Portsmouth vs Luton Town FC (4th Aug 2018)

PORTSMOUTH 1-0 LUTON TOWN

Rarely will a defeat for the Hatters feel so positive after they dominated Portsmouth on their own patch but couldn't find the net on their return to League One.

Ten years they've been away but it has been even longer since Town have hit the net at Fratton Park - a hoodoo that has endured since 1995.

And having bagged 94 goals in their promotion-winning campaign last term, it will stick in the craw that they came up potless at Pompey again. They deserved so more.

In each half, the woodwork rattled, first from captain Alan Sheehan and then from James Collins.

Harry Cornick had a golden chance to level after a concerted period of pressure for 30 minutes either side of the break, but his shot was far too close to keeper Craig MacGillivary at the near post, when a far stick finish looked the best option. It was their last good chance because then centre back Matt Clarke marshalled the hosts to the final whistle.

Even more frustrating for Luton was that Jamal Lowe made them pay, 16 minutes in, for their only defensive lapse. Those are the tighter margins at play in League Two and they will have to learn from that, but their attacking play was scintillating at times.

Town started brightly but had only a glancing Cornick header, off-target, to show for their efforts before tense moments when Ronan Curtis and Sheehan tussled in the air. The Pompey player hit the deck, clutching his face and rolling around and referee Gavin Ward consulted his assistant for what seemed like an age before ruling it was nothing more than a free-kick for the hosts.

But then Town fell behind. Sheehan slipped and debutant Matty Pearson was beaten at the byline all too easily by Curtis who cutback for a waiting Jamal Lowe to stroke in from close range.

But from there, the Hatters were impressive and only an unbelievable headed clearance from Nathan Thompson, under his crossbar, denied Collins a surefire equaliser from Jorge Grant's whipping cross.

Dan Potts did likewise from the other flank and, this time, James Collins got a connection but succeeded in only heading upwards.

Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu, dynamic and exciting in the centre of midfield, skimmed a shot just wide of the upright from the edge of the penalty area, but Sheehan came ever closer. The captain's devilish free-kick smacked off the far post and back into play where, agonisingly, a host of Hatters in the penalty area couldn't get to the rebound.

Town dominated again after the break and thought they'd equalised on the hour when Elliot Lee teed up Collins, but the striker was denied by the underside of the crossbar.

Town's number 10 was then at it again, moments later, with another precision assist, threading the ball through to Cornick who was denied by keeper Craig MacGillivary.

The stopper used his feet to snuff out a low Pelly cross and a curling free-kick from Sheehan and, as the final whistle loomed, boss Nathan Jones threw on summer signing Sonny Bradley and sent the towering defender straight upfront. But the Fratton Park goal drought continued.

With a performance this good, that surely won't last.

Portsmouth: MacGillivary, Walkes (Close, 60), Brown, Clarke, Naylor, Pitman (c) (Hawkins, 45), Lowe, Curtis, Whatmough, Thompson (Burgess, 71), Haunstrup Subs not used: McGee, Donahue, Chaplin, Evans

Goals: Lowe, 16 Yellows: Brown (and Curtis)

Luton Town: Stech, Justin, Potts, McCormack (Jervis, 86), Pearson, Lee, Cornick (Shinnie, 77), Mpanzu, Grant, Collins, Sheehan (c) Subs not used: Shea, Bradley, Stacey, Rea, Gambin

Yellows: Potts, Justin (also McCormack and Sheehan)

Attendance: 19,018 (2,392)

NATHAN JONES ON THE 1-0 DEFEAT TO PORTSMOUTH

Town boss Nathan Jones felt his side were "outstanding" in their defeat to Portsmouth at Fratton Park this afternoon.

A Jamal Lowe goal after 16 minutes was all that separated the two teams, as the Hatters saw a number of chances go begging.

The Welshman said: "I thought we were outstanding. They scored from a real error, we kind of won the first header but then it fell, Sheehan slipped, then we get done one-versus-one and they scored a decent goal. I thought we dominated the game – to come to Fratton Park and play like that, I am so proud of my team.

"We should have been comfortable, the chances we created, the type of chances. I don't know how thick the bars and posts are! But I thought we were brilliant. I am so proud of my team, to come into League One, to come here to the favourites or second favourites and to do that to them, I am proud. I am excited for what we can achieve.

"We carved them open time and time again. We weren't quite clinical, we hit the post, second half we were totally dominant. I am very proud.

"Portsmouth are a good side, they're fancied. To do that to them, I couldn't ask for a little bit more, but it's a learning curve, we might have got away with it on another day, we didn't today and that's the learning curve.

"If we want to mount a challenge then we have got to be right at it. There was two little defensive errors there, we should have done better on it and we didn't. Apart from that, our structure, how we competed, how we moved the ball, I thought we were excellent."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6DZ0_AZM9w

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xPUTssEV0U

Unlucky Hatters see their Pompey drought continue

League One: Portsmouth 1 Luton Town 0

Luton Town's long and miserable run at Fratton Park continued this afternoon, but those in attendance, both home and away, will be scratching their heads at to just how that was the case.

The visitors, who went into the match without a win on the south coast since 1975, a run spanning eight games, failing to score on their last four visits as well, left with that sequence extended to nine, although they won't come much closer to ending it.

Apart from one moment where they switched off on 16 minutes to allow Jamal Lowe to net what was the only goal of the game, Nathan Jones' side were easily the better team, cruelly denied by the woodwork on two separate occasions.

Jones stuck with the side that beat Notts County 2-0 last weekend, meaning two of his summer signings were handed debuts, Matty Pearson partnering Alan Sheehan in the centre of defence, while Jorge Grant started as well.

