Remarkable Curtis joins Fratton goal elite - and what a roll of honour it is
RONAN CURTIS has never taken a Pompey penalty and largely operated on the wing.
Yet remarkably, just two players have scored more Blues goals during the 21st Century.
On Good Friday, the Republic of Ireland international registered along with Ryan Williams in the 2-1 success over Rochdale.
It represented Curtis’
37th goal in 133 appearances since arriving from League of Ireland club Derry in
May 2018.
Impressively, since 2000, only Yakubu (43) and Brett Pitman (42) have netted more for the Blues.
Yet Curtis, who is contracted until the summer of 2023, is rapidly catching up as he continues to plunder.
He is presently level with Gareth Evans, who netted 37 times in 215 outings for the Blues.
The popular winger departed Fratton Park for Bradford in September, but only after scoring for a sixth successive Pompey season
Evans, of course, operated in a variety of roles during his time on the south coast, including performing as right-back in the title-winning 2016-17 campaign.
Nonetheless, it didn’t blunt his goal threat, including successfully converting penalties at Notts County in the promotion-clinching triumph and then that memorable Cheltenham outcome.
The list of leading scorers since 2000 also includes Peter Crouch in fourth place and Svetoslav Todorov in fifth.
Crouch totalled 35 goals in 88 appearances during his two Fratton Park spells, the most recent ending with a move to Spurs in July
2009.
As for Todorov, his return of 33 goals primarily includes 26 in the First Division title-winning campaign in 2002-03 under Harry Redknapp.
Elsewhere, it’s worth keeping an eye on John Marquis, who is presently on 32 goals.
Now in his second
Pompey spell, the
28-year-old has amassed 96 appearances and is available from a threegame suspension after this weekend’s visit of Burton.
Marquis is contracted at Fratton Park until the summer of 2022 – so there’s still plenty of time to rise up the goalscoring charts.
Behind him is winger
Jed Wallace, who scored 30 times in 121 appearances after breaking into the
Blues side as an 18-year-old.
He has netted on nine occasions for Millwall this term, most recently the winner in their Good Friday victory over Rotherham.
Completing the list is Jamal Lowe, who, like Wallace, is presently plying his trade in the Championship.
The 26-year-old is impressing at play-off challenging Swansea, with nine goals this season, while last month netted on his Jamaica debut.
He scored 29 times in 119 appearances for Pompey, before departing for Wigan in August 2019.
Pompey’s leading scorers in the 21st Century:
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Yakubu 43 (92 games), Brett Pitman 42
(99), Ronan Curtis 37 (134), Gareth Evans 37 (215), Peter Crouch 35 (88), Svetoslav Todorov 33 (83), John Marquis 32 (96), Jed Wallace 30 (121), Jamal Lowe 29 (119).