RECAP dreadful night as Portsmouth defeated by bottom side Plymouth
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The Pilgrims arrive at PO4 fighting for their Championship lives rooted to the bottom of the table, with a huge amount on the game for Miron Muslic’s side.
LIVE Pompey v Plymouth
Hardie in space behind Pack and thumps it from 20 yards - it's another excellent stop from Schmid. this time a reflex save to his right to palm the shot away.
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Key stats (via the BBC)
Portsmouth have failed to win any of their past eight league games against Plymouth Argyle (D5 L3), since a 3-0 victory at Fratton Park in September 2018.
Plymouth Argyle have won each of their past two league games against Portsmouth and will be looking to win three in succession for the first time since 1981.
Portsmouth have lost only one of their previous 22 midweek (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday) league games at Fratton Park (W15 D6), winning three of their five such games this season (D1 L1).
Plymouth have failed to win any of their past 20 away league games (D5 L15); it's the first time they've failed to win 20+ successive away league matches since November 1984 (24).
Ryan Hardie has scored four goals in his past four league appearances against Portsmouth for Plymouth, scoring a brace at Fratton Park in September 2021.
How it shapes up after last night's results
Gap to relegation places reduced to 7 points tonight, as goals from Marcus Harness and Matt Clarke give Derby victory over Coventry. Luton also beat Cardiff. Hull and Oxford play each other tomorrow with Stoke in action. Win over Plymouth would potentially lift Pompey to 14th.
More positive contract news!
John Mousinho has given Pompey’s decision to reward Regan Poole a new Fratton Park contract his seal of approval.
The Blues boss welcomed the news by saying the defender has all attributes you want in a modern-day centre-back.
He also stressed the 26-year-old’s importance to the team and expressed delight with Poole’s adjustment to life in the Championship - a level he had yet to taste in his career until this season.
A free-transfer signing from Lincoln in the summer of 2023, the Wales international has penned a new two-year deal with Pompey that will take him up to the summer of 2027, with the club also having the option of an additional year.
The agreement comes just months before Poole’s initial Blues contract was set to expire at the end of the current campaign and follows hot on the heels of the contract extensions signed by both Colby Bishop and Terry Devlin in recent weeks.
The centre-half’s return to fitness this term after 10 months out with an ACL problem has helped Pompey out massively given their struggles with injuries to centre-backs.
Poole himself has had issues on that front as he picked up a hamstring injury 14 games into his comeback in December - a setback that cost him 14 games.
Yet he’s back in the starting line-up again and proving a huge asset as those defenisve injury battles continue - and Mousinho’s simply delighted the former Manchester United trainee took the opportunity to commit his future to the club.
Mousinho told the club website: ‘Regan is an important member of our squad and we’re delighted that he’s agreed a new deal.
‘After working so hard to get back to full fitness after a serious injury, he has adapted brilliantly to life in the Championship.
‘He has everything you want to see in a modern centre-back – good with the ball at his feet and aggressive without it.
‘Now he can focus on trying to have a strong finish to the season and help the team continue this positive run of form.’
Competition for places
Poole has featured 17 times for Pompey in the Championship this season - despite missing the first month of the campaign as he recovered him knee surgery and being absent at the turn of the year.
In that time, he’s had three different central-defender partners - including Marlon Pack, who teamed up well with Poole to keep out Leeds United at Fratton Park on Sunday.
That partnership is expected to remain in tact for Wednesday night’s important visit of bottom-of-the-table Plymouth to PO4.
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