by Neil Weld
Pompey Academy beat their Brighton counterparts 4-1 in a friendly at the Wellington Sports Ground.
James Jennings, Jed Wallace (pictured), George Branford and Elliot Wheeler were all on target for the Blues.
Academy manager Andy Awford said: “The game was arranged to give some game time to players who haven’t played much recently or who have been coming back from injury, so it was a useful exercise.
“James opened the scoring with a well-taken penalty that he won himself after being dragged to the floor in the box.
“Jed then scored with a deflected strike from the edge of the box and that gave us a comfortable lead at the break.
“In the past we’ve had similar leads but not killed sides off, so I was pleased when we added another goal early in the second half, courtesy of a 25-yard free-kick from George that nestled in the corner.
“Elliot added a fourth after about 70 minutes, before Brighton pulled a goal back. That was the only blot on the game because we had good possession and gave the ball away. That’s all part of the learning curve, however, and something we’ll continue to work on.
“We had two under-16 players in the side which was pleasing because it shows that there’s a path through to a higher level for all the players.”
Pompey: Trialist, Warren (Colson 75), Medway, Branford, Whatmough, Triggs, Maloney, Burns (Higgins 46), Jennings (Wheeler 46), Wallace (Awford 75), Vine