Portsmouth

Portsmouth will seek yet more away game celebrations when they visit Ipswich Town on Saturday (15:00 BST) for their first meeting in over a decade.

Pompey won just three games on the road last season compared to 11 at Fratton Park but are seeing a reversal this season, with the side losing two games at home but none away from home.

Ipswich will be keen to deliver that first away defeat and add a successive second win to their season - albeit the side were struggling against Blackburn Rovers last time out before the unruly weather forced an abandonment.

• Ipswich are unbeaten in their last four league games against Portsmouth (W2 D2), all in League One between 2021 and 2022.

• This will be the first Championship meeting between Ipswich and Portsmouth since 2011-12, with the Tractor Boys winning 1-0 home and away that season.

• Following a 5-0 win against Sheffield United last time out, Ipswich are looking to win consecutive league games for the first time since May 2024.

• Having lost 11 of their 12 away league games from December to April 9th (W1), Portsmouth are now unbeaten in five on the road (W2 D3).

• No team's Championship games this season have seen fewer goals than Portsmouth's (9 – F4 A5). Indeed, only Sheffield United (1.4%) have a lower shot conversion rate than Pompey (4.9%).

Image source, Rex Features

Portsmouth defender Conor Shaughnessy is facing a spell on the sidelines but forward Josh Murphy could return for this weekend's Championship trip to Ipswich.

Shaughnessy was forced off in the second half of last Saturday's 2-0 defeat by Sheffield Wednesday with a hamstring injury and Pompey boss John Mousinho has revealed they won't be seeing him back in action for a while.

"We're not sure on the extent of it yet," Mousinho told BBC Radio Solent.

"We're waiting to see a specialist off the back of the scan but he's definitely out for the short to medium term."

The head coach has been able to provide better news on winger Murphy who missed last weekend's loss because of an ankle problem and forward Harvey Blair who is yet to make an appearance this season.

"Josh Murphy is 50/50 - he's going to train on Friday and we'll see where he's at for the game on Saturday," added Mousinho.

"Harvey is back in full training but Saturday is probably a step too far so we'll look to get him back in for Watford (1 October) or Middlesbrough (4 October)."

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Portsmouth have worked hard to to improve their away form at the start of the Championship campaign, says boss John Mousinho.

Only relegated Plymouth (12) took fewer points on the road than Pompey's 14 last season where they also managed just three wins, but the head coach believes the turning point came after a 5-1 hammering at West Brom in January

"We tried to improve the away form and towards the back end of last season we did improve it, just not in terms of results but also with performances," Mousinho told BBC Radio Solent.

"It wasn't good enough, we still wanted to win but we never lost by more than a goal but then managed to turn the corner with a positive result at Norwich (5-3 win) and a point at Sheffield Wednesday."

Portsmouth visit Ipswich in the Championship on Saturday (15:00 BST) having gone unbeaten on their travels so far and Mousinho says it's not an accident.

"It's been a lot more positive at the start of this season with a couple of draws and a win at Oxford," he added.

"We've just tried to be more solid and we've got a defined identity out of possession which we didn't have at the start of last year so we want to try to build on that."

A potential move to take the Championship play-offs down to eighth place would damage the competition's credibility, according to former Huddersfield, Stoke and Middlesbrough defender Tommy Smith.

The EFL board is set to discuss proposals to increase the number of teams in the end-of-season play-offs from four to six but Smith, who was promoted to the Premier League with Huddersfield via the play-offs in 2017 is not a fan of the idea.

"It's not for me - I think it suits teams who don't really have a chance to get in the top six," he told the BBC's EFL podcast 72+.

"From a credibility point of view the top six is there to be aimed at and you have to earn your place in it."

The play-offs were first introduced for the 1986-87 season where sides finishing third down to fifth were involved along with the team third-from-bottom in the top flight.

After two seasons the format was changed to be played out between teams finishing third to sixth in the second tier.

"To finish eighth in the Championship and potentially get promoted to the Premier League it just doesn't sit right with me," added Smith.

"Notoriously over the past years getting into the top six is tough and when you get in there after a long hard season it feels brilliant, so to make it a top eight it dilutes it."

"There are no easy games in the Championship but there are easier games. This was one of the easier games and Pompey ultimately blew it."

BBC Radio Solent's Chris Wise and Andy Moon discuss a poor home defeat to a struggling Sheffield Wednesday side and the difficulties Pompey's building injury list currently pose.

Listen to the full episode of Who Needs Mourinho? and more Portsmouth content on BBC Sounds.

