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Match Reports

Pompey 1 Wigan 2

Yengi on target as Blues beaten in final home fixture

20 April 2024

Sean Raggett in action for Pompey against Wigan Athletic at Fratton Park
Photo: Jason Brown/Pro Sports Images
Match Reports

Pompey 1 Wigan 2

Yengi on target as Blues beaten in final home fixture

20 April 2024

Pompey lifted the League One title at a joyous Fratton Park, with a 2-1 defeat to Wigan rendered almost meaningless.

The hosts had already got the job done earlier in the week and some of their play was understandably a bit loose.

Luke Chambers and Josh Magennis struck either side of the break for the Latics, while Kusini Yengi replied late on.

The Blues were unable to find a leveller, but the final whistle still brought cheers as fans awaited the trophy being hoisted high by skipper Marlon Pack.

John Mousinho made five changes from the side that beat Barnsley to secure the League One trophy on Tuesday night.

Colby Bishop, Callum Lang, Christian Saydee, Owen Moxon and Joe Rafferty were all restored to the starting line-up.

Yengi, Paddy Lane and Lee Evans dropped to the bench, with Gavin Whyte and Zak Swanson the others to miss out.

Before the match started there were the traditional award presentations, with most of the trophies hoovered up by Pack – including the prestigious The News/Sports Mail award.

There was then a chance to remember all those members of the Pompey family who have passed away in the past 12 months with a minute’s applause.

And supporters in the Fratton End lifted up cards to form a ‘tifo’ display showing ‘125’ at the end of this anniversary season.

There was a carnival atmosphere inside the ground, with balloons floating across the pitch and demands to ‘bounce around’ from all four stands.

And a mighty cheer erupted when a beach ball that had drifted onto the surface blew into the Wigan net.

It was not the most eventful half of football, although there were still opportunities for both sides to break the deadlock.

A wayward Steven Sessegnon pass went straight to Bishop and he tried to catch Sam Tickle off his line, only to see the ball fly wide.

Lang then saw a shot blocked, while Saydee’s cross drifted just over the head of Bishop at the back post.

Wigan then went close when a drive from Jonny Smith beat the dive of Will Norris and bounced back off the post.

And the visitors did take the lead on 22 minutes, after Matt Smith’s cross had been nodded back by Thelo Aasgaard.

Baba Adeeko then laid the ball off for Chambers to fire a shot into the bottom corner and give those fans who had made the long trip south reason to cheer.

There was pressure being applied at the other end of the pitch, although the Blues were unable to convert that into clear-cut chances.

And they might have fallen behind just before the break, with Norris making a fine save to keep out Charlie Kelman’s deflected strike and Chambers sending the loose ball wide.

Half Time: Pompey 0 Wigan 1

Mousinho made a double switch at the interval, as Lang and Abu Kamara were replaced by Lane and Myles Peart-Harris.

It was Conor Shaughnessy who had a chance to level shortly after the restart, though, finding space to advance before hitting a long-range shot that dipped narrowly over.

Pompey were well on top, but Pack’s attempt flew high over the bar and a Lane shot was then blocked.

Shaughnessy and Connor Ogilvie soon combined to release Peart-Harris, who could not get enough bend on his effort to trouble Tickle.

Another couple of changes soon followed, as Moxon and Saydee made way for Tino Anjorin and Yengi.

Norris had to be alert at the other end on 68 minutes, though, staying big and narrowing the angles to deny substitute Magennis.

The game was starting to drift somewhat, although Sean Raggett woke everyone up with a long-range piledriver that Tickle did well to repel.

And a quick break up the pitch from substitute Peart-Harris soon got the crowd back on their feet again.

He laid the ball off for Pack, but the skipper’s shot was parried away by Tickle, who recovered to also keep out Rafferty’s follow-up.

Despite their dominance, the hosts fell further behind on 83 minutes, as Magennis found it far too easy to get into the box and slot home.

Pompey quickly hit back when Shaughnessy sent a pass down the line for Jack Sparkes – who had recently come on for Ogilvie – and he found Bishop.

The striker’s effort took a deflection and was looping under the bar, but Tickle scrambled it away, only for YENGI to slam the loose ball into the net.

An equaliser almost arrived in stoppage-time when, following a spell of pressure, a Peart-Harris header was finely saved by Tickle.

Pompey poured forward in the closing stages, but they could not score again – not that the Fratton faithful seemed to mind too much.

Pompey (4-2-3-1): Norris; Rafferty, Raggett, Shaughnessy, Ogilvie (Sparkes 77); Moxon (Anjorin 63), Pack (c); Kamara (Lane 46), Saydee (Yengi 63), Lang (Peart-Harris 46); Bishop
Goals: Yengi 85
Booked: Lang, Pack
Subs not used: Macey, Evans

Wigan (4-2-3-1): Tickle; Sessegnon (S.Smith 79), Morrison, Hughes (c), Chambers; J.Smith (Pearce 56), M.Smith (Kerr 79); Adeeko, Aasgaard, Godo (Sze 66); Kelman (Magennis 66)
Goals: Chambers 22, Magennis 83
Booked: Hughes
Subs not used: Amos, McManaman

Referee: Dean Whitestone

Attendance: 20,202 (526 away fans)


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