Portsmouth 2-0 Ipswich Town – Half-Time
Tuesday, 14th Apr 2026 20:58
Goals just before the break netted by Conor Shaughnessy and Colby Bishop have given Portsmouth a 2-0 half-time lead over the Blues.
Town made five changes from the team which won 2-0 at Norwich City on Saturday with Cedric Kipre, Dan Neil, Kasey McAteer, Marcelino Nunez and Jack Clarke coming into the side.
Kipre was at the centre of defence with Jacob Greaves moving to left-back with Leif Davis absent from the squad following the birth of his first child.
Neil was back in midfield with McAteer on the right, Clarke on the left and Nunez the number 10. Ben Johnson, Jack Taylor, Anis Mehmeti and Jaden Philogene dropped to the bench.
Portsmouth made four changes from the team which won 1-0 at Middlesbrough on Saturday with John Swift, Adrian Segecic, Millenic Alli and Shaughnessy coming into the XI for Madiodio Dia and Keshi Anderson, who were among the subs, while the injured Gustavo Caballero and Conor Chaplin, ineligible against his parent club, were out of the squad. Former Blues midfielder Andre Dozzell started.
Town created the game’s first chances in the seventh minute, the Blues catching Pompey cold by taking a quick free-kick, Darnell Furlong sending away McAteer on the right, from where the Irish international cut back to George Hirst, whose shot deflected behind off Shaughnessy.
The Blues saw most of the ball but chances were few and far between at both ends with neither team threatening again until the 18th minute when Jordan Williams was found in space on the left of the box by Swift, cut inside and hit a shot across the face of goal which striker Bishop came close to getting his head on at the far post.
On 24, after Clarke had won a corner on the left having run onto Kipre’s clever pass, Neil volleyed well wide from the edge of the box, the flag-kick having been headed out.
Two minutes later, Alli burst down the left, Christian Walton palmed his cross just beyond the 18-yard line and Swift hooked an effort wide.
In the 27th minute, Alli got away from Azor Matusiwa before unleashing a dipping 25-yard strike which Walton did well to palm over.
As the half hour approached, Kipre picked out Nunez making a run in behind deep into the box but the Chilean’s first touch let him down and the ball ran out of play.
Clarke rode a number of tackles before moving the ball forward to Hirst in the area in the 32nd minute, the Scotland international working himself space to shoot but his effort catching a defender and bouncing through to home keeper Nicolas Schmid.
Pompey skipper Marlon Pack was shown the game’s first yellow card in the 35th minute for a trip on McAteer five yards outside the area to the right. From Nunez’s free-kick was headed out behind, the home side then defending the corner.
On 39, Segecic was found in space on the right of the area by Terry Devlin but scraped his shot wide of Walton’s left post.
Two minutes later, Devlin was found in space on the right but the Northern Irishman’s poor cross was diverted behind by Greaves.
However, from the corner, Portsmouth went in front. Segecic sent the ball over from the right and Shaughnessy escaped Hirst to head into the net.
Two minutes after going in front, Pompey doubled their lead. Alli laid it back to Dozzell on the left, his deep cross reached Swift beyond the far post. The former West Brom man’s first strike was blocked by Greaves and his second was stopped by Dara O’Shea on the line but it dropped to Colby Bishop, who slammed into the net.
Shell-shocked Town were able to defend another corner prior to referee Farai Hallam ended the half.
The Blues had been in control for spells but had only worked a couple of opportunities but Pompey began to look more dangerous as half-time approached.
And, as in other away games this season, having conceded once the Blues quickly allowed the opposition another goal and extending their unbeaten run to 10 games looks a tough ask from this point.
Portsmouth: Schmid, Devlin, Poole, Shaughnessy, Williams, Pack (c), Dozzell, Segecic, Swift, Alli, Bishop. Subs: Bursik, Dia, Bowat, Le Roux, Blair, Bianchini, Anderson, Brown, Waddingham.
Town: Walton, Furlong, O’Shea (c), Kipre, Greaves, Matusiwa, Neil, McAteer, Nunez, Clarke, Hirst. Subs: Palmer, Johnson, Taylor, Cajuste, Walle Egeli, Mehmeti, Philogene, Akpom, Azon. Referee: Farai Hallam (Surrey).
Photo: Action Images via Reuters
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