Portsmouth 0 Sheffield United 1: Neil Allen's verdict - No hard-luck story, Blues have only themselves to blame
The Blues’ goal-scoring problems condemned them to a second successive 1-0 defeat
When Chris Wilder referred to Pompey’s failure to ‘put us to bed’ it was, of course, not in the biblical sense.
Language hardly benefitting the pureness of St Valentine’s Day. Then again, it wasn’t a massacre either, with the Blues’ Tommy Guns either jamming or wildly misfiring, such was their immensely frustrating profligacy.
John Mousinho’s men were presented with many a glorious opportunity to pull the trigger and eliminate Sheffield United, thereby claiming a victory as comfortable as the previous Fratton Park fixture against West Brom.
Instead, it was Pompey who were bumped off following the sucker punch of conceding in a counter-attack in the 90th minute in a heart-breaking finale.
It was undoubtedly cruel, an unjust outcome which distracts from a good performance against the resurgent Blades who, not that long ago, were considered relegation rivals.
Even their boss Wilder afterwards acknowledged their struggles: ‘Maybe I would have taken a point with 10 minutes to go and not been negative because this is a difficult place to come.
‘The performance wasn't a great performance today, but the mentality was top. It allowed us to get something from the game.’
Only themselves to blame
Nonetheless, Pompey only have themselves to blame for successive 1-0 defeats. While their efforts should have been rewarded considerably, crucially their downfall was not performing in front of goal.
A return of 23 shots represents a sufficient number of chances to find a way past the visitors. Instead the fourth-lowest scorers in the Football League and National League were frustrated figures come the final whistle.
This is no hard-luck story, certainly the decision to rule out Colby Bishop’s first-half goal appeared to be correct. Saturday’s conclusion was entirely of the Blues’ own doing - once again.
Even the Football League’s bottom club, Newport County, have mustered up more than Pompey’s paltry 27 goals from 30 matches so far this term.
Indeed, only Sheffield Wednesday, Port Vale and Harrogate Town have managed fewer. It’s no coincidence all three occupy their respective relegation zones - while Mousinho’s men are precariously positioned one place above the Championship bottom three.
Centre-forward goal drought
The last centre-forward to score a league goal for the Blues was Makenzie Kirk during defeat to Coventry on October 21. In fact, that striking position has totalled two Championship goals so far this season, with both arriving in the opening 11 league games.
Unsurprisingly, a new centre-forward was targeted in January. The outcome was former Premier League scorer Jacob Brown, whose last goal arrived in February 2025 amid ongoing injury issues.
The Luton loanee found himself on the bench against Sheffield United after his Preston debut, with fit-again Bishop returning following a quicker than anticipated recovery from an ankle injury.
The pair occupied the same pitch for the final 13 minutes of Saturday’s match, but still couldn’t find a way to improve their side’s cutting edge as it was the Blades who instead snatched victory.
Certainly the hosts could have been out of sight in the first half as they impressively grew into the game following a shaky opening five minutes, with John Swift prompting from the number 10 role inherited from the injured Conor Chaplin.
Ebou Adams headed over, Adrian Segecic’s shot was headed away by Japhet Tanganga close to the goal line, Segecic struck a fierce left-footed shot straight at the keeper, Zak Swanson tried his luck after a good move down the left.
Bishop sent a free header from Segecic’s right-wing corner wide, Terry Devlin wildly skied a right-footed shot over from 10 yards out, when Segecic shot into the ground Bishop diverted it over the bar with his head.
There were chances, so many chances. Some were not clear-cut, others were wastefully spurned through lack of composure, but they were chances all the same.
Disallowed Pompey goal
Then, when Bishop did get the ball into the net on 23 minutes, referee James Linington disallowed it after adjudging a foul in the build up. Replays showed Adams had connected with Femi Seriki’s foot after the Blades man had initially poked the ball away.
Pompey were less impressive after the break, but still comfortable at the back and never suggesting they were in any danger of suffering defeat. At that point, even a draw would have been disappointing.
Then on 90 minutes, a Blues free-kick was cleared and, as the visitors countered, Marlon Pack’s clearing header couldn't generate sufficient distance and then Luke Le Roux left his man all alone at the far post.
And Pompey only have themselves to blame.