Portsmouth 0-1 Sheffield United: Andre Brooks nails stoppage-time winner to seal Blades’ first away win in six games
Andre Brooks struck a dramatic 90th-minute goal to hand Sheffield United a 1-0 victory at Portsmouth, their first away win in six attempts and a boost to their playoff hopes.
The late triumph leaves Chris Wilder’s side six points adrift of a playoff spot, while Pompey sit just one point above the relegation zone.
United’s on-loan Manchester City midfielder Kalvin Phillips started his first game since March last year as Portsmouth dominated the opening period, with late chances proving costly for the visitors.
The Ferreira-era move started with a first real chance for Pompey as Millenic Alli cut in from the left and delivered a cross that Ebou Adams narrowly headed over the bar.
Gus Hamer provided a lively outlet for United on the left, hitting the base of a post after cutting in along the by-line.
John Mousinho’s Pompey dictated the early tempo, with Alli causing several problems for United’s right-back Femi Seriki. A swift build-up saw John Swift fire narrowly wide in the six-yard box after the ball spilled loose to him.
Alli soon tested Michael Cooper with a low drive after Seriki slipped, but the United goalkeeper saved comfortably. A potential Pompey goal for Colby Bishop was ruled out for a prior foul.
Half-time brought no goals for Wilder’s men, who failed to register a shot on target, with Patrick Bamford’s looping header the closest thing to a goal for United.
The Blades reshuffled at the break, bringing on Callum O’Hare for the ineffective Tom Cannon, but Portsmouth remained on top for much of the second period.
Swift came close again for Pompey, curling narrowly past the post after a well-worked corner from Adrian Segecic.
United began to threaten more as Hamer found space on the left and drove a shot narrowly wide from 25 yards, signaling a shift in momentum.
Chances mounted for United: Bamford’s header was saved by Nicolas Schmid, and Brooks rattled the woodwork with a fierce strike from the edge of the box.
In stoppage time, substitute Tyrese Campbell drove down the left and delivered into the six-yard box, where Brooks arrived to convert the chance and seal the win for United.
The managers
Portsmouth’s John Mousinho:
“I thought the first half we were really dominant, very good performance, but we didn’t show enough composure in front of goal and slashed at a few opportunities. The second half followed a similar pattern, but once we started