‘A different threat’: Makenzie Kirk offers Portsmouth boss food for thought amid Championship sliding doors moment
It was a full Championship debut of promise against Stoke City, but Makenzie Kirk’s spurned second-half chance was key to the game’s outcome. John Mousinho discusses the new boy’s performance.
John Mousinho acknowledged the addition of defence-stretching threat to his forward line on Makenzie Kirk’s full Championship bow
But the Pompey boss rued his side’s inability to make more of their key moments in the frustrating Stoke City defeat, as the new boy failed to take a gilt-edged second half chance in the 1-0 reverse.
Mousinho: I thought Makenzie Kirk was really good
Kirk was handed his first start as reward for his maiden second-tier goal in the 2-1 reverse to leaders Coventry City last Tuesday. The 21-year-old offered a threat in behind the Potters back line as he led the line, with Colby Bishop deployed in a deeper role at Fratton Park.
Pompey were poor in the first half but upped their game after the restart, with a triple chance not taken and Mousinho’s side getting into a number of threatening positions.
The game swung on Viktor Johansson saving from close range, as Kirk shot at the keeper from a delicious Josh Murphy cross. Moments later Hayden Matthews diverted Sorba Thomas’ cross beyond Josef Bursik in the game’s decisive moment.
Mousinho had words of praise for Kirk, however, with a general level of performance which showed the levels of endeavour which will endear him to his new fanbase.
He said: ‘We just didn’t put the ball in the back of the net.
‘I think so (his chance was a sliding doors moment), but ultimately if we do miss chances at the top end of the pitch we have to make sure it doesn’t affect us and we still keep a clean sheet. That was the disappointment of conceding the goal.
‘I thought he (Kirk) was really good, that’s why we kept him on. I thought he was a constant threat and unlucky not to get a couple of goals really. For his full league debut, I thought he was excellent.
‘I thought he was a different threat to what we’ve necessarily had this season. He worked the shoulder really well. He got caught offside a couple of times, but he only needs one of those to come off to get in behind.
‘I thought Makenzie came on Tuesday night, stretched the game really well and got his goal.
‘So it was a case of getting two goalscorers on the pitch, working off each other and giving ourselves the best possible chance to stretch the game while playing between the lines as well.’
Hayden Matthews will be ‘disappointed’
Kirk was one of three changes with Jordan Williams returning to the side and Hayden Matthews getting his first league start of the season, as the suspended John Swift, Josh Knight and Zak Swanson dropped out.
Mousinho explained his thinking on those calls, as he expressed disappointment at Pompey’s response to Matthews’ own goal.
He added: ‘We’ve been tired for the past couple of games, rightly because of the output. So coming back here for an early kick-off, I felt it was the right thing to do.
‘It was just one of those where Josh (Knight) has had an introduction to the season, having not had a full pre-season. We didn’t think playing three games in a week was the right thing for him to do.
‘Hayden will be disappointed about the own goal. At that point he was tiring and not able to sort his feet out quickly enough in the box.
‘I thought the response was pretty poor. We didn’t keep doing the things which made us a good side in the second half, the decision making at that point was really poor.’