Ten-man Plymouth hold on at Portsmouth for first away win

Plymouth, playing with 10 men away from home, ultimately defeated Portsmouth, securing their first away win of the season and moving within three points of the safety zone. This victory was crucial for Plymouth, demonstrating their strong resilience on the road, boosting their confidence for upcoming matches.

In this match, Plymouth player Ryan Hardie was in excellent form, providing a brilliant back-heel assist to Mustapha Bundu to break the deadlock one minute before halftime. Just four minutes into the second half, Hardie himself scored a goal, extending the lead to 2-0. However, late in the game, Matthew Sorinola was sent off for accumulating two yellow cards, forcing Plymouth to play with 10 men, testing their defensive capabilities.

Despite being a player down in the 86th minute, Plymouth continued to resist tenaciously. In the 89th minute, Adil Aouchiche scored a brilliant consolation goal for Portsmouth. Ultimately, Plymouth held on to the victory, ending their embarrassing away winless streak since last April, and also improving their position in the league standings, giving them momentum for the rest of the season.

After the match, Portsmouth manager John Mousinho expressed his disappointment, stating that the team missed an opportunity and was angry with their performance. He believed that Plymouth adopted a deep defensive strategy, making it difficult for Portsmouth to break through, and that the team made some mistakes in the match, leading to the defeat. Mousinho also mentioned that the team failed to maintain their form after beating league leaders Leeds, losing consecutively to the bottom two teams in the league, highlighting the inconsistency in their performance.

Plymouth coach Miron Muslic stated that this victory was of great significance to the team, showcasing their fighting spirit and attacking threat. He specifically mentioned Hardie's return, believing that he brought much-needed running and threat to the team. Muslic also expressed satisfaction with the team's defensive performance and was very happy to have ultimately won the game. He humorously said that when the fourth official indicated 11 minutes of added time, he knew the team could hold on until the end, demonstrating his confidence in the team's ability to persevere.