Match Day Thread Gosport Borough v Pompey Academy U 18's - Portsmouth Senior Cup Semi Final

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Pompey Academy missed out on a place in the Portsmouth Cup final after being beaten 1-0 by Gosport at Privett Park.

The closest the visitors came to scoring in the first half was from a Destiny Ojo header that James Engelan-Jenson pushed around the post.

Connor May also spun sharply on the edge of the box and hit a shot that clipped the top of the crossbar.

But the best Blues spell came immediately after the break, as Harry Clout and Tayo Singerr both forced smart saves.

It was Boro who secured a spot in the final against the Royal Navy, however, when Max Blake drilled a low shot into the bottom corner.

Lead professional development phase coach Sam Hudson said: “We did a lot of good things, but it was Gosport who took their one moment to win the game.

“We’ve struggled all season when a side goes into a back five with a low block and we do sympathise a little bit because that’s hard to break down.

“But we should be showing more quality in those situations and needed to take more of the chances that came our way.

“We had 50 entries into the final third, while our opponents got into our box six times in total, so you have to make the most of that territorial dominance.

“If we’d scored the first goal, then the game completely changes. We’ve hit the woodwork and had one dubiously ruled out for offside, but we haven’t scored.

“You can’t always rely on the other side opening up or pressing you – sometimes you have to be a bit more clever and certainly more ruthless.

“That was the last game for our second years and they’re now all leaving us, so it’s a disappointing one to end on, but well done to Gosport for reaching the final.”


Pompey: Glover; Buckland, Howard, Fox (c) (Mullins 90+2); Keteku, Staight (Murray 46), Aston, Laidlaw; Clout; May (Singerr 46), Ojo (Hurst 66)