Newport IW 0-8 Pompey: Neil Allen's match report

Rampant Nicke Kabamba plundered five goals as Newport IW suffered a massive defeat last night.
Pompey striker Nicke Kabamba Picture: Neil MarshallPompey striker Nicke Kabamba Picture: Neil Marshall
Pompey striker Nicke Kabamba Picture: Neil Marshall

Kenny Jackett made 11 changes to the side which beat Bognor at the weekend, sending a Pompey XI to St George’s Park.

The outcome was a devastating display of attacking football from the visitors, who ran out 8-0 winners against the non-leaguers.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

It was Kabamba who was the star of the show, yet Jamal Lowe (two) and Milan Lalkovic also wreaked havoc in terms of goals and assists during an impressive performance.

Kabamba’s five-goal burst consisted of a seven-minute hat-trick, with his opening two strikes, in particular, demonstrating stunning quality.

For a player with seven goals in seven reserve outings before the game, he continues to impress the Fratton faithful – albeit on this occasion against a Wessex League premier division outfit.

Nonetheless, with a new manager to catch the eye of, Kabamba has yet again shown why he is unquestionably one to watch in the season ahead.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

For the trip to the Isle of Wight, Drew Talbot was named as skipper, with the likes of Jack Whatmough, Alex Bass, Ben Close, Curtis Main and Academy defender Matt Casey also named in the side.

Elsewhere, keeper Lewis Boughton – from the club’s Pompey in the Community – was named among the substitutes.

Yet once more Gary Roberts was noticeable by his absence, with Jackett having earlier revealed a back injury had sidelined the midfielder.

The deadlock was broken on 16 minutes, with Lalkovic the scorer.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The winger cut in from the left to break into the box, before drilling a right-foot shot into the far corner of the net for a classy finish.

The Blues should have doubled their advantage on 20 minutes when Whatmough headed Lowe’s delivery from the right back across goal towards Main.

However, the striker completely missed his kick from a matter of yards out when faced with an open goal.

At the other end, during a succession of corners for the home side, Scott Sampson’s header forced a good save from the alert Bass.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Yet, moments later, on 31 minutes, it was 2-0, with Lalkovic once more in the thick of the action.

His angled shot from the left struck the post and ricocheted off the keeper – straight into the path of Lowe, who made no mistake from six yards out.

The bar then denied Lowe, whose angled right-foot shot smacked the woodwork – yet on 39 minutes Pompey had their third goal.

Close picked up the ball down the right and fed a pass inside to Kabamba, who, with his back to goal, controlled before spinning around to crash a fierce shot past the keeper.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The former Hampton & Richmond striker topped even that on 44 minutes when he retrieved a ball down the left and drove into the box, before unleashing a ferocious right-foot effort into to the top corner of the net.

The scoreline was 4-0 at half-time and, within 45 seconds of the restart, Kabamba completed his hat-trick.

Lowe galloped down the right and pulled the ball back to his unmarked team-mate, who calmly stroked a right-foot shot into the net.

Goal number six arrived on 49 minutes through a wonderful piece of skill from Lowe, producing a drag back as he turned his man inside out, before driving an angled left-foot shot home.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Kabamba effortlessly collected his fourth of the match with a stooping header from Lowe’s right-wing corner on 66 minutes.

It was 8-0 on 78 minutes when that man Kabamba powerfully headed home Lalkovic’s left-wing corner.

But there were to be no more goals, with referee James Linington blowing up two minutes early, as the crushing scoreline was sealed.

Pompey: Bass, Talbot, Whatmough, Casey (59 mins Widdrington), Haunstrup, Lowe, Close, Bedford (59 mins Oxlade-Chamberlain), Lalkovic, Main, Kabamba. Sub Not Used: Boughton