Portsmouth forward Makenzie Kirk said that the side need to take their 2-0 loss to Sheffield Wednesday "on the chin" as they look ahead to their next game against Ipswich Town on Saturday (15:00 BST).

Kirk joined Pompey from St Johnstone on transfer deadline day and made his first appearance for the club in the weekend defeat by the Owls at Fratton Park.

"I'm happy that I can finally say I made my debut for the club. In terms of the result, I can't say that's the performance or the result the boys wanted," Kirk told BBC Radio Solent.

"I think he [boss John Mousinho] was disappointed because he knows that our levels are much higher than they were today. It's one of those ones you need to take on the chin and look forward to next week.

"It's frustrating to watch from the side because we know as a group what we are capable of, especially after last week's result away to Southampton. It was something we thought we could build on and take the momentum into the next game, so it's disappointing."

Listen to the full post-match interview with Kirk and more Portsmouth content on BBC Sounds.

Andrew Moon
BBC Radio Solent commentator

Image source, Rex Features

Portsmouth should not have needed reminding how tough the Championship can be but they got exactly that against Sheffield Wednesday.

Instead of sitting in the top six, which is where a win would have taken them, fans will be left wondering how a team who have made a promising start to the season could play quite that badly.

Conor Shaughnessy could be out for some time after suffering a hamstring injury and joins goalkeeper Nico Schmid in the treatment room.

They can ill afford to lose any further first-choice players. At least Josh Murphy could return next week after missing this game with an ankle injury

Pompey have managed just four goals in their opening six matches. Their decision-making in the final third left a lot to be desired this afternoon.

Image source, Rex Features

Portsmouth manager John Mousinho called his side's performance "awful" as they fell to a 2-0 loss to Sheffield Wednesday.

Barry Bannan's 20-yard free-kick and George Brown's strike from a fast-break capped an unusually flat performance by Pompey who now slip to 12th in the Championship.

"Frustration isn't my overriding emotion, I don't think," Mousinho told BBC Radio Solent. "Frustration would signal that maybe we were in the game, maybe we deserved something, and we didn't.

"We were awful for 90 minutes and got exactly what we deserved... [we tried] to protect against it all week, talking about how difficult the game would be, how we needed to be right on top of ourselves and not let any complacency creep in and it has happened previously.

"We probably had a very similar picture when we beat Leeds at home last year, got ourselves up for the game, and then by the time we returned and played Plymouth on the Wednesday, we lost a game we never should have lost.

"A similar pattern we've followed after a really solid start. We have been trying to protect against that all week, but clearly we haven't managed to do it."

Portsmouth boss John Mousinho wants to see an improvement in his side's attack as they prepare for a "dangerous" fixture against Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday.

Pompey have only scored five goals overall this season, and four in five league games, but sit eighth in the table having only conceded three goals in the Championship so far.

They were unable to make the most of their opportunities in lasty Sunday's goalless South Coast derby against Southampton

"I'm not concerned as we are creating plenty of opportunities," Mousinho told BBC Radio Solent. "We need to turn some of those opportunities into better chances.

"There are some excellent crosses coming into the box and we haven't quite got onto the end of some of them, we had a couple of really good breaks at the weekend and there wasn't the quality in the final third, also with some players we would expect a bit more quality from.

"There is definitely improvement in that area and something we will be focusing on this week."

Sheffield Wednesday lie 19th in the table thanks to a point earned from coming from 2-0 down against Wrexham.

The Owls also beat Premier League side Leeds in the EFL Cup, before being knocked out by Grimsby in the third round.

"Sheffield Wednesday are a very dangerous side," Mousinho added.

"Regardless of the results, they have beaten Leeds in the League Cup and came back from 2-0 down against Wrexham recently, and have been very unlucky in some of the league results.

"We know it is going to be a very tough game and have to make sure we are at it."

Wednesday have suffered a huge period of turmoil over the club's ownership, which has left the Owls unable to bring in players on transfers.

"The depth of squad isn't there for a variety of reasons that have been well publicised; that is not me being disrespectful to Sheffield Wednesday, they have done a magnificent job considering the circumstances in the summer," Mousinho added.

"We are facing an excellent Championship side with some excellent players and from what we have seen in the past few weeks in terms of performances, they are one of the sides that have been unlucky not to pick up more points."

Listen to the full pre-match interview with Moushino and more Portsmouth content on BBC Sounds

Portsmouth will seek to make it four games unbeaten when winless Sheffield Wednesday head to Fratton Park on Saturday (15:00 BST).

Pompey are seeking a fourth clean sheet in six Championship games, having won 1-0 against Preston in their last home game and drawn the south coast derby 0-0 at Southampton last Sunday.

