Phenomenal Portsmouth take down leaders Leeds United on afternoon of Fratton drama
John Mousinho’s heroes sent Daniel Farke’s men packing with Colby Bishop the second-half hero in the 1-0 win.
Fratton rocked on a Championship afternoon to remember, with displays of guts and fortitude all over the pitch.
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Hide AdIt means the Blues ended the leaders 17-game unbeaten run which stretched back to November - despite having nine players missing through injury.
And the run which sees the Yorkshire side fail to win at PO4 in 39 years continues, on a day of tension and drama.
Pompey stood toe to toe with Farke’s side and there was nervy moments to negotiate, but they also caused the visitors plenty of problems with their intensity and hard running.
Freddie Potts was the first to threaten when his 20 yarder was deflected just wide in the eighth minute.
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Hide AdRegan Poole then produced a superb block to deny Dan James as he pulled the trigger.
It was a game high on endeavour from Pompey as they restricted the leaders, with Josh Murphy lashing a danger cross across the face of goal in the 34th minute.
The game then sprung to life six minutes before the break, as Marlon Pack produced a superb double block to deny James.
Nico Schmid then stepped up with a superb double stop to deny Manor Solomon and Joel Piroe in quick succession.
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Hide AdConnor Ogilvie responded by lashing a 30 yarder just wide, as Pompey were applauded off at the break.
There was a big left-off for Pompey five minutes after the restart with Joel Piroe blazing over from five yards after Manor Solomon’s pass, with the winger looking offside but the flag staying down.
Terry Devlin was introduced in the 10 role nine minutes after the restart, replacing the ineffective Adil Aouchiche.
Devlin went down the right flank with his head down in the 58th minute and didn’t notice Matt Ritchie in acres of space centrally.
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Hide AdMurphy then fired wide before Bishop got a touch on Devlin’s cross and the ball skewed wide of the far post.
The pressure was building though and the goal arrived in the 61st minute.
It was all about the cuteness of Ogilvie’s through ball to Bishop, who coolly advanced and lifted a finish past the dithering Meslier and in via the far post.
Leeds showed their resources as their triple change saw Joseph, Ramazani and Rothwell on for Solomon, Tanaka, Aaronson.
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Hide AdBut Pompey were still pushing with Andre Dozzell’s stinging 25 yarder pushed away by Meslier.
The drama continued to come as Schmid superbly denied Firpo, who was clean through with the Leeds man then hitting the bar and James putting a free header wide from the follow-up.
Pompey were then within inches of a second as Murphy launched a stinging 30 yarder past the post.
There was tension through five minutes of stoppage time and a superb late, late stop from Schmid to deny Sam Byram’s win.
But Pompey saw it out on a day which has to rank as the best win of John Mousinho’s managerial tenure at Fratton.
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