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Pompey started 2025 in fine
fashion with a resounding Championship victory over Swansea at a sodden
Fratton Park. Josh Murphy and Paddy Lane struck in quick succession to provide a commanding lead at the interval. And although their opponents started the second half brightly, further goals from Ryley Towler and Colby Bishop completed a memorable rout. John Mousinho made four changes from the side that ended the calendar year by being beaten on the road at Bristol City. Murphy, Callum Lang, Freddie Potts and Zak Swanson all returned, as Matt Ritchie, Sammy Silvera, Owen Moxon and Terry Devlin dropped to the bench. The strong winds from earlier in the day had started to die down, but it was still raining heavily on the south coast. And that was perhaps why the game took a while to really get going, with Pompey pressing well, but unable to hurt their opponents. There was a 25-yard effort from Swanson that flew narrowly off target – and that was as close as either side came to scoring in the opening stages. But the Blues slowly started to put their stamp on proceedings and made their pressure count on 23 minutes. Swanson collected the ball from Lane on the right and swung in a dangerous low delivery that Bishop could not quite connect with. It mattered not, however, as MURPHY raced in at the far post to slam the ball into the roof of the net. The hosts remained on the attack and Matt Grimes did well to divert a flicked Bishop effort behind for a corner. That was sent into the mixer by Lane, where Connor Ogilvie was waiting to glance a header narrowly wide. And the chances kept coming, with Bishop sending an angle volley agonisingly past the post after the ball had dropped invitingly. However, the advantage was doubled on 29 minutes after a Harry Darling clearance flew straight to Ogilvie. His header back into the box should still have been dealt with, but Josh Tymon dithered and LANE stuck out a boot to send the ball into the bottom corner. Swansea tried to hit back before the break and Liam Cullen sent a header looping onto the roof of the net. Florian Bianchini then found space to meet a Jisung Eom cross, but his header was dealt with by Nicolas Schmid. Half Time: Pompey 2 Swansea 0 The visitors were first to threaten after the break, although Ronald’s deflected strike was comfortably gathered by Schmid at his near post. And Eom then managed to get past Swanson on the right, only for the keeper to come tearing off his line to make the save. Pompey were starting to come under some intense pressure and after collecting the ball on the overlap, Tymon’s fierce strike cannoned back off the underside of the bar. A goal looked to be coming and that is exactly what happened just past the hour mark – although not for the Welsh side. Bishop was brought down by Jay Fulton on the left and Potts swung in the free-kick, with TOWLER stooping to nod home. And only some fine keeping from Lawrence Vigouroux prevented the hosts from increasing their lead further. He managed to scramble behind a fierce Lang drive before getting a good hand to a long-range Murphy curler that was heading for the top corner. The visitors made a double switch before those opportunities, with Pompey’s League One title-winner Myles Peart-Harris among those to enter the fray. And the Blues made a change of their own on 71 minutes, as Lane – who received a standing ovation – was replaced by Ritchie. Swansea thought they had a lifeline when Florian Bianchini then nodded home from close range, although the flag was immediately raised from offside. Pompey almost immediately went up the other end and Lang sent a shot inches wide from an acute angle. They were gifted a fourth goal on 78 minutes, though, as Murphy caught Cyrus Christie in possession inside his own box and squared for BISHOP to fire home. And the closing stages passed by comfortably for the hosts to ensure they made a convincing return to winning ways. |
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