Second-half goals from Andre Dozzell and Mark O’Mahony earned Portsmouth a 2-0 victory at Oxford, inflicting a first home defeat on Gary Rowett since he took charge at the Kassam Stadium.
This was only Pompey’s second away win of the season in the Sky Bet Championship and ended a sorry run of seven straight defeats on the road.
The game was suspended for 30 minutes in the first half because of a medical emergency in the crowd.
And the visitors took control early in the second, Dozzell tapping home Rob Atkinson’s low cross from just two yards in the 47th minute after Oxford failed to clear a corner.
The hosts missed two good chances to equalise from close-range headers before Portsmouth sealed victory in the sixth minute of stoppage time.
Terry Devlin’s header put O’Mahony through and he finished clinically, shooting low past Jamie Cumming.
Pompey started the brighter and in the opening seconds former Oxford winger Josh Murphy tested Cumming with a shot along the wet surface after Greg Leigh had given the ball away.
Murphy turned provider in the 10th minute, Colby Bishop heading his left-wing cross just past a post.
When the players returned to the pitch after the match had to be suspended, Oxford had a bit more about them.
Pompey goalkeeper Nicolas Schmid needed to race 15 yards out of his area to head clear as Przemyslaw Placheta threatened to break through and moments later Cameron Brannagan had a shot deflect narrowly wide.
As the home side upped the tempo, Placheta cut in from the right and Schmid just managed to turn his angled shot behind for a corner.
The game was very stop-start and continued that way until the break, with Rowett having to bring on Sam Long for an injured
Leigh, and Siriki Dembele and Callum Lang needing treatment following a clash of heads.
Dozzell’s goal at the start of the second half forced Oxford into playing with greater urgency, but they still struggled to create much, although they had good claims for a penalty for handball turned down by referee Will Finnie.
At the other end, on one of several swift Pompey counter-attacks, Lang struck a fierce drive straight into Cummings’ chest.
Rowett made a triple substitution midway through the second half and it was one of those subs, Stan Mills, who conjured up a first good scoring opportunity 20 minutes from time.
Mills delivered a perfect cross-field ball from the right for Placheta, coming in at the far post, but Schmid saved it with his body.
Mills himself then missed a great chance eight minutes from the end. Picked out well by Brannagan, he nodded wide from six yards.
Sub Matt Phillips also headed over from a great position in the final minute from another perfect Mills cross before O’Mahony sealed it for the visitors.
Interim boss Stephen Frail expects Motherwell to appoint a new manager next week and admits their first job will be to lift the players’ confidence after a 3-0 mauling at home to Ross County.A double from Ronan Hale and Connor Randall’s last-minute strike secured an impressive victory for the Staggies at Fir Park.Defeat sees the Steelmen drop into the bottom half of the Premiership tab...
Mark Hughes heaped praise on goalkeeper Gabe Breeze after Carlisle picked up a vital point in the League Two relegation battle with a goalless draw against in-form Colchester at Brunton Park.Breeze made two excellent saves from Lyle Taylor as the Cumbrians ended a four-game losing run and the former Man City boss was astounded by the 21-year-old’s performance.He said: “The game had som...
Chesterfield boss Paul Cook launched a scathing attack on his play-off hopefuls after they surrendered an early lead to lose 3-1 at Sky Bet League Two table-toppers Walsall.The Spireites enjoyed a rapid start when Jamie Grimes’ eighth-minute header put them ahead against a wobbling Walsall side, who were winless in five matches with the chasing pack closing in.However, Bim Pepple and Dylan D...
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has allayed fears of an injury scare to top scorer Erling Haaland ahead of next week’s Champions League trip to Real Madrid.Haaland went down clutching his leg in the latter stages of the champions’ 4-0 Premier League thrashing of Newcastle at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday and was immediately substituted.Losing the Norwegian would be a major blow to ...
Rotherham manager Steve Evans described Thomas Parsons’ performance as “atrocious” after the referee awarded a stoppage-time penalty from which Reading snatched a 2-1 victory in League One.Reading had led 1-0 at half-time through top scorer Harvey Knibbs but Sam Nombe levelled for Rotherham from a spot-kick in the 57th minute.With the game heading for a draw, Parsons adjudged Mil...
Michael Flynn believes his team can make a charge towards the League Two play-offs places after watching them come from 2-0 down to beat Barrow 3-2 at home.Matty Taylor scored twice before fellow substitute Ashley Hay hit the winner as the Robins continued their perfect home record in 2025.Cheltenham climbed to 13th in the table and sit eight points off seventh-placed Crewe with two games in hand....
Birmingham manager Chris Davies praised Jay Stansfield’s work ethic after he lit up St Andrew’s with the only goal of a 1-0 win to sink play-off chasing Charlton.Stansfield’s 23rd-minute strike stretched City’s lead to nine points ahead of second-placed Wycombe, with Blues boasting a game in hand.Victory was City’s 30th in all competitions as they extended their unbea...
Andoni Iraola refused to get carried away after Bournemouth fans were left dreaming of a potential Champions League adventure following a first league double over south-coast rivals Southampton.Travelling Cherries fans chanted of playing in European football’s premier competition next season after their side soared to fifth spot in the Premier League table thanks to a deserved 3-1 success at...
Norwich head coach Johannes Hoff Thorup praised his side for fighting back to draw 1-1 at Hull after he demanded “I want to see my football team back”.The Norwich boss had some tough words for his team as they trailed 1-0 at half-time to the relegation-threatened side, including for Kellen Fisher – but the player then delivered the assist for Josh Sargent’s equaliser.The Un...
Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers says Jota has a chance of starting against Bayern Munich after scoring and impressing in a 3-0 victory over Dundee United.Jota earned the club’s man-of-the-match award after cutting in from the left and curling home from 18 yards to double the lead given to the hosts by another impressive finish from Callum McGregor.The Portuguese winger has now started two gam...
- 1 Kyle Finn rescues Tamworth at Woking
- 2 Jasper Moon’s header enough for Harrogate to see off Swindon
- 3 Morecambe boss Derek Adams delighted with strength of bench
- 4 Marco Silva reserves praise for ‘almost unstoppable’ Adama Traore in Fulham win
- 5 Kilmarnock beat basement side St Johnstone to move into top six in Premiership
- 6 Defeat to Exeter ‘a big blow’, admits Cambridge boss Garry Monk
- 7 Scott Parker frustrated after Burnley’s draw at Preston
- 8 Paul Cook left ’embarrassed’ by Chesterfield’s second-half display at Walsall
- 9 Referee’s ‘atrocious performance’ infuriates Rotherham boss Steve Evans
- 10 Eastleigh score twice in the first half to beat Aldershot