Former Reading captain seals League One move as Derby coach hails ‘pretty good’ away performance

Portsmouth fought back from behind against Cambridge United to maintain their impressive six-point lead at the top of the League One table.

Aussie international Kusini Yengi kicked off the comeback on the stroke of half time, just minutes after a surprise opener from U’s full back Danny Andrew. Loanee Myles Peart-Harris and Abu Kamara secured Portsmouth the three points in the second half as Paddy Lane turned provider for both second half goals. 

The result comes at a crucial time for Portsmouth as promotion rivals Derby and Bolton both picked up maximum points. The leaders will now look ahead to a challenging home clash against a much rejuvenated Reading team which have climbed to 16th in the League One table. Ahead of the crucial encounter we take a look at all the main headlines involving Portsmouth’s League One rivals.

Former Reading captain signs short-term deal with League One rival

League One new boys Northampton Town have agreed to sign former Reading captain Liam Moore on a short-term deal until the end of the season. The 31-year-old has been without a club since being released by Reading in June 2023, shortly after the club’s relegation from the Championship.

Moore has been training with The Cobblers for a number of weeks ahead of the transfer and has been praised by manager Jon Brady for his impact. Brady told the club website: “He has already fitted in well with the group and he brings with him a good amount of experience and an excellent pedigree.”

Moore started his career at Leicester and was loaned out to the likes of Bradford City, Brentford and Bristol City as a youngster. He joined Reading in 2016 and reached the Championship play-off final in his first season.

He was appointed club captain in 2019 and made a total of 234 appearances for the club before his departure last summer. He could return to face Reading when the two teams meet on Friday 29 March.

Derby coach hails ‘pretty good’ away performance as they ramp up pressure on Portsmouth

Derby maintained their place in the automatic promotion places with a comprehensive 3-0 win against an in-form Exeter City team. Goals from Max Bird, Nathaniel Mendez-Laing and Tom Barkhuizen sealed an 11th away win of the season.

Assistant head coach Richie Barker praised the team’s display and the way that they adapted their style away from home. He told the club website: “We are obviously very pleased with the result and with the players for doing what we asked of them, which was something a little bit different in an away game. You have to win matches in different ways sometimes.

“We surrendered possession a little bit tonight, allowing Exeter to have the ball in certain areas and then pressing them. We saw that with the first goal from Max Bird. We pressed in a slightly different way and everyone had to buy into it. You’re only as strong as your weakest link and if someone switches off, it doesn’t work. 

“We did some work on the training ground yesterday and in the team hotel today, so when you see it pay off and score a goal from it, it feels good. We didn’t have loads of time to work on it and had to cram a lot of information into a short period of time, so it makes it feel even better and the job worthwhile. 

“Birdy did well for his goal because he is an intelligent lad and takes great pride in his learning and listening. He got his rewards, as did the team. They all understood the importance of playing how we did. Was it a perfect performance? No. Was it a pretty good away performance? I think so.”