Shrewsbury Town 0 Portsmouth 2 - Report and pictures

Town were given a lesson in making their advantage count after spurning numerous opportunities on goal while promotion-chasing Pompey netted in either half to leave Sam Ricketts’ relegation-battlers with another home defeat.

The second goal, scored by skipper Brett Pitman, was one for the Christmas bloopers DVD as, inexplicably, goalkeeper Steve Arnold kicked his clearance off defender Omar Beckles.

Ricketts turned around in disgust as Pompey doubled their lead in front of nearly 1,200 ecstatic away fans. His side were well in the game at 1-0 down after Ben Close had given the away side the lead five minutes before half-time.

There was no animosity to Ricketts from the Meadow stands this week, unlike seven days prior against struggling Wycombe, as Portsmouth showed their quality in the final third but were given a huge helping hand by Salop.

With seven games to go, the latest defeat - a 16th in 39 League One games - leaves Town stuck in the mire of a hefty relegation scrap. Salop are 19th, two places and one point clear of the drop zone.

Shrews were at their best for the first 30 minutes, taking Kenny Jackett’s side apart at times as they created numerous decent opportunities, forcing ex-Town keeper Craig MacGillivray into one stunning save.

Ricketts’ men were also the better side for the first part of the second half but did not have enough to pierce a resolute Portsmouth backline.

Bigger and more crucial tests against relegation rivals lay ahead, including next week at Southend, at a dogfight that looks like going down to the wire.

Analysis:

Ricketts went head-to-head with former boss Jackett, who had managed the Welshman for two successful stints of his playing career.

The pair worked together at Swansea City, winning promotion and the Football League Trophy. They reunited almost a decade later at not-so-faraway Wolverhampton Wanderers, where Ricketts was made Jackett’s captain as the Molineux club won the League One trophy.

Ricketts insisted that, aside from pre and post-match pleasantries, it would be like any other game.

The Town management were fresh from a midweek meeting with a dozen or so Town fans in which Ricketts and his staff spoke about what they are attempting to achieve at the Meadow. This came after heavy pressure was aimed their way from the crowd last time out.

One of the supporters’ biggest frustrations was no Greg Docherty in Ricketts’ XI but the Scot came straight back in for the visit of Pompey.

He was joined by Anthony Grant, Fejiri Okenabirhie and Beckles back in the side, for Josh Laurent, Dave Edwards, Tyrese Campbell and Aaron Amadi-Holloway.

Shaun Whalley was positioned just behind striker Okenabirhie, moving from his recent wing-back role, while James Bolton took his place.

Jackett’s Portsmouth were, at one stage, looking like running away with the league. But a stutter at the turn of the year, including four straight draws and no wins in eight, stunted their progress.

They sat fourth ahead of kick-off having improved more recently, on the back of four wins in five in all competition, with a Checkatrade Trophy final date looming against league rivals Sunderland.

The Meadow was in good voice with both sets of fans playing their part in a crackling atmosphere. The visitors were backed by an almost sell-out away end.

Salopians were encouraged by the introduction of some of the fans’ favourites and their enthusiasm from the stands flowed out on to the pitch where, for much of the opening quarter, the hosts were by some distance the better side.

Promotion-aiming Pompey struggled to get out of their own half as Ricketts’ men sent wave after wave of attacks towards MacGillivray’s goal.

The move to push Whalley further forward and his combination with Docherty and Okenabirhie was seriously troubling Portsmouth.

Whalley was centimetres from converting a low Okenabirhie cross from Town’s first delightful bit of combination play. The only time the visitors made Salop sweat was as the pacy Jamal Lowe got the better of Ro-Shaun Williams but Arnold smothered the ball well.

But from 10 minutes on Town were swarming all over their visitors. MacGillivray was forced into work just once amid a flurry of chances but the save he made was a stunner. The ex-Salop custodian got down to his for an unbelievable stop to deny Whalley.

A Whalley deflection and Grant strike flew narrowly off target before skipper Ollie Norburn was denied by a stunning last-ditch challenge by Lee Brown after pulling the trigger from six yards.

Town were better than Portsmouth all over the park as Brett Pitman, Omar Bogle and Lowe were struggling to get any change from Shrews’ drilled and stubborn backline.

But on half hour the Fratton Park side woke. First Beckles and Golbourne were slow to deal with a clearance and Gareth Evans stung the palms of Arnold when he should have done better.

Shortly after Ben Close’s shot from the edge of the box flew inches wide of Arnold’s left upright.

