Portsmouth FC 25/26

Home . Portsmouth FC . Celebrity . Music Technology . On This Day . Concerts . Movies

Season 2025 / 2026

(A) Oxford United

Championship

09 August 2025

FOOTBALL DATABASE

WON

Click on Club Logo for Team Records or Club Name for Official Website
	OXFORD UNITED	0		1	PORTSMOUTH


		38	Segečić

	Adrian Segečić scored on his debut as Pompey started the new Championship campaign with a victory at Oxford. They controlled the first half and perhaps should have gone in for the break with more than a one-goal advantage. Their opponents unsurprisingly improved following the interval, but did little to test Nicolas Schmid between the sticks. John Mousinho handed competitive bows to three of his summer signings, with Segečić, John Swift and loanee Florian Bianchini all named in the starting 11. Meanwhile, Colby Bishop was fit enough to lead the line after recovering from a groin injury and wore the captain’s armband. Recent arrivals Luke Le Roux, Márk Kosznovszky and Minhyeok Yang were all named among the substitutes. It was Pompey who provided much of the early threat, although Bianchini could not adjust his body to connect cleanly with Callum Lang’s cross. A shot from the latter was then cleared behind, with Andre Dozzell’s corner just about dealt with by keeper Jamie Cumming. Oxford’s first chance of note came following a quick break up the pitch, although Schmid was barely troubled by a Mark Harris shot. The visitors had a great chance to break the deadlock on 21 minutes after Bishop had hooked the ball into Lang’s path. He then laid it neatly off for Bianchini, but the Frenchman could only sweep his effort straight into the arms of Cumming. They might have been made to pay for that profligacy when a long Will Vaulks throw caused chaos and Schmid would have been relieved to gather the ball following a spot of pinball. Another break then saw Cameron Brannagan race into the box and hit a shot that took a deflection off Regan Poole before being turned around the post by Schmid. It was the Blues who deservedly forged ahead on 38 minutes, though, as they capitalised on a dreadful Brannagan back-pass. The ball went straight to Bishop who raced away and although his attempt was saved by Cumming, SEGEČIĆ followed up to calmly find the net from the edge of the box. And it might have got even better for the Australian, who soon hit a fierce long-range strike that was acrobatically repelled by Cumming. In between those moments, there were home cries for a penalty ignored by referee Dean Whitestone after Stan Mills bounced off Lang and fell to the turf. Half Time: Oxford 0 Pompey 1 The visitors looked to make a fast start to the second period, although Lang’s centre was just too high for Bianchini at the back post. Oxford soon stepped things up, though, and after initially being stopped by Connor Ogilvie, a Mills drive almost managed to sneak its way inside the near post, with Schmid just about scrambling it behind. Both sides were trying to apply pressure and Segečić fired over after skipping past a challenge and bursting inside, although Lang felt he should have passed. It was United who found the net on the hour mark, with Brannagan’s deflected attempt flying straight to Will Lankshear, who nodded home from a few yards. The home fans leapt to their feet in celebration, only to have to sit back down again when they saw the offside flag. Bianchini made way for Minhyeok on 69 minutes and the Tottenham loanee soon fired over after Lang’s cross head been nodded down by Segečić. From a Swift free-kick, Lang then sent a teasing ball across the face of goal that Ogilvie could not connect with. Terry Devlin replaced Lang out wide for the closing stages, as Pompey looked to protect their slender advantage. And Zak Swanson also came on for Swift late on, with Oxford looking to apply some late pressure to snatch an equaliser. They went close to finding one, with Jack Currie teed up by Siriki Dembélé to hit a shot that was tipped over the bar by Schmid. But the Blues managed to see out eight minutes of added time to ensure the campaign would begin on a positive note.

Updated - 10/08/2025