Sheffield Wednesday 0 Portsmouth 1: Neil Allen's verdict - All is good in John Mousinho's world again. For now
Pompey ended more than five months without an away win following victory at Hillsborough
The responses were uncharacteristically a little shorter than usual, while his demeanour bore the resemblance of a man worn down by unrelenting battles.
This wasn’t John Mousinho, except it was. Composed as ever, customarily unruffled and self-assured, unfailingly polite and tolerant, yet the frustration bubbling beneath the surface was abundantly evident during his pre-match press conference ahead of Saturday’s Sheffield Wednesday trip.
Many of those present agreed it was the flattest they had seen the Pompey head coach in almost three years at the helm. Those watching The News’ video and pouring over accompanying words also peered beneath the public mask.
Mousinho has spent a Blues career overachieving, latterly embroiled in successive Championship relegation fights. Yet Wednesday’s media address reeked of creeping disillusionment.
Burdened by an injury crisis he had branded the worst of his time at Fratton Park, it is understandable. Unbeknown to the outside world, Marlon Pack had days earlier joined those occupying the crowded treatment room. That’s 10 now absent, of which half are wingers.
Coupled with ongoing transfer window inactivity at the time and growing discontent among the fanbase - directed at Mousinho as well as the Eisners - and this represents a pivotal period in his successful managerial reign.
No doubt tireless recruitment work is taking place behind the scenes overseen by Rich Hughes and head of recruitment Brad Wall, yet, on the eve of January’s halfway mark, the absence of any arrivals was irrefutable.
‘We are still hopeful’
‘There is potential for more than one, but there’s nothing confirmed at the minute.’
Not that everybody wanted to believe. As ever, some hear what they want to hear, mistaking genuine words of transfer hope for an admission there would categorically be no recruitment before the Hillsborough trip.
That Wednesday evening, Millenic Alli joined. On Friday afternoon, Ebou Adams was signed in a £500,000 deal from Derby. And, on Saturday, both were involved in a crucial 1-0 victory at Sheffield Wednesday. How swiftly moods around a football club can change.
No wonder Mousinho left South Yorkshire with a smile on his face, with normal service having been resumed just 72 hours later.
Admittedly, it was a dreadful game of football and a distinctly average Pompey performance against comfortably the worst side in the Championship. Yet, crucially, it was a win. It was all that mattered - the means were entirely irrelevant.
Not since the opening day at Oxford United - approaching five-and-a-half months earlier - had the Blues last tasted victory on the road. It would be churlish to subsequently criticise the manner of performance which ended that dreadful statistic.
Accept the three points and enjoy them. Mousinho’s men, who, in fairness, stepped up considerably after a dismal first half, were deserved winners, ultimately with embarrassing ease.
Once Adrian Segecic opened the scoring on 65 minutes, the Owls never remotely suggested they were capable of finding a way back as they quietly slipped to a 20th league match without victory.
At half-time, there was nothing to separate a pathetic game between what appeared to be two dreadful teams. Yet Pompey always had the capacity to find further gears - their hosts had already reached their maximum speed.
Exciting and unpredictable debut
At the heart of it was Alli, a winger overlooked for Luton’s last five League One squads and even an EFL Trophy fixture with Swindon in the week. Nonetheless, he became the Blues’ first capture of this January transfer window.
The former Exeter man grew encouragingly into the game and was involved in the visitors’ most dangerous attacks with his directness and willingness to attack full-backs on the outside.
There were feints, step-overs, at one point in the second half he embarrassingly screwed a left-footed cross into the crowd after being too casual. On another driving run, he produced a superb through ball which Segecic failed to capitalise on.
During his 73 minutes on the Hillsborough pitch, it's clear Alli will excite and frustrate, such is his wild unpredictability. However, he is precisely what Mousinho needs in his squad and conjured up the difference on Saturday.
Set free down the left by Conor Shaughnessy’s sublime pass out of defence, the 25-year-old took a touch before flinging in an early left-footed cross towards Colby Bishop, highly reminiscent of Josh Murphy.
An Owls’ centre-half flung himself at the ball to nudge it away from the Pompey striker, but there was Segecic following in with first-time left-footed shot from 18-yards out to find the net.
That was enough to deflate their hosts and the Blues were on their way to 11 points from the last 18 available to remain positioned precariously above the Championship relegation zone.
‘We are staying up’ emanated from the travelling faithful as full-time approached. All was good in the world once again. For now.