Report | Portsmouth 1-2 Argyle
Have you heard the one about Victory in Portsmouth?
No? Well, it’s a famous warship, commanded by Admiral Horatio Nelson, a man who was great friends with a man called Hardy. Some 220 years ago, in the Battle of Trafalgar, Victory prevailed.
And have you heard the one about victory in Portsmouth?
No? Well, it’s a terrific evening where Argyle, with Garry Nelson commentating on Argyle TV, attained victory following a goal by a man called Hardie. Some 341 days after their last away win, Argyle prevailed.
It was a nervy one, mind. With only a few minutes of the 90 remaining, Argyle were 2-0 up, with goals from Mustapha Bundu and Ryan Hardie, and looked good for the win. However, Matty Sorinola was sent off moments before Adil Aouchiche got one back, and nearly a dozen worrying minutes of stoppage time were enough to send any Pilgrim’s sealegs wobbly.
The whistle, when it came, was the most welcome of the season.
Argyle Head Coach Miron Muslic made four changes to the side, notably bringing in Michael Obefemi to the starting line-up.
When these two sides met in November, Obefemi was far from popular with Portsmouth fans to begin with, as a former Southampton player. His stock with Pompey fans plummeted further when he scored the only goal of the game late on; Muslic was looking for some similar outcomes here.
Hardie also returned to the starting 11, joining Obafemi in flanking central striker Bundu. Behind them, Jordan Houghton and Darko Gyabi anchored the midfield, with Sorinola and Tymoteusz Puchacz playing as wing-backs. Maksym Taklovierov, Nikola Katic and Julio Pleguezuelo continued as the back three, with Conor Hazard in goal.
Portsmouth controlled the early flow of the game, but it was Argyle who had the first chance. It was a good one, too, and Hardie would probably have expected to score from it Not that the Scotsman did anything wrong; the connection he got on a ball he had run on to, and that sat up for him, was basically perfect, but the save from Nico Schmid was outstanding, diving to his right and tipping away with a strong right hand.
Aouchiche went reasonably close for the home side, a few minutes later, curling wide from the angle on the edge of the penalty area, as again Pompey took command of the pattern of play, but were not creating copious chances.
Bundu saw stars when he tried to lob Schmid from 40 yards; it was not the worst effort, drifting a little wide of the target with the goalkeeper beaten, but an on-running Hardie might have been a better option.
Portsmouth’s best moments of the first half came around the half-hour mark. A low cross by Jacob Murphy from the left side was a difficult one to deal with, and Pleguezuelo did excellently to get round before Colby Bishop pounced.
From the corner, taken by Murphy, Aouchiche connected and sent his header goalwards. It was a really good stop by Hazard, to repel the ball on the goal-line and push away.
As half-time approached, Argyle produced their best move of the half (Of the month? Of the year?) and took the lead. Puchacz advanced on the left, in his own half, then released Obafemi down the line. What happened next was a front three working in perfect harmony.
Obafemi crossed early, and low, to find the angled run of Hardie in the box. There was no real option to shoot, but Hardie’s lay-off was sublime, into the path of Bundu and, a touch to set later, he wrapped his foot and around the ball and fired into the bottom corner.
Pompey started the second half with purpose. Murphy had one shot blocked by Pleguezuelo, then a more speculative effort, probably more of a cross, found its way to a surprised Hazard, who pushed away well.
Argyle may well have been setting up for a second half protecting their single-goal lead, but they were always going to feel like a threat if they could hit on the break. Five minutes into the second period, they did just that – and it led to a second goal.
It came from Portsmouth trying to work down their left, but Sorinola intercepted and played the ball forward in one move. This, on the halfway line, released Hardie, who needed little invitation to try to run beyond. This he did, blue shirts in his wake, and he entered the area.
In the first half, Schmid had saved a Hardie effort he had no right to. This time, he failed to stop one he perhaps should have. No matter, to anyone in green. They celebrated in the away end as Hardie gave his familiar salute. For several games, the problem was Hardie’s back. Now, for Portsmouth, their issue was: Hardie’s back.
Argyle quickly made one change – Callum Wright, for Obafemi – and a planned second turned into a worrying third. Bali Mumba for Hardie was going to happen anyway, but a nasty landing for Pleguezuelo meant he was carried from the field on a stretcher, replaced by Kornel Szucs. Be well, Pleggy. Que se mejore.
On 73 minutes, Murphy sent in another good cross from the Portsmouth left, and picked out one of three subs that the home side had made, Mark O’Mahony. He was in space as he headed, but in letting the ball come to him and trying to be delicate, all he did was steer wide.
Five minutes later, O’Mahony again glanced a left-wing cross – an inswinging one this time – and got a better contact, but again saw the ball miss Hazard’s post on the outside.
In all of this, Argyle brought on Nathanael Ogbeta for Bundu, with the former coming on to play on the left of a front three that consisted of him, Wright and Mumba.
Portsmouth kept pushing, but Argyle were resolute. However, Sorinola picking up a second caution for a foul on the edge of the area, and being sent off on 87 minutes, was not ideal.
Neither was Aouchiche smashing in from distance after the free-kick had been partially cleared. If you are wondering how his name is pronounced, and how everyone of an Argyle persuasion reacted to the goal, the answer to both questions is: ‘Oh, sheesh’.
And now, for the Green Army, came the reminders of the fact that the last THREE visits to Fratton Park had ended 2-2, and all of which saw Pompey equalise in the final throes of the game.
Up went the fourth official’s board, and it signalled an amount of minutes to be added on that tallied one more than the players had on the field.
Crosses came into the box, again and again, but the Greens held firm; Houghton, Szucs and Talovierov in particular making stunning blocks and headers to keep the other Dockyard side at bay.
The Green Army expects every Argyle player to do their duty. Tonight, they certainly did.
Argyle: 21 Conor Hazard, 4 Jordan Houghton, 5 Julio Pleguezuelo (6 Kornel Szucs, 64), 9 Ryan Hardie (2 Bali Mumba, 64), 14 Michael Obafemi (11 Callum Wright, 52), 15 Mustapha Bundu (3 Nathanael Ogbeta, 77), 17 Tymoteusz Puchacz, 18 Darko Gyabi, 25 Nikola Katic (capt), 29 Matty Sorinola, 40 Maksym Talovierov. Substitutes: 31 Daniel Grimshaw (gk), 8 Joe Edwards, 19 Malachi Boateng, 28 Rami Al Hajj, 35 Freddie Issaka.
Goals: Bundu 44, Hardie 50
Sent off: Sorinola 87
Booked: Sorinola 68, Gyabi 90+6
Portsmouth: 13 Nico Schmid, 3 Connor Ogilvie, 5 Regan Poole, 7 Marlon Pack (capt, 18 Cohen Bramall 55), 8 Freddie Potts (11 Mark O’Mahoney, 62), 9 Colby Bishop, 17 Adil Aouchiche, 21 Andre Dozzell, 22 Zak Swanson, 23 Josh Murphy, 30 Matt Ritchie (14 Kaide Gordon, 55). Substitutes: 31 Jordan Archer (gk), 4 Ryley Towler, 10 Kusini Mengi, 20 Tom Waddingham, 24 Terry Devlin, 45 Isaac Hayden.
Goals: Aouchiche 89
Booked: Bramall 90+8
Attendance: 20,394 (1,401 away)
Referee: Matthew Donohue
