Match Review: Portsmouth 2-1 Boro

Portsmouth came from behind to inflict a 2-1 defeat on Boro at Fratton Park.

Emmanuel Latte Lath's composed finish put us on course for maximum points, only for Matt Ritchie's effort to pull Portsmouth level early in the second half.

Ritchie's second eight minutes from the end proved pivotal.

Boro started well, with Latte Lath latching onto a loose ball five yards outside the area before unleashing a low drive which Nicolas Schmid pushed wide.

Freddie Potts’ was Portsmouth’s principal first half threat, with the midfielder sending two decent efforts wide from the edge of the area.

Michael Carrick’s side looked the likelier to break the deadlock, though, and so it proved on the half-hour.

Delano Burgzorg released Latte Lath with a fine through ball and the Ivorian did the rest, taking the ball around the goalkeeper with his first touch before finishing coolly with his second.

Boro grew in confidence from there and there were a number of promising moves which could have led to a second goal. The best opportunities saw Finn Azaz denied by a block and Hayden Hackney fire over.

The second half began in bright fashion for Boro and we almost doubled our lead when Hackney released Burgzorg down the left of the area, but his powerful low strike went narrowly wide.

Less than a minute later, Pompey hit Boro with a sucker punch as a ball over the top was controlled crisply by Ritchie before he finished with his next touch.

Ritchie went close to making it a quickfire double with a 35-yard piledriver which just cleared the crossbar.

There were further chances at both ends, with Schmid scrambling to keep out an Azaz shot and Portsmouth’s Josh Murphy firing wide.

The decisive moment arrived on 82 minutes as Ritchie's drive took a deflection, struck the inside of the post and trickled home.