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PORTSMOUTH | 1 | 2 | NORWICH CITY |
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Season 2025 / 2026 (H) Norwich City Championship |
| 17 August 2025 | TRANSFERMARKT | FOOTBALL DATABASE |
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PORTSMOUTH | 1 | 2 | NORWICH CITY |
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Pompey’s first home league
game of the season ended in disappointment, with a 2-1 lunchtime defeat to
big-spending Norwich. The visitors were able to take advantage of some generous defending to score twice in the opening stages. Harry Darling and skipper Josh Sargent were the men to capitalise, with Regan Poole going close at the other end in between. Colby Bishop saw a late penalty saved, although Adrian Segečić’s second goal in as many games did ensure a lively conclusion to the contest. John Mousinho made one change from the side that won at Oxford on the opening day of the Championship campaign. Josh Murphy was fit enough to start against the club where he started his career after recovering from a hamstring injury, with Florian Bianchini dropping to the bench. The hosts looked to come charging out of the traps and put their opponents under some early pressure at a rocking Fratton Park. But some poor defending from a set-piece saw them fall behind on six minutes after Norwich were awarded a free-kick. Marcelino Núñez swung the ball into the box and Darling was left all alone to gratefully head into the net. It almost got even worse when Nicolas Schmid cleared straight to Ante Crnac, although the keeper recovered well to deny Sargent. Pompey came close to finding a leveller on 13 minutes, when Andre Dozzell played a corner short to Murphy. He sent the ball towards the far post, where it was met cleanly by Poole, only for Kovačević to make a superb save. It proved to be a ‘sliding doors’ moment, as the visitors went straight down the other end and doubled their advantage. Darling’s long throw was flicked on by José Córdoba and Sargent was able to nod the ball home from close range. Pompey found themselves two goals down, despite mostly looking bright, and suddenly had a mountain to climb. They continued to press the Canaries high up the pitch and cause problems, but nothing to really trouble Kovačević between the sticks. Callum Lang did make a passionate appeal for a penalty after being barged to the turf by Córdoba late in the half, only to have his appeals waved away by referee Stephen Martin. Half Time: Pompey 0 Norwich 2 Pompey had a chance to get themselves back into the contest when Lang was brought down 25 yards out. But the free-kick from John Swift flew straight into the wall, while the man who won it had injured himself in the process. Lang gamely tried to continue, but soon had to walk gingerly from the pitch, with Bianchini brought on to replace him. Murphy soon sent a teasing low delivery right into the mixer that was well intercepted and cleared by the alert Darling. And the Blues’ woes only intensified when Poole appeared to win the ball cleanly in a challenge on Crnac, only to be shown a yellow card. They kept searching for a breakthrough and Segečić’s fierce long-range attempt was diverted over the bar by Kovačević. A double change followed on 70 minutes, as Jordan Williams and Murphy made way for Zak Swanson and Thomas Waddingham. Dozzell’s shot rose over the crossbar, as Pompey continued to be frustrated in their attempts to find the goal that would set up an exciting finale. It looked like it would arrive when Bianchini was crudely felled inside the box by Kellen Fisher and this time Martin pointed to the spot. Bishop stepped up to take the penalty and hit it hard and low, but Kovačević got down to his left to make the save. The keeper was finally beaten late on, though, as SEGEČIĆ received the ball on the edge of the box and hit a low shot that flew into the bottom corner. A display of 10 additional minutes provided a boost for the Fratton faithful and they were almost left celebrating a late leveller. Another penalty probably should have been awarded when Connor Ogilvie was tripped by Jacob Wright, but the furious defender was booked instead. Swift then hit a clean 20-yard strike that appeared to be heading for the net, only to rattle the underside of the crossbar as time ran out for Pompey. |
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Updated - 17/08/2025 |