There were few chances early on, Harry Cornick flashing a header across goal from Sheehan's free kick near the corner flag.

However, the Hatters then fell behind on 16 minutes, as after Sheehan slipped, Ronan Curtis got the better of Pearson to reach the byline where his ball back couldn't be cut out by Alan McCormack allowing Lowe to easily beat Stech from close range.

Luton almost fashioned an equaliser with a brilliant move started by James Justin, with Elliot Lee poking to Grant and his cross looked odds on for James Collins to score, only to see Nathan Thompson threw himself in the way to head over the bar.

Collins then had another two chances in quick succession, as he could only head Dan Potts' excellent cross high in to the air for Craig MacGillivray to easily catch.

His next opportunity was even better, but with Cornick in room and screaming for the ball, maybe mindful of his earlier miss, opted to go for goal, dragging disappointingly wide.

Just after the half hour, Luton were inches away, the ball breaking to Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu on the edge of the area, his shot scraping the post, with the majority of away fans thinking their side were level.

They were up again moments later when Sheehan curled in a delicious free kick which beat everyone only to hit the inside of the post before bouncing out.

McCormack's long range volley took a nick flying straight through to MacGillivray, as Luton could consider themselves unlucky not to be on level terms, or even in front at the break.

Jones' side didn't alter their passing style after the break, making an excellent start, Collins unleashing an ambitious attempt that flew over.

With the away side in almost total control, the Pompey fans were getting increasingly and vocally irate, watching their side being clearly outplayed.

Justin got away on the right a few times, picked out by McCormack, but couldn't find a white shirt in the box, while Mpanzu was closed down just as he went to shoot.

Town's luck was well and truly out though as Lee won the ball back high up and fed Collins who curled his shot against the underside of the bar as you got the sinking feeling it just wouldn't go in for the visitors.

Lee, who picked up some lovely positions, was then Town's creator again, slipping Cornick clean through, who on the angle tried to beat MacGillivray at his near post, the keeper beating his shot away, when it was crying out for a shot across goal.

It appeared Luton's best chance had come and gone, as Pompey then started to weather the storm for the final 20 minutes, Thompson taking aim from range, only to injure himself in the process, replaced by Christian Burgess.

Mpanzu burst on the outside but his delivery was kicked away by the keeper while he then dinked over for Grant, who just couldn't stretch enough.

Late on, Sheehan's free kick was punched away by MacGillivray who hadn't left his station by the post, as Jones even threw Sonny Bradley upfront in stoppage time, but there was little he could do as the hosts dug in to secure victory.

After scoring 94 goals on their way to promotion last term, one thing Jones and his side will have learned is that League One defences won't be breached quite as easily, with the fact Pompey centre half Matt Clarke named star man speaking volumes.

Although beaten, there are bucket-loads of positives to take out of this for the visitors, as with the hosts one of the favourites in this division, they showed they are more than capable of competing, desperately unlucky to leave without a point, and to be honest, all three.

Pompey: Craig MacGillivray, Anton Walkes (Ben Close 60), Lee Brown, Matt Clarke, Tom Naylor, Brett Pitman (C Oli Hawkins 46), Jamal Lowe, Ronan Curtis, Jack Whatmough, Nathan Thompson (Christian Burgess 71) Brandon Haunstrup.

Subs not used: Luke McGee, Dion Donohue, Conor Chaplin, Gareth Evans.

Hatters: Marek Stech, James Justin (Sonny Bradley 90), Dan Potts, Alan Sheehan, Matty Pearson, Alan McCormack (Jake Jervis 87), Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu, Jorge Grant, Elliot Lee, James Collins, Harry Cornick (Andrew Shinnie 77).

Subs not used: James Shea, Jack Stacey, Glen Rea, Luke Gambin.

Booked: Brown 37, Potts 45, McCormack 56, Justin 70, Curtis 87, Sheehan 90.

Referee: Gavin Ward. Attendance: 19,018 (2,392 Luton).

Jones labels Town 'outstanding' despite opening day defeat at Fratton Park

Luton boss Nathan Jones declared his side ‘outstanding’ despite starting their League One campaign with a 1-0 defeat to Portsmouth this afternoon.

The visitors were by far the better side at Fratton Park, denied by the woodwork on two occasions as they had the hosts clinging on for most of the second half.

Speaking afterwards, Jones said: “I thought we were outstanding.

“They scored from a real error, they’re quite a direct side, we won the first header but it fell, then (Alan) Sheehan slipped, we got done one v one and then they scored a decent-ish goal.

“But I thought we were outstanding, I thought we dominated the game from start to finish, to come from Fratton Park and play like that, I’m so proud of my team.

“We should have been comfortable, as we created the type of chances, I don’t know how thick those bars and posts are, but I thought we were brilliant, I really did.

“To come into League One, it will be a tester, the start we had against the favourites, or second favourites, and to do that to them, I’m proud and I’m excited for what we can achieve.”

Attacker Harry Cornick also missed a second half chance, shooting straight at Craig MacGillivray, as Jones was left to rue what might have been.

He added: “We should have been more clinical, because we had real good chances.

“We carved them open time and time again, we had opportunities first half, we weren’t quite clinical, we hit the post and there’s been other chances.

“But second half we were totally dominant, to come to Fratton Park and be totally dominant, I’m very proud.

“I’ve never been this pleased after a defeat, but it stands us in a good place and I know we’re in a good place.

“I’m not mentioning anything about them, like others have done for us, with budgets and stuff like that, no, no, no.

“We’ve come here today and competed with one of the best in the league and we’ve been by far the better side.”