David Howes reports on a 4th successive defeat for the Blues at Fratton Park.
Despite Portsmouth dominating large portions of both halves, it is now a fifth match in a row without a win for John Mousinho’s side.
The defeat means that the Blues are now 20th in the table, just one point above Oxford United in 22nd, who occupy the last spot in the bottom 3.
There were 2 changes to the side that was defeated 2-1 by Swansea City last Tuesday.
In came Regan Poole for Madiodio Dia, for the first time since the Welsh centre-back went off against Blackburn Rovers with an ankle injury just over a week ago.
While Conor Chaplin came in for Colby Bishop, with Jacob Brown starting up top.
Sammie Szmodics gave the Rams the lead inside just 8 minutes, when Pompey failed to clear their lines from a parried set-piece.
Derry Murkin’s in-swinging corner was headed away by Brown, where it fell to the Ipswich loanee who thumped the ball into the bottom left-hand corner to make it 1-0.
Pompey began to grow into the game when Millenic Alli’s cross met the head of Brown, whose header was just pushed away from goal; however, the Luton loanee was offside.
Ben Brereton Diaz almost made it two, after Agyemang beat Poole for pace, before he laid the ball to the Southampton loanee, but the Chilean’s effort was stopped by the feet of Schmid.
Chaplin played a one-two with Brown, who played the ball back to Zak Swanson, whose curling effort at goal was caught by the hands of Richard O’Donnell.
Portsmouth then had a very close call when Agyemang and Szmodics had a 2-v-2 on the defence, but Schmid made the save, and it then flew back to the Irish International who completely missed the follow-up.
HALF-TIME: Portsmouth 0-1 Derby County
Swanson’s free-kick from the edge of the 18-yard box was scrambled off the line after Poole’s header, with O’Donnell just about stopping a Blues equaliser.
John Eustace’s side then nearly doubled their lead via a free-kick from 20-yards out, but Joe Ward’s strike bounced off the crossbar.
On the hour mark, Mousinho made two changes with John Swift replacing Chaplin, and Conor Shaughnessy coming on for Swanson, which pushed Connor Ogilvie out to left-back.
Ogilvie quickly played a one-two with Swift before the Blues' number 3 whipped the ball onto the head of Brown, but O’Donnell leaped up to catch the ball.
Swift’s corner kindly fell to the feet of Alli, but the Luton Town loanee’s strike was just palmed behind for a corner by O’Donnell.
But despite 24 shots and 10 corner kicks, Portsmouth were unable to conjure a comeback and were defeated by The Rams in PO4.
FULL-TIME: Portsmouth 0-1 Derby County
Next up: One last pit-stop before the first International break of 2026 for John Mousinho’s side, as they travel to Loftus Road to face Queens Park Rangers in a 3pm kick-off.
Portsmouth: 1. Schmid (GK), 24. Devlin, 5. Poole, 3. Ogilvie, 22. Swanson (6. Shaughnessy), 7. Pack (C), 38. Adams (9. Bishop), 47. Caballero, 36. Chaplin (8. Swift), 27. Alli (10. Segečić), 40. Brown (25. Kirk) (Formation: 4-2-3-1)
Unused subs: 26. Bursik (GK), 2. Williams, 16. Le Roux, 55. Dia
Bookings: Chaplin 40’, Swift 67’
Head coach: John Mousinho
Derby: 12. O’Donnell (GK) 2. Murkin (3. Forsyth), 5. Clarke, 28. Sanderson, 23. Ward, 27. Travis (C), 42. Clark, 25. Brereton Diaz (34. Banel), 19. Szmodics (18. Ozoh) 7. Brewster (29. Fraulo), 7. Agyemang ( 9. Morris) (Formation: 4-2-3-1)
Unused subs: (GK), 44. Gordon, 53. Canoville, 54. Allen
Goals: Szmodics 8’
Bookings: Szmodics 41’, Clark 53’, Brereton Diaz 78’, Clark 86’, Fraulo 90+2’
Head coach: John Eustace
Referee: Anthony Backhouse
Venue: Fratton Park
Attendance: 19,253 (including 1,311 Derby fans)
For more reaction to this game, be sure to download and listen back to tonight's Pompey Live: Extra-Time podcast, fronted by Jake Smith, David Howes and James Wilson LIVE from the Fratton Park press box.
Jake will be returning with The Football Hour on Tuesday (March 17th) evening from 6pm with 2 more Blues fans to review this match and Sunday's WSL 2 draw for Portsmouth with Bristol City at Westleigh Park on Sunday.
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