Wednesday have lost three straight home games without scoring, culminating in the EFL Cup exit at the hands of League Two Grimsby in midweek, but did pick up their only point from their opening five league games in their most recent away game at Wrexham.

• Portsmouth remain winless in each of their last seven league games against Sheffield Wednesday (D3 L4), losing this fixture 1-2 last season.

• Sheffield Wednesday are unbeaten in their last five away trips to Portsmouth in the league (W3 D2), winning the last two – the Owls have never won three in a row at Fratton Park.

• No team has kept more clean sheets in the Championship this season than Portsmouth (3). Pompey are looking for three consecutive clean sheets at this level for the first time since keeping six in a row in February and March 2011.

• Sheffield Wednesday have spent 64.4% of their Championship matches (inc. injury time) losing so far this season, the highest percentage of any club. The Owls are winless in all five games (D1 L4) although they haven't been relegated in any of their last four league seasons when failing to win any of their opening five matches (2005-06, 2007-08, 2013-14 and 2023-24).

• Although he hasn't registered an assist yet, only one player has created more chances in the Championship this season than Sheffield Wednesday midfielder Barry Bannan (12).

"This is a derby that is probably underappreciated around the country and people probably don't realise quite how fierce and quite significant it is."

"When you take the emotion out of it and look back on the game, it was a great performance from Pompey but it wasn't a game of high drama."

On the latest episode of the Who Needs Mourinho? podcast, Guy Whittingham joins Chris Wise and Andrew Moon to reflect on the first goalless draw in the south coast derby for 101 years after Portsmouth's visit to St Mary's.

They discuss Pompey's defensive solidity, the latest on injuries to Connor Ogilvie and Nicolas Schmid and the fact that there's no love lost between managers John Mousinho and Will Still.

Listen to the full episode of Who Needs Mourinho? and more Pompey on Sounds.

Tom Chappell
Fan writer from Fournilwrittenalloverit

Image source, BBC Sport

Image source, Rex Features

I doubt anyone watching the first south coast derby in the league for 13 years would dispute that Pompey earned their point with interest, and on another day perhaps take all three.

Albeit slower starters in the second half, Pompey largely controlled proceedings for the entire afternoon. It is such a shining light of progress to go to St Mary's and be the better side.

The conditions of both Connor Ogilvie and Nicolas Schmid is alarming but, that aside, it's all positives with four particular top-class performers.

It's a toss-up between Zak Swanson and Andre Dozzell for man of the match for me, incredibly closely followed by the sensational pair of Regan Poole and Conor Shaughnessy, who I thought were exemplary.

Josh Murphy is just sensational, and I still remain in disbelief watching Conor Chaplin back in Pompey blue. A proper, proper coup.

Away from the pitch, it was a completely surreal day. Dawn was yet to break as we headed down to Fratton Park, where 20-plus coaches were waiting to take us on the 19-mile trip.

A Sunday morning at just gone 07:30 sat on a double decker bus outside the North Stand packed full of fellow Pompey faithful was just as bizarre as it was enjoyable.

The powers-that-be from an organisational perspective got it absolutely spot on, wheels began turning at bang on 08:30 and we simply didn't come to a stop until we were well within the St Mary's compound.

The rolling road block and escort of a snaking convoy of coaches was done with real elegance, with zero flash points and sensible pace.

Once out on foot, recognisable Pompey staff and the unfamiliar cohort of our opposition's workforce were nothing but friendly and pleasant - aided by a crackling atmosphere as soon as the 2,700 of us had disembarked.

The salient opportunity for the two sets of fans to face each other was within the stadium bowl itself - signalling the rudimentary gestures and chants befitting of derby day on the south coast.

On another day, Pompey perhaps win that game - which is both exciting and frustrating to consider. I think collectively we were left with a hint of disappointment, which can only be viewed as a positive.

A final word on John Mousinho. He led the team and the club with a real steely determination, and struck me as a leader with a healthy aloofness about him.

Whether that be in the press post-match or his playful interactions with opposite number Will Still, he completely 'gets' both what's at stake and what it means to all those around the world with Pompey in their hearts.

The mentality he instilled in his players was absolutely on the money.

Pompey's start to the season remains a solid one. The opportunity to go four unbeaten beckons this weekend.

Find more from Tom Chappell at FourNilWrittenAllOverIt., external

Image source, Rex Features

Portsmouth's Conor Chaplin said that he is "excited" at what is to come after a scoreless draw against bitter rivals Southampton in the Championship.

