Ipswich Town Women’s Pompey hoodoo continued as the Tractor Girls fell to a disappointing 3-0 opening day defeat at home to the south-coast side, who they failed to beat last season.
Joe Sheehan’s team lined up in identical fashion to last week’s impressive away friendly victory at Wolves with a back three in front of keeper Sarah Quantrill of Maria Boswell, Bonnie Horwood and Abbie Lafayette.
Attacking pace was provided in the wide positions by Summer Hughes and Anna Grey, while Kyra Robertson, Eloise King and Sarah Brasero-Carreira made up a midfield trio with Zoe Barratt and Natasha Thomas leading the line.
Despite the away side making an opening minute attacking surge, Town started brightly — passing with pace and confidence and looking to stretch the away side by attacking down the wings.
The first chance of note fell to Thomas on 15 minutes. A deep cross from Boswell looped out to Grey wide on the right, who trapped the ball neatly before playing Town’s number seven in on goal. Fortunately for the visitors, a covering defender managed to get back and deflect Thomas’s effort narrowly wide for a corner.
The game started to swing away from the hosts after two serious injuries 15 minutes apart. A fair but robust 50/50 challenge saw Barratt eventually withdrawn after a lengthy stoppage for an ankle injury. She was replaced by Maddie Biggs.
Minutes later, midfielder Robertson went down after challenging for the ball deep inside the Pompey half. After trying to run off the knock, she too was subbed - with youngster Nia Evans making her league debut.
The Blues had almost taken the lead during the Robertson stoppage. The always adventurous Hughes tricked her way past three away defenders and sent in a low cross which caused chaos. Sadly for sub Biggs, her eventual effort was blocked after an initial penalty box scramble.
However, the home side hadn't really settled having been forced into the early double change and Portsmouth continued to grow in confidence, albeit primarily threatening on the counter-attack.
The momentum dramatically shifted in their favour though just before half-time.
A foray forward down their left-hand side led to a corner, which was looped over by Danielle Rowe and headed in at the far post by Dani Lane.
A second almost followed soon after from Sophie Quirk, but she got her angles wrong and powered an effort high and wide.
The 1-0 scoreline at the break was marginally flattering on Pompey, but the home side had really struggled to impose themselves in the latter stages of the half and were beginning to get frustrated. An injury time booking for Lafayette summed up how the game was starting to get away from them.
However, Lafayette nearly provided a route back into the game for the Blues shortly after the restart. Her free-kick from about 25 yards out was spilled by keeper Hannah Haughton, who gathered at the second attempt just as Biggs was chasing in.
End to end counter-attacking was the order of things after that with Anna Grey in particular providing the spark for Town.
The winger drove forward on 57 minutes, turning defence to attack. She sent Thomas through one on one with keeper Haughton, but sadly the Town forward could only thread a bobbling effort agonisingly the wrong side of the far post. That miss was to be punished five minutes later.
Quirk was alive to a loose ball outside the Town area, taking the ball on before fizzing a low shot back across goal into the corner well past Quantrill.
The 20-year-old winger, who signed from second tier club Charlton in the summer, added a third shortly afterwards, cheekily finishing at close range after an initial Portsmouth corner wasn’t fully cleared.
Despite the best efforts of Hughes, Grey and Thomas, it was clear that Town heads had dropped after conceding that third goal. The remaining action, in front of a decent 520 attendance, was largely uneventful for Haughton and her defence. Grey rifling a close range effort against the bar in the dying moments brought a frustrating afternoon at the AGL Arena to a close.
The home side had had their moments — particularly though Thomas who ought to have found the target with at least one of her efforts — but were bullied out of the game by a much more physical opposition.
The serious-looking injuries to Barratt and Robertson - both were taken to hospital - will not have helped Sheehan’s youthful side’s mindset in that respect. However, Portsmouth were effective in their approach and ultimately deserved the victory, even if a three-goal margin didn't really tell the whole story.
Whilst Sheehan’s team are certainly well-drilled in their possession-based style, performances like this do highlight the limited physical presence and grit in the squad.
This, coupled with two potentially serious injuries picked up in today’s defeat (along with existing absences), only increases the pressure to bring in reinforcements.
Town have an opportunity to bounce back at home to Gillingham next Sunday, a side with serious off-field issues currently, but who will also look to make life difficult for the Tractor Girls on the field.
Town: Quantrill, Boswell, Horwood (c), Lafayette (Smith 67), Hughes, Robertson (Evans 36), King, Grey, Brasero-Carreira, Barratt (Biggs 16), Thomas. Unused: Meollo, Wearing. Att: 520.