Portsmouth poised to claim unwanted 127-year-old club record with unprecedented scoring problems
Adrian Segecic is the Blues’ leading scorer with six goals so far
Struggling Pompey are poised to create unwanted club history as a damning statistic highlights the extent of their goal woes.
With eight games remaining, Adrian Segecic remains the Blues’ long-time leading scorer with six in all competitions.
In the club’s 127 years of existence, just five seasons have seen no player reaching double figures. What’s more, never before has a campaign’s top scorer totalled below seven goals - until potentially now.
It’s a brutal reminder of the key issue which has dogged John Mousinho’s men throughout the 2025-26 season - and, at this juncture, doesn’t appear to have been resolved in the January transfer window.
Segecic, a 21-year-old competing in his first English campaign since arriving from the A-League, has led the Blues’ goal charts since August after grabbing two in his opening three matches.
However, he hasn’t found the back of the net since the 1-1 draw at Watford in January, a drought which is now stretching to 11 games.
Right-back Terry Devlin has five goals
Pompey’s other prominent scorers so far this term are right-back Terry Devlin (5), John Swift (3) and Colby Bishop (3). In addition, Minhyeok Yang, who was recalled by Spurs in January before being loaned out to Coventry, also has three.
In the case of Segecic, five of his six goals have arrived when starting matches. However, he has struggled to make Mousinho’s line-up of late after a noticeable dip in form.
Indeed, the attacker has featured in the Blues’ starting XI just twice over the last eight matches, most recently at QPR, when he was hauled off at half-time with the team trailing 3-1.
Still, having netted three times in the number 10 role, twice from the right wing, and once off the bench, statistics show he continues to be Pompey’s most realistic hope of a goal in their ongoing battle to remain in the Championship.
Since Pompey’s formation in 1898, just five seasons have seen the leading scorer finish in single figures.
In 2005-06, when the Blues staged their famous Great Escape under Harry Redknapp, no player registered more than seven goals.
Instead Lomana Lualua, Matt Taylor and Gary O’Neil all tied for the top-scorer mantle with seven. In Taylor’s case, he scored the penalty at Wigan in the penultimate game which kept the Blues up.
Jed Wallace top of the goal charts in 2013-14
Another season when Pompey were threatened with relegation was 2013-14, until Andy Awford intervened as caretaker boss with seven matches remaining to steer them away from danger.
In that League Two campaign, 20-year-old Jed Wallace hit seven goals, including three in the last 10 fixtures, to finish as leading scorer as the Blues eventually reached 13th.
Pompey did fail to avoid the drop, however, in 2011-12, when David Norris topped the goal charts with eight, which included that iconic St Mary’s strike.
Incidentally, that proved to be his final goal for the Blues, before departing in the summer of 2012, when all senior first-team players were sold off or released by the administrators to the club being liquidated.
In 1974-75, Ian St John’s Pompey endured a season of struggle in which they finished 17th in Division Two, albeit having failed to win any of their last five matches.
Their leading scorer on eight goals was Mick Mellows, with the left-sided midfielder also collecting player of the season honours after 38 appearances.
William ‘Sunny Jim’ Kirby
Finally, when the Blues were relegated from Southern League Division One in 1910-11, their top scorer was William ‘Sunny Jim’ Kirby.
In a miserable campaign in which they won just two league matches after November 26, 1910 to finish bottom, the centre-forward registered nine goals, three more than closest rival and inside left RW Turner.
Which brings us to the present with Pompey fighting to preserve their Championship status - and Adrian Segecic as their six-goal leading scorer with eight matches remaining.