious trouble, five points from safety, while Oxford, who lost 1-0 to Derby, remain 22nd and two points from safety, and that is before West Brom, who sit 21st, play against Preston at 3pm.

Michael Dawson on EFL Goal Zone on Soccer Saturday: “Leicester don’t deal with the ball coming in. Bowat comes in at the far post. It looks a great header, but it looks like it takes a slight touch off his hand then onto his thigh.”

Mike Dean on EFL Goal Zone on Soccer Saturday: “VAR would have chalked that off.”

Portsmouth goalkeeper Nico Schmid speaking to Sky Sports: “The last couple of weeks, we’ve put a shift in. It’s incredible.

“We know after QPR we have to step up. We worked really hard in training as a team and you can see it.

“We have to look on Tuesday, we have another important game to secure the next Championship season.”

Portsmouth’s Ibane Bowat said to Sky Sports: “I think it’s because we have a lot of pressure on us given our situation and we’ve worked hard together. The hard work that’s gone in is immense and we’ve still got a couple games to go and we believe.

“Some would say a little bit lucky but I’m so happy to have gotten a goal for the team.”

On Nico Schmid’s huge save to deny Patson Daka: “Crucial save. That’s what we need in these games. Nico stepped up today and put in a couple of good saves.”

Portsmouth boss John Mousinho speaking to BBC Radio Solent: “That was probably the toughest 90 minutes of our last three games.

“It was hugely important and overall we deserved the win, we just had to get the job done because it wasn’t a pretty game.

“The start of the game doesn’t help with the injuries we picked up with Keshi (Anderson) and that changed the way that we play a little bit as Segs (Adrian Segecic) is a very different player.

“And then with the injury to Terry (Devlin) we had to restructure the back four and nothing got going in the first half at all.

“Thankfully, we had a couple of good chances before the goal and probably could have done better but managed to find the net.”

Leicester’s Gary Rowett to Sky Sports: “The game was very, very even, nothing in it at all.

“That final action, that final quality was a bit disappointing for us.

“The frustrating bit again is that I could do the same interview after the last five games – we miss chances and concede from a set-piece.

“We haven’t been clinical enough in those moments.

“The Championship is an attritional league and you have to do the basics really well – the lad goes to head in and it comes off his shin, we don’t get a lot of fortune but you make your own fortune.”

Rowett said to BBC Radio Leicester: “I’m disappointed with the way we conceded the goal to lose the game.

“If you played my last four interviews it would sound very similar to this one, which is deeply frustrating.

“We’ve made it pretty clear to the players the importance of where we are in the season and what it means to a lot of people at this football club.

“We got into some really good positions but without finding that final third quality, we have to show that and we can’t keep not showing it in those moments.

“We tweaked a few things after the break and the frustration is that we’ve conceded a soft set-piece goal. We chased the game reasonably well and we created some good moments but didn’t take them.

“That’s been the story of this last 10-11games for us.”

Here’s how fans reacted following scenes as Portsmouth boost their survival hopes and leave Leicester ‘staring third tier in the face’…

@jhandford11: In the years I’ve supported #LCFC – in the past, if you had a bad, average or decent season, it was what it was. Most of the time you accepted it because the players still tried to play for the shirt. These last two seasons have been the opposite. I’ve never despised so much!

@JordThomo: Difference between these 2 teams is Portsmouth want it more. Putting bodies on the line, playing with passion. Leicester have players who are arguing back with fans. Absolute headloss

@JoLeKo011:
Take the gold off the shirt
Bring the white shorts back
Fuck Top and King Power off
Ban Rudkin from the county of Leicestershire
And fucking sort this club out.
5 years ago we WON a FA Cup semi final
9 years ago we were in the champions league quarter final
Depressing #LCFC

@kelsen_sachin: Absolutely mental how a collective group of 11 footballers can be so completely and utterly dogshit at their profession

@joecov88: Enjoy league one you’ll never achieve what we have 🩵🩵🩵

@barnsey__15: I don’t think I’ve ever loved a club that isn’t cov this much before

@Lew870: I’m in love with Portsmouth cheers from Cov

@DanLUFC_: STRAIGHT BACK DOWN STRAIGHT BACK DOWN LEICESTER CITY

@JOELH0LMES: 😳😳😳 can’t see how WBA’s P&S verdict will matter to these, surely don’t get above Oxford (who will beat us) now. Wednesday, Leicester and WBA going down would be mad

@devo_lcfc: The worst team in our history this lot, got nothing about them, no redeeming qualities whatsoever, they are mercenaries, paid unbelievably well but give little to nothing back, they should be embarrassed but you feel they don’t care enough even for that #lcfc

Related Topics
Click to comment

You must be logged in to post a comment Login

Leave a Reply

More in Championship