Portsmouth youngster revels in double joy after free-kick delight in friendly victory over Hawks

Liam Vincent, left, is mobbed by his Blues team-mates following his second-half free-kick. Picture: Jason Brown/ProSportsImages

The youngster’s time at Fratton Park has been dogged by injury since his arrival in June 2021.

However, within four minutes of his second-half entrance against the Hawks, the 19-year-old netted a left-footed free-kick from 25 yards.

It helped secure a 3-0 success for Danny Cowley’s men at Westleigh Park in their opening pre-season friendly.

While his strike also represented a maiden goal-scoring free-kick in senior football.

Vincent told The News: ‘We did some set-pieces earlier and the gaffer mentioned it’s a strength of mine so to back myself and step up.

‘When we won it, I thought “I’m going to have this” and fortunately it went into the net.

‘I took some set-pieces at Bromley, just corners, and had never really had the opportunity to take a free-kick in and around the box in senior football.

‘I would say I’ve always had a decent delivery on me, I like to take them and practise them.

‘I have a little routine and just visualise it going into the net – and it did.

‘I would actually say that was the hardest one out of the three I had in the game. After I scored the first, I was a bit too happy and rushed the other two when they were actually in a better position to score.

‘I prefer them on the other side, with the angle going over the wall and into the far corner.

‘I’ve scored free-kicks in Academy football before, but never senior football. Now I’ll work on it more as I know I can do it.’

Ryan Tunnicliffe and a Josh Passley own goal handed the Blues a 2-0 lead by half-time.

Cowley then made 11 changes, with Vincent replacing Connor Ogilvie at left-back in a younger side which contained four triallists.

And his 48th-minute free-kick added to the scoreline to make it 3-0.

He added: ‘The manager said we were good enough and are a bit more fitter than Havant at the moment, having been back two weeks.

‘He told us to go out and express ourselves, to look after the ball, which we did to an extent.

‘And Jay Mingi ran the show in there.’

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

You can support our local team of expert Pompey writers by subscribing here for all the latest news from Fratton Park for 9p a day, thanks to our 30%-off transfer window deal.