Portsmouth manager John Mousinho refrained from attributing the impact of two pitch disruptions caused by Reading fans to his team’s lackluster start at the Madejski Stadium.
Despite these interruptions, the Blues found themselves trailing by two goals within the first 28 minutes, surprising the visiting team.
During this period, there were two stoppages due to Reading fans throwing tennis balls onto the pitch in protest against owner Dai Yongge.
After the second incident occurred at the 16-minute mark, the referee, Martin Coy, announced that he would abandon the match if it continued.
Mousinho criticized his team’s inconsistent performance in the first half, likening it to “Jekyll & Hyde.” However, he did not believe that the tennis ball incidents were the primary reason for their early struggles.
He acknowledged that the disruptions affected the flow of the game but pointed out that Reading had to deal with the same disruptions and didn’t exhibit the same sloppiness Pompey did in the opening 30 minutes.
Mousinho stated, “I don’t want to blame the situation because it’s one we have to deal with if you want to be a professional footballer.”
He expressed disappointment in their performance in the first 30 minutes but also highlighted their ability to bounce back with 15 minutes of impressive football, eventually winning the match.
He described the team’s performance as inconsistent in the first half, initially unrecognizable, and then excellent after facing adversity.
Mousinho also acknowledged that they made several errors and were uncharacteristically sloppy. They need to analyze what went wrong and improve their decision-making, tracking of runners, and ball retention.
Despite the challenging start, Portsmouth managed to come back and win the game, with Tino Anjorin, Colby Bishop, and Terry Devlin completing a remarkable comeback.
This victory has put them six points clear at the top of League One, surpassing second-placed Oxford United following their recent draw.
Leave a Reply