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Pompey made an early exit
from the Carabao Cup after suffering a narrow defeat to fellow
Championship side Millwall at Fratton Park Romain Esse netted the only goal of the game in the early stages to send the Lions into the second round. It was a much improved display from the Blues after the break, but they could not turn their pressure into an equaliser. John Mousinho made six changes from the side that drew an entertaining contest at Leeds on Saturday. Will Norris, Jordan Williams, Ryley Towler, Connor Ogilvie and Sammy Silvera were the quintet to keep their place. Zak Swanson came into the defence, while there were midfield berths for Tom Lowery and Ben Stevenson. Terry Devlin and Christian Saydee started following impressive substitute appearances at Elland Road, with Gavin Whyte completing the line-up. The much-changed hosts looked bright in the opening stages, although had little to show for their efforts. A long-range attempt from Williams was deflected high over the bar, while Towler was unable to turn a Stevenson free-kick on target at the back post. But the Blues fell behind on 13 minutes after Williams lost possession to George Honeyman just outside the box. The ball was quickly seized upon by Esse and he left Norris helpless with a clever slotted finish into the bottom corner. Pompey tried to fight back, but despite some bright moments, they could not make an impact in the final third. Swanson did control a cross-field pass from Silvera, although when he went down in the box under Joe Bryan’s challenge, penalty appeals were waved away by referee Dean Whitestone. Silvera tried his luck late in the first half with a silky run across the edge of the box, but was eventually crowded out. Half Time: Pompey 0 Millwall 1 The hosts came out strongly for the second half, with Silvera again looking to get them going in attack. However, it was a series of three corners in quick succession from Stevenson that saw Pompey come close to levelling. The second of them was met by Ogilvie in a packed area and his firm header was diverted over the bar. It was Devlin who rose to meet the next of the midfielder’s deliveries and he nodded narrowly past the post. But it was then the turn of the Lions to threaten and when Esse cut the ball back for Honeyman, his low strike was saved by the legs of Norris. Mousinho opted to make a double switch on 64 minutes, as Williams and Whyte were replaced by Andre Dozzell and Matt Ritchie. But Lowery immediately went down injured and had to go off as well, with Elias Sørensen brought on. Pompey were certainly looking the more ambitious of the sides as the game entered its closing stages, but Liam Roberts was still being given little to do between the sticks. Mousinho made his final throw of the dice by chucking on Callum Lang and Paddy Lane for Saydee and Silvera. And the two soon combined, with a stretching Lang not quite able to contort his body enough to make a clean connection with Lane’s cross. But despite committing men forward for the closing stages, the Blues could not find the goal that would have taken the tie to penalties. It might have arrived deep into stoppage-time when Ritchie swung in a corner, but Towler nodded wide at the back post. |
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