Exclusive:Southampton 1 Portsmouth 0: Neil Allen's verdict - The costliest of defeats amid familiar problems for blunt Blues
The Blues’ ongoing attacking issues were glaring once more in south-coast derby defeat
Ruebyn Ricardo’s declaration of five minutes remaining barely raised a murmur of protest or drew any gasps of anxiety, such was its triviality.
Irrespective of south-coast persuasion at St Mary’s, the fourth official’s board was nothing more than a trifling irrelevance. After all, the outcome was inevitable long before the final whistle.
As the hackneyed saying goes, Pompey could have been playing until Christmas and not scored. Actually, make that until the new Fratton Station bridge is constructed.
No wonder the Southampton faithful’s voices were at their most powerful in the final 10 minutes as the fixture reached its crescendo, having recognised they had absolutely nothing to fear.
After being reduced to 10 men following the 44th dismissal of Cameron Bragg, the hosts had carelessly handed John Mousinho’s troops a precious lifeline in a match they trailed.
Certainly there would have been renewed optimism among Blues followers at half-time, irrespective of the deficit, with an intriguing second-half in prospect for them to push their numerical advantage.
As it turned out, Pompey mustered just two shots on target all game, despite having more than double the touches of Southampton in the opposition penalty area.
Criticism for Madiodio Dia
Forget the ongoing Madiodio Dia criticism and disregard post-match debate over a potential red card for Finn Azaz, the reason the Blues lost was entirely by their own hand. Don’t let any sideshows distract you from that glaring reason.
This south-coast derby victory was embarrassingly comfortable for a Southampton side who were challenged to compete with one man fewer for a total of 51 minutes.
Bragg’s exit following two yellow cards, both for fouls on Ebou Adams, unsurprisingly changed the match, allowing the visitors more possession and the opportunity to focus on higher up the pitch.
Rather than containment, Mousinho’s team now operated on the front foot. Ryan Kavumba-McQueen was replaced at half-time by joint-top scorer Adrian Segecic, while there was a triple substitution on 65 minutes, with Marko Milovanovic displacing Colby Bishop up front.
Then, with 13 minutes remaining, winger Keshi Anderson was presented with a first outing of the campaign, having recovered from his latest injury set-back.
Yet none managed to inject the attacking quality Pompey so desperately required in the final third to break down Southampton or even apply necessary pressure to goalkeeper Daniel Peretz.
This was no heroic, backs-to-the-wall defensive display from Tonda Eckert’s plucky rearguard, magnificently rising up to triumph against adversity. It was more a gentle Sunday stroll.
Nicolas Schmid’s brilliance
Indeed had it not been for the recalled Nicolas Schmid brilliantly saving from Leo Scienza in a one-on-one from a counter attack at the start of the second half, the scoreline would have been even more crushing.
Similarly, the Austrian keeper, in for Daniel Bielica following a four-game absence, had come to the Blues’ rescue with just 110 seconds on the clock, when his left foot thwarted Cyle Larin’s goal-bound shot.
Indeed, man-of-the-match Schmid is one of very few Pompey players to have emerged from St Mary’s defeat with any credit, although Adams and Zak Swanson also deserve recognition for their positive contributions.
In truth, the Blues dictated the second half, pouring forward at every opportunity. Crucially, however, the issues lay in attacking areas, with those culprits failing to capitalise on a large number of opportunities in the final third, either through poor decisions or an infuriating lack of quality.
Abu Kamara concerns
It can be argued Abu Kamara was fortunate to even be on the pitch for the second half after an anonymous display in the number 10 role. When returned to his customary right flank, the improvement was fractional.
Certainly the returning hero is still scrambling around to rediscover his Pompey form of two years ago, albeit in League One. Now seven games in, it is becoming a little concerning.
Likewise, Colby Bishop was emphatically dominated by Southampton’s centre-halves, while his replacement, Milovanovic, fared little better upon his eagerly-anticipated injury return.
As for Tyrese Shade, a huge plus point on the left in the first half through his partnership with Jayden Meghoma, that decision not to slip in Segecic is likely to haunt him. Certainly the Fratton faithful will remember it not too fondly.
Pompey have registered 10 goals in nine matches in all competitions this season, a continuing scoring headache which still hasn’t been successfully remedied, despite £12m worth of signings in the summer.
Perhaps most painful of all, it has now also cost them the south-coast derby.