Hackett-Fairchild at the double as strong Pompey side ease to Gosport friendly win
POMPEY ended their pre-season campaign with a comfortable 4-0 victory at Gosport Borough last night.
The Blues went into half time with a one-goal lead through Ronan Curtis before Reeco HackettFairchild fired a double and Ryan Williams bagged in the second period.
Kenny Jackett gave every first-team member a run-out ahead of the League One season starting against Shrewsbury on September 12,
However, there was no Alex Bass at Privett Park, with the keeper receiving ankle treatment before kick-off.
Pompey made just one change from Saturday’s shootout win at Stevenage, with Craig MacGillivray replacing Bass in goal.
The Scot was likely to start anyway, after coming on for the academy graduate at half-time at Broadhall Way.
Pompey made a decent start to the game, with
John Marquis and Marcus Harness having efforts on goal in the opening five minutes.
Curtis then went close to opening the scoring on 11 minutes when he rose highest to meet Gareth Evans’ corner but his effort was cleared off the line.
Marquis had a case for a penalty six minutes later when he played a neat one-two with Harness and was bundled over but the referee waved play on.
The breakthrough would arrive on 23 minutes, however, through Curtis. Evans did well down the right to get back to his feet after being fouled and put in a cross that dropped to the Irishman and he struck home.
The Blues continued to dominate but couldn’t find another goal before half time.
Marquis and Harness both had big chances within as many minutes of each other, but Borough keeper Pat O’Flaherty made two good stops to his left.
Pompey changed their entire team for the second half, with Cameron Pring given his first run-out only hours after being announced as the club’s second signing of the summer. And the Blues doubled their lead inside two minutes of the restart. Andy Cannon played in Hackett-Fairchild and the forward applied a left-foot finish with aplomb.
The former Bromley man had his second of the game when he lashed home a shot from outside the area in the 54th minute.
However, Gosport were to rally briefly and Duncan Turnbull was forced into three fine stops in quick succession. He pushed Rory Williams’ free-kick around the post before making two more solid saves.
Pompey would soon get back on top, however, and added a fourth in the 70th minute. Ryan Williams was first to a loose ball and crashed home his effort beyond a helpless O’Flaherty.
The Blues should have had a fifth five minutes later through academy youngster Harrison Brook. Ellis Harrison did well to hold up the ball and slide in the winger, but he shot wide with the goal gaping
Hackett-Fairchild’s thumping effort was kept out in the dying embers to deny his hat-trick.
But it proved a decent workout for Pompey ahead of their meeting against Colchester in the EFL Trophy next Tuesday.
Reeco Hackett-Fairchild netted a double in the Blues’ friendly win at Gosport Borough