Portsmouth 1 Norwich 2: Neil Allen's verdict - More than a defeat as Blues suffer double agony on day of drama
The Blues suffered a first Championship defeat of the season despite an eventful finale against Norwich.
Josh Murphy drove down the left flank before delivering a low cross towards the edge of the penalty area, yet the space was agonisingly vacant.
Groans greeted the wasting of the promising second-half attack as the Fratton faithful recognised a glorious shooting opportunity for any player possessing the nous to charge into the box late, especially with Pompey still reeling from a two-goal deficit.
Yet while Callum Lang was in the vicinity, lurking with customary menace, his body was stubbornly unwilling to initiate that explosion of energy which characterises his performances.
Stranded on the edge of the area, the 26-year-old had felt his problematic left hamstring moments earlier after winning a free-kick. He tried to soldier on, but, after 57 minutes, it was time to reluctantly bow out of the action.
Certainly Saturday was one of those days for the Blues, who gifted the Canaries two goals in the opening 14 minutes only to come ridiculously close to levelling during the final 10 minutes, plus an eventful - and controversial - 10 minutes of time added-on.
The full details of Lang’s latest injury blow will emerge as the week progresses, yet it represents a third hamstring injury since February for the ex-Wigan man, subsequently restricting him to just five more competitive outings to date.
Right-wing problems for Portsmouth
Norwich signalled more than a defeat, the added loss of such a pivotal performer renders it an even more painful outcome, particularly considering ongoing right-wing issues.
With the injured Harvey Blair sidelined until October at the very least and Matt Ritchie’s Fratton Park future over in all but contract, John Mousinho’s latest attempt at resolving that position was playing Lang ‘out of position’.
However, that alternative is now postponed just 147 minutes into the Championship season. Saturday’s temporary solution was subsequently switching Adrian Segecic out wide for the remainder of the game, while, intriguingly, keeping Spurs loanee Yang Minhyeok on the bench.
Pompey already desperately required a new right winger even before this latest set-back. With 16 days remaining in the transfer window, it is now even more pressing.
For the unpalatable truth is, considering Lang’s concerning hamstring history, we won’t see him in action again until well beyond the September 1 deadline.
A strange Fratton Park match
Certainly plenty went wrong for Pompey on Saturday, yet they have every right to feel a little aggrieved at the 2-1 defeat, albeit having barely tested opposition keeper Vladan Kovacevic in a strange match.
Indeed, up until the 80th minute, there was little suggestion they could claw their way back from generously gifting Norwich an early 2-0 lead amid criminal defending.
The deadlock was broken on six minutes when Ante Crnac’s right-wing free-kick was headed home by the bafflingly unattended Harry Darling, a centre-half for the Canaries.
If that wasn’t frustrating enough, just eight minutes later Darling’s long throw from the right was flicked on by Jose Cordoba and headed home from close range by Josh Sargent, again with very little defensive attention.
From that point, Norwich were comfortable, content to allow the Blues plenty of possession through centre-halves and then pouncing on any error to strike on the break through pace and posing plenty of danger.
Then, on 80 minutes, substitute Florian Bianchini was fouled by Kellen Fisher, offering the lifeline of a penalty.
However, Colby Bishop’s shot was saved by Kovacevic diving to his left, representing the skipper’s fourth penalty miss in his last 10 taken since January 2024, an ever-worrying statistic.
New Portsmouth hero sparks fightback
Pompey did pull one back, however, in the 84th minute when Segecic, who had been anonymous in the first half, created something out of absolutely nothing with a low left-footed shot from the edge of the box.
Suddenly there was life in the Blues and, deep into time added-on, Connor Ogilvie went down inside the box under a challenge from Jacob Wright, only to be booked for simulation rather than receiving a penalty.
Then John Swift produced a wonderful moment of class to control the ball on his chest and, from the edge of the box, fire in a right-footed volley which crashed against the bar.
Having been lacklustre for much of the game, despite boasting plenty of possession, it was a heartening finale from the host, yet the equaliser couldn’t be found and Norwich were grateful for that final whistle.
Yet while a maiden Championship defeat can be shrugged off, not so Lang’s latest set-back as he departed Fratton Park with his left leg bandaged and facing another spell on the sidelines.