Under-par Portsmouth suffer 4-0 loss to Hull City in League One promotion battle

Pompey were well below their best as their unbeaten League One streak came to an end with defeat to Hull City.
Hull's George Honeyman scores their second goal passed Portsmouth’s Craig MacGillivray Hull's George Honeyman scores their second goal passed Portsmouth’s Craig MacGillivray
Hull's George Honeyman scores their second goal passed Portsmouth’s Craig MacGillivray

The Blues missed out on a chance to move leapfrog their opponents and move into the automatic promotion spots with a 4-0 loss at Fratton Park.

Two unlucky Jack Whatmough own goals and a George Honeyman strike meant Kenny Jackett’s side suffered a blow in their bid to reach the Championahip.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The opening stages were cagey, with both sides feeling each other out.

On 16 minutes, John Marquis had the ball in the back of the net but was adudged to have committed a foul when latching on to Ronan Curtis header.

Moments later Andy Cannon won Pompey a free-kick around 25 yards from goal but Marcus Harness failed to hit the target with his effort.

And just as the Blues were getting on top, Hull made the breakthrough in the 23rd minute. Keane Lewis-Potter was left unmarked from a free-kick and after Craig MacGillivray kept out his header, the ball deflected off Whatmough and trickled into the net.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Seven minutes later, awful marking meant the Tigers almost doubled their lead. Again, Lewis-Potter was left in all sorts of space from a corner, but his header deflected wide.

Ryan Williams’ shot that went over the bar was the closed the home side came to an equaliser before the interval.

Kenny Jackett introduced Harvey White and Ben Close for Cannon and Ryan Williams at the break hoping to engineer an equaliser.

But the substitutions failed to pay dividends and Pompey slipped further behind in the 61st minute.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

After a scramble inside the box, Malik Wilks shot was cleared off the line but George Honeyman was there to prod home.

And it was 3-0 only three minutes later via another Whatmough own goal. Lewie Coyle slid in a teasing cross that the centre-back poked into his own net when trying to clear.

The introduction of Ellis Harrison pepper up the Blues and he forced a decent save out of visiting keeper Goerge Long.

Yet Hull would pile more misery on Pompey in added-time when Josh Magennis was allowed too much time to shoot and fired past MacGillivray.

An afternoon to forget for the Blues, who welcome Lincoln to Fratton Park on Tuesday.