Portsmouth 1 Middlesbrough 0: Neil Allen's verdict - The underdog still roars; Milan Mandaric's legacy lives on
Pompey shock the Championship leaders to claim a Fratton Park victory
The league leaders swaggered into Fratton Park unconquered, boasting the meanest defence in the division and overseen by the reigning Championship manager of the month.
They limped away nursing defeat having mustered one shot on target and sustained grazed knees after being unceremoniously shoved from top spot.
This was the Blues at their underdog best, relishing the fight and defying the odds. How Milan Mandaric would have loved it.
As a club, Pompey have often been uncomfortable when elevated to favourite status. History has long demonstrated expectation weighs exceptionally heavy, as the Sheffield Wednesday debacle again testified.
Yet when cast in the role of plucky long-shots, they perform as a wholly different beast, especially when blessed with south-coast home comforts roared on by the Fratton faithful.
The scourge of Liverpool, Tottenham and Manchester United
This current Middlesbrough side are in illustrious company, of course. When the irrepressible Mandaric occupied the directors’ box during early Premier League days, the number of notable scalps were remarkably high.
Liverpool, Tottenham and Manchester United each suffered Fratton Park defeats on two occasions from 2003-06. Arsenal collected two draws, Aston Villa perished, Leeds were thumped 6-1, Southampton were dispatched with glee twice.
And let’s not forget Yakubu Aiyegbeni’s brutal four-goal demolition act to blow away Boro in a 5-1 triumph in May 2004.
They were golden days, overseen by the hugely charismatic, yet volatile, Mandaric, whose sad passing at the age of 87 emerged hours following Saturday’s 1-0 victory for John Mousinho’s men.
Bust-ups with Harry Redknapp, refusing to pay players following a poor run, sending a dead duck to Southampton chairman Rupert Lowe, threatening to sack his manager if he didn’t play a Japanese goalkeeper, sitting in a digger wearing a hard helmet - rich memories during deliciously unpredictable days.
There was, of course, also final-day survival against Barnsley and capturing the First Division title to open the door to the cherished Premier League.
Saturday marked barely a year since the Serb last attended Fratton Park as Pompey’s guest, taking in a goalless draw against Sheffield United, before spending the evening meeting old friends Peter Storrie and Redknapp over dinner in Southsea.
And, like those good old days, Mousinho’s men inflicted a shock result at Fortress Fratton as high-flying Middlesbrough had their wings clipped with a 1-0 defeat.
Rejuvenated Spurs man the inspiration once again
Granted, the Blues barely touched the ball in the opening 15 minutes, with Rob Edwards’ side dominating possession throughout, including forcing the hosts to defend deep for almost the entirety of the second half.
Nonetheless, the rejuvenated Minhyeok Yang’s second goal in three days separated the teams, underpinned by the archetypal Fratton Park display we hadn’t previously witnessed this season.
The Blues’ home form kept them up last season, with promotion-chasing Burnley, Sheffield United, Leeds, Coventry and Middlesbrough, all failing to win on the south coast, the latter three tumbling to defeats.
How reassuring to see Mousinho’s troops maintaining tradition this weekend with a result which lifts them into 13th place, positioning them above big-spending Birmingham, Southampton and, for a day, Ipswich and Norwich.
Indeed, it took until October 19 to register a maiden win back in the Championship last season. Already they have registered three of them, while establishing one of the best defensive records in the league.
Admittedly, the goals have yet to flow, a burden which Colby Bishop should not solely carry, yet Saturday’s slender advantage should not be used as means to criticise Pompey, such was the impressiveness of the result overall.
Same again for Pompey
Mousinho had opted to name the same starting XI which collected a late point against Watford on Wednesday night, with no place for Adrian Segecic, despite his goalscoring entrance from the bench to level.
Yet the head coach’s faith was rewarded with an outstanding team defensive display to fend off Middlesbrough at arm’s length and protect Josef Bursik to the extent he barely had a save to make.
It was an outcome few could have foreseen during a tricky opening to proceedings when the visitors looked every inch the promotion candidates they definitely are, with slick passing and dangerous probing.
Then, on 19 minutes, John Swift threaded a pass through to Yang who pulled the ball back to Conor Chaplin, whose first-time left-footed shot destined for the net agonisingly flew past the far post after taking a deflection.
A moment to hearten the Fratton faithful and a warning to Middlesbrough. Sure enough, just four minutes later, Andre Dozzell’s overhit delivery from the left was rescued from going out for a goal-kick by Jordan Williams, who improbably met it with a half-volleyed cross.
Such was the quality of the right-back’s intervention, it picked out an area occupied by Yang, whose first-time right-footed half-volley went through keeper Sol Brynn to make it 1-0.
And so it remained as a defence brilliantly marshalled by Josh Knight and Regan Poole, kept Middlesbrough at bay, allowing Pompey to see out only a second Fratton Park win of the campaign.
Few would have seen that upset coming - and Milan would have revelled in it.