Segecic the hat-trick hero as Portsmouth end away campaign in style at Stoke City
Adrian Segecic’s hat-trick saw Pompey cruise to a 3-1 at Stoke City in their final Championship game on the road.
The Sydney Cyclone’s treble took his Blues tally to 10 goals for the season as he put the Potters to the sword in front of 3,000-plus travelling fans.
Segecic opened the scoring in the first half, before restoring his side’s lead from close range after the break. The 21-year saved the best until last as he took home the match ball with a classy 20-yard finish eight minutes from time.
The success makes it four wins from five from John Mousinho’s side, as they equalled their 54-point total from last season with a game to spare and moved up to 18th in the table.
Pompey were forced into an early change, as Josef Bursik was replaced by Ben Killip.
It was proving a sedate affair with no side producing an effort on goal before Tatsuki Seko fired two shots over in the 24th minute.
The breakthrough came eight minutes later with the half’s one moment of quality - Harvey Blair producing a sweeping pass to Segecic who hit an unerring drive beyond Tommy Simkin.
Killip produced a great save to deny Lamine Cisse’s close-range header two minutes before the interval, with the home side jeered off at the break.
Blair fired at Simkin 30 seconds after the restart before Stoke levelled in the 48th minute, as Cisse was given the freedom of Pompey’s penalty area to nod home Sorba Thomas’ corner.
Josh Murphy was then introduced with Ibane Bowat for Hayden Matthews and Harvey Blair, with Murphy producing a peach of a cross for Segecic to head wide at the far post from a tight angle.
Pompey restored their lead in the 66th minute with Murphy the architect as he teased a cross in which Bishop missed, but Segecic was on hand to apply the close-range finish.
The Aussie then put Williams in on goal but he arced his angle shot wide as Murphy-inspired Pompey turned the heat up on Stoke.
Killip rescued Dia after a short backpass before Jacob Brown spurned a golden chance from another Murphy cross.
That mattered little, however, as Segecic completed his hat-trick eight minutes from time with a drive forward and emphatic low finish from the edge of the box.
Robert Bozenik had a goal ruled out for handball before Pompey saw the game out comfortably through six minutes of stoppage time - as the travelling blue army partied in the Staffordshire sunshine.