Blues go top of the tree with Christmas approaching thanks to own goal double
POMPEY reside at League One’s summit, although they were indebted to two Hull own goals for the accomplishment.
Jacob Greaves and Josh Magennis each headed past goalkeeper Matt Ingram to gift the Blues what would prove to be an unassailable lead.
Their intervention was enough to dethrone the leaders – with Kenny Jackett’s men instead seizing the crown.
It’s presently not enough to be sure of topping the table at Christmas, with Doncaster Rovers having two fixtures before then.
Nonetheless, it was another important landmark for the Blues in the week when they established themselves in the top two for the first time in 22 months.
Ingram was rarely tested, with Pompey not managing a shot on target yet triumphing 2-0.
Yet Jackett’s men were largely comfortable throughout, using a fifth-minute breakthrough to dictate the tempo and maintain an excellent shape.
Indeed, the back four, marshalled magnificently by Sean Raggett in the absence of Jack Whatmough, restricted Hull to barely an attempt.
Save a second-half Craig MacGillivray stop and Magennis hitting the right crossbar late on, the hosts mustered up little as the Blues recorded a fifth straight clean sheet.
And it was Pompey leapfrogging their hosts to clamber to the top of League One – delivering another powerful message to their rivals.
NEIL ALLEN
It means they have now defeated Peterborough United and Ipswich Town, and drawn with Fleetwood Town in a run of fixtures many thought could define their season.
Well, that recent run, with no goals conceded, suddenly sees Pompey leading the table and seemingly the team to beat as they head out of 2020.
The Blues were without Whatmough, who was taken ill on the morning of the match and unable to feature.
That prompted a recall for Rasmus Nicolaisen, representing the sole change to the starting XI from Tuesday evening’s goalless draw with Fleetwood.
It was the Dane’s first League
One appearance since substituted at half-time in last month’s 2-2 draw at Plymouth Argyle – for Whatmough. His return to the team meant the right-footed Raggett switched to the right-hand side of defence to accommodate Nicolaisen on the left. The defender’s promotion into the side meant Bryn Morris came onto the bench, having missed out on the matchday 18 in recent weeks. Pompey were still missing hamstring victim Lee Brown, while
Paul Downing and James Bolton continue to be overlooked.
When the game got underway, Pompey registered the first corner on five minutes when Marcus Harness’ shot from outside the box was deflected.
From Cam Pring’s resulting flag kick, the Blues took the lead.
Delivered from the right, Raggett robustly challenged Greaves and the defender headed the ball into his own net.
Hull appealed for a foul on Greaves, who remained on the floor of the six-yard box, but the goal stood and it was 1-0 to the visitors.
On 10 minutes, Hull’s Josh Emmanuel escaped down the right with a tremendous run and pulled the ball back to Mallik Wilks.
However, the attacker’s first-time shot flew the wrong side of the post from an excellent position.
At the other end, excellent play between the bright Harness and Ryan Williams saw the latter curl in a left-footed shot which deflected wide for a corner.
MacGillivray was having little involvement, but on the half-hour mark had to push the ball over the crossbar after Callum Elder’s cross took a dangerous deflection off Harness.
Generally, the Blues were looking comfortable for their lead. Certainly the hosts were not putting them under particular pressure or offering a threat.
Pompey’s early goal had put them firmly in control and content not to force the tempo of proceedings.
The Tigers won a corner down the left with half-time approaching, but it was volleyed clear by Williams as again the Blues dealt with it with ease.
Moments later, however, Nicolaisen sliced a corner clearance in the direction of his own goal, which Callum Johnson was thankfully on hand to clear.
After the interval, Hull brought off James Scott and replaced him with Keane Lewis-Potter in the first substitution of the game.
On 55 minutes, John Marquis’ belligerence won a free-kick down the left which was to deliver Pompey’s second goal.
Ronan Curtis aimed for the far post, where it was headed back across goal by Nicolaisen and Magennis, under pressure from Marquis, scooped the ball in the air, before heading it into his own net.
It was the second own goal of the game scored by the Tigers – and the Blues were leading 2-0.
The hosts had it all to do, although on 59 minutes, Regan Slater drove a shot from the edge of the box through a ruck of players and it was smartly pushed out by MacGillivray.
The goalkeeper would have been unsighted, yet dived to his right to push away the attempt and preserve Pompey’s two-goal lead.
Moments later, Slater was replaced by Tom Eaves to give Hull more of a goal threat, forming a physical front pairing with Magennis.
On 72 minutes, Lewis-Potter skilfully worked his way in from the left and his teasing cross narrowly eluded Wilks at the far post.
Hull were running out of time, yet barely making inroads into Pompey’s penalty area, with the visitors defending excellently.
Nicolaisen, who was invoking some nervy moments, then wildly attempted to clear, with Greg Docherty going down amid penalty appeals, but nothing was awarded. Entering the final five minutes, Magennis struck the Blues’ crossbar with a header, but the visitors breathed again.
With three minutes of time added on to negotiate, there was still hope for Hull, yet there was no way past this resilient Blues defence.
Raggett and Nicolaisen were a tower of strength, blocking and throwing themselves in front of the ball and that was sufficient to preserve their lead.
Certainly the Blues could be delighted with a hard-working performance which leaves them top of League One at the start of the final weekend before Christmas.
Pompey have gone five games in all competitions without conceding a goal