There were signs from that point onwards that Pompey had woke from their early slumber but Salop still looked as if they were confident of hurting their opponents.

But Portsmouth had raised their game and there was a feeling in the stands that the hosts may pay the price from not taking advantage.

That proved the case five minutes before the break as Close smartly smashed in a rebound from 10 yards after Brown’s shot was parried by Arnold. Grant was down in midfield in the build up to the goal and complained for a foul but they fell on deaf ears.

It was an example of a good side making the key moment count.

Ricketts would have wanted a repeat of the opening to the first period after the break - albeit with something to show for it - and his side looked like responding.

Whalley and Okenabirhie again combined well. The former found Docherty free in the box but Christian Burgess made a fine challenge.

In a case of Groundhog Day, Town again found themselves much the more progressive side as Pompey were penned in. Norburn, Docherty and Whalley were buzzing outside the visitors’ box attempting to create.

Chances did not flow as often as the first period, only Grant’s fierce left-footed shot across goal threatened MacGillivray’s goal, while the keeper looked supreme in the air and his defenders put in several well-placed blocks.

Portsmouth worked themselves a foothold in the half and began to fashion openings. Arnold made a super save on his line to get down low and keep out sub Oli Hawkins powerful header.

But, with just a one-goal deficit, the encounter was on a knife-edge with Ricketts’ men very much still in the hunt for something. The Town boss sent Campbell on for Bolton in an attacking switch.

MacGillivray was tested by a low Norburn free-kick before Ricketts opted for Josh Laurent for Grant in another attacking change.

But Town’s play was undone by a calamitous error with nearly 10 minutes to go.

Arnold rushed out to deal with a nothing ball over the top, only to smash his clearance off Beckles - and from that moment Shrews’ defenders were all at sea.

Skipper Pitman collected it, with Town defenders spinning while wondering where the bal had gone, slipped it to Hawkins on the left and gobbled up the return low cross to double the visitors’ lead.

It was a terrible goal to concede. Ricketts turned away in disgust as the Pompey fans behind that goal erupted.

To rub salt into Arnold’s embarrassing wounds, the keeper limped off shortly after, with Jonathan Mitchell taking his place.

The last few minutes were a precession for a Portsmouth side who, on the balance of play, were not two goals better than Shrewsbury but were more streetwise, clinical and less wasteful than Shrewsbury.

Key moments:

4 - Shaun Whalley within a few inches of connecting to Fejiri Okenabirhie’s left-sided cross. Very close.

16 - Former Town man Craig MacGillivray makes stunning low save to his right to deny Whalley after Anthony Grant’s run and low pass from the left.

17 - Whalley now sees a deflected shot from outside the box fly inches wide.

24 - Stunning last-ditch tackle from Lee Brown to deny Ollie Norburn after he had stormed into the box following an intricate move.

27 - James Bolton heads over after Pompey failed to clear a free-kick.

29 - Good save from Arnold to deny Gareth Evans as Town cut open for first time.

34 - Ben Close inches wide from effort from edge of box.

40 - Goal Portsmouth. Close nets this time by slamming in a low rebound after Arnold had parried Brown’s strike clear.

61 - Deflected Okenabirhie shot falls for Grant on left side of Pompey box but he fires low across goal.

70 - James Bolton heads Scott Golbourne’s corner over the top.

71 - Sub Oli Hawkins climbs brilliant and sends a fierce downward header goalwards and Arnold makes a superb stop at his near post.

79 - Goal Portsmouth. A killer second and terrible goal for Town to concede. Arnold smashes a clearance off Omar Beckles and Pitman gives it to Hawkins before turning home the cross.

Teams:

Shrewsbury Town (3-4-1-2):

Arnold (Mitchell, 84); Williams, Waterfall, Beckles; Bolton (Campbell, 72), Norburn ©, Grant (Laurent, 77), Golbourne; Docherty, Whalley; Okenabirhie

Subs not used: Edwards, Sadler, Amadi-Holloway, Payne.

Portsmouth (4-2-3-1):

MacGillivray; Thompson, Burgess, Clarke, Brown; Close, Naylor; Evans (Walkes, 89), Pitman ©, Lowe; Bogle (Hawkins, 55).

Subs not used: Bass (gk), May, Vaughan, Isgrove, Haunstrup.

Referee: Ollie Yates

Attendance: 8,028 (1,172 Portsmouth fans)

Position in the table: 19th (43 points from 39 games)

Star man: Shaun Whalley - Always seems to be Town’s spark.