The 28-year-old was a deadline day loan signing for the Blues, returning to the club where he started his career.

He started and played 90 minutes for Portsmouth in what was the first league South Coast derby for 13 years.

"I'm proud of the boys and proud of the football club," Chaplin told BBC Radio Solent.

"We have come to a side that was in the Premier League last season and were a better team for large spells of the game.

"There's a proudness there as well as excitement of what is to come after a result like that. There's a tinge of disappointment too - we definitely could have scored and won the game.

"We had moments and chances we feel we could have scored in both halves, we felt like we were a real threat on the counter attack."

Chaplin, who has returned to Fratton Park on a season-long loan from Ipswich, made his 123rd appearance for Pompey, just over seven years after his 122nd.

The attacking midfielder said that he he had offers from other sides in the division but had his heart set on one club.

"You couldn't write it, the derby is a great occasion to come back to," he added.

"I have to thank Kieran McKenna for letting me back, there was other interest but if I was to go anywhere it would have to be here, I didn't want to play for anyone else in the division.

"I didn't have the same feeling or excitement at playing for anyone else, I want to contribute on and off the pitch while I'm here."

Andrew Moon
BBC Radio Solent

Image source, PA Media

Not a vintage derby that will be talked about for years to come and no one managed a David Norris-style moment but another very encouraging performance on the road from a Pompey team continuing to grow.

In the first half they comprehensively outplayed a Southampton side put together on a budget of many multiples of Portsmouth's, they just weren't clinical enough to find a goal.

Unsurprisingly Southampton improved after the break but found Pompey extremely tough to break down - Regan Poole and Conor Shaughnessy were impressive once again

The concern though will be injuries to Nico Schmid and Connor Ogilvie. To lose either for an extended period would be a big blow as Pompey do not have a deep squad.

Andrew Moon
BBC Radio Solent's Portsmouth commentator

Image source, Rex Features

I've worked at St Mary's a number of times for Premier League matches, European nights and England hosting qualifiers.

When has it been the loudest? That's an easy one - 7 April 2012 - the last south coast derby there. It wasn't just the noise it was the intensity of the atmosphere that felt so rare.

£40 tickets and mandatory bus travel to the ground with no food or drink carried isn't exactly what you'd describe as a great "fan experience" for the travelling Pompey fans.

However the 2,700 tickets were snapped up and the Blues faithful will be heard loud and clear.

It's clear there's more pressure on Southampton. Five points from four games is a disappointing start for a side hoping to win promotion.

This is not a free hit for Portsmouth though. A derby defeat would be a huge blow even if it wouldn't completely take away what's been a very encouraging start to the campaign.

It's an opportunity for someone to write themselves into Pompey folklore the way David Norris did 13 years ago.

It doesn't matter that his goal didn't save Pompey from relegation or deny Southampton promotion, we live for the incredible moments as football fans and that was a very special one.

Supporters are still buzzing from the deadline day arrival of Conor Chaplin.

It means another local boy in the dressing room in case players need any reminding how significant the game is, although Marlon Pack has been on that case ever since it became clear the sides would in the same division.

Emotions aside Portsmouth have looked a side more than capable of achieving their objectives in the first month of the season.

In Josh Murphy they have one of the best players in the division and crucially they look a much better side away from home than the outfit that was really struggling 12 months ago.

Portsmouth defender Conor Shaughnessy is feeling confident before Sunday's derby with Southampton (12:00 BST), after Pompey's solid start to the Championship season and a well-utilised international break.

"The lads are looking sharp, strong and we're in a really good place going into the weekend," Shaughnessy told BBC Radio Solent.

The centre-back has been key to Portsmouth's defensive solidity so far this season, having fostered a functioning partnership with Regan Poole.

The duo have started all Championship games alongside each other so far this season, with Pompey registering clean sheets against Oxford and Preston, and conceding an average of 0.75 goals per league game.

"Each [team of ] 11 that's gone out on the pitch has done well defensively in the majority of the games we've played so far," Shaughnessy said.

"We've been pretty resolute defensively and come up against some good sides already and I think we go forward from now knowing that we shouldn't fear any team in this division."

On Sunday, Portsmouth will visit Southampton in a league game for the first time since 2012.

"We know how big it is for the fans and for the club," he said.

"We're really excited, the lads are looking forward to it, we're feeling really good, feeling fit and strong and we just can't wait to get out there on Sunday now.

"We know they're a team coming down from the Premier League so we know it's going to be a tough challenge for us. But coming off the back of the four games we've had, we don't fear anyone."

Listen to the full interview with Conor Shaughnessy and more Pompey content on BBC Sounds