Quickfire double blast gets Pompey back to winning ways
KENNY Jackett doesn’t lose successive league matches – and it proved to be the case once again.
The Blues were rightly questioned following their Doncaster defeat on Saturday as the uninspiring start to the season limped on.
However, the manager who has been victorious in comfortably more than half his Pompey games in charge, was swiftly back to winning ways at the Priestfield Stadium last night.
The reaction of the heavily underfire boss’ side was crucial – and didn’t his players respond magnificently against Gillingham.
A burst of two goals in the opening 17 minutes was even to apply a stranglehold on the game which Pompey never looked like releasing.
Granted, there were the occasional nervy moments while defending set-pieces, as expected from a welldrilled Steve Evans side.
But largely the visitors were in control and should have registered a scoreline even more handsome than the 2-0 win they achieved.
Reverting to the 4-4-2 system employed successfully against Burton and MK Dons, this time Marcus Harness operating off the recalled John Marquis, the creative buzz was restored.
Ryan Williams was magnificent on the right wing, Harness in irresistible form, while Sean Raggett was a colossus in the air and Tom Naylor enjoyed a fine game.
Marquis’ and Michael Jacobs’ goals – three minutes apart – laid the foundations for a third straight away win and lifted some of the gloom.
There remain calls for Jackett’s head, yet there remains fight in this group of players, who responded in excellent fashion against the Gills.
Jackett made three changes to the side which performed so unsatisfactorily in Saturday’s defeat to Doncaster.
With Ellis Harrison out for up to three weeks with a hamstring tear, Marquis was the inevitable replacement, particularly as the only other senior striker at the club.
In addition, Williams and Jacobs were granted recalls, coming in for Ronan Curtis and Ben Close, who both dropped to the bench.
It would have been a disappointment for Close in particular, having returned to the side on Saturday for his first league start since March and put in a decent display.
Also among the substitutes was teenage striker Alfie Stanley, who has been on loan at the Rocks, appearing for them in the Isthmian League on Saturday.
The 18-year-old was previously involved with Pompey’s first team as an unused substitute at Stevenage in the Carabao Cup on the opening day of the season.
When the match got underway, Gillingham almost put through their own net inside the opening two minutes.
A wonderful ball inside the fullback by Tom Naylor put Williams free down the right and his pull back was slid past the post by Declan Drysdale.
For a second, it looked as though the intervention was going to enter the net. Instead it resulted in a Pompey corner.
On six minutes, Marquis conceded a free-kick just inside the Blues’ half and Tom O’Connor’s delivery almost caught Craig MacGillivray off-guard.
Carried by the wind, it drifted just wide of the left-hand post, with the ‘keeper expecting it to be struck in the opposite direction.
Another Gills free-kick, this time given away by Williams on the edge of the Pompey penalty area, was struck by Jacob Mellis straight at MacGillivray.
In the 12th minutes, there were appeals centred on home ‘keeper Jack Bonham potentially handling outside his area as he gathered Raggett’s long ball down the left.
Referee David Rock was not convinced, indicating he was in line with the incident and saw it perfectly with his eyes amid muted protests from the visitors.
The deadlock was broken on 14 minutes – and it was through Marquis.
The ball was slipped to the striker from the right and he embarked on a run across the penalty area before driving a left-footed finish into the far bottom corner of the net.
It was the visitors’ first attempt on goal and Gillingham will surely be asking questions why Marquis hadn’t been challenged and allowed to produce a shot.
Within three minutes, the Blues had doubled their lead through a potent counter-attack led by Jacobs.
A clearance was picked up by the former Wigan man who charged upfield, beat the last defender and, although appeared to be clipped, still managed to shoot as he fell.
It was enough to beat Bonham and suddenly the Blues possessed a two-goal lead inside the opening 17 minutes.
Vadaine Oliver had a good chance to threaten Pompey’s goal on 32 minutes from Jordan Graham’s freekick from the left, however he sent his header over the crossbar.
With half-time approaching, Oliver did well to hold the ball up and lay it off to Graham, but his team-mate lashed it wide of the far post.
It represented the Gills’ best chance of the half so far and really the attacker should have done far better.
At the other end, on 42 minutes, Williams’ cross from the right was met with a stooping header from Naylor, which crashed against the inside of the far post and bounced
Quickfire first-half double blast from Marquis and Jacobs sees Blues hit straight back after Doncaster disappointment. NEIL ALLEN reports...
clear.
There were no substitutions at the break and, within four minutes of the restart, Pompey came close to grabbing another.
Jacobs produced a wonderful turn to cut inside the penalty area from the right and when his shot was pushed out by the ‘keeper, Williams’ follow-up effort was deflected wide of an open goal.
It was unfortunate for the Australian, who was enjoying a fine game and deserved more.
Moments later, Harness broke down the right and his pull back was met first time by Jacobs, who blazed a rightfooted shot over.
Lee Brown was almost embarrassed when a cross came in from the left and he attempted to cushion a header back to his ‘keeper.
However, he applied a little too much power to it, the ball shooting past a diving MacGillivray and out for a corner.
On 68 minutes, Marquis really should have made it 3-0 after a sublime cross from the right by Williams.
However, the goalscorer rose to plant a header wide of the near post and spare the Gills further anguish.
Pompey missed another chance when Ryan Jackson misjudged the bouncing ball to put Harness clean through, yet his shot was saved by the feet of Bonham.
Jackett made a double substitution on 74 minutes, with Harness and Cannon replaced by Close and Curtis.
Late on MacGillivray made a fine save, while the Blues were challenged from set-pieces, but the return to winning ways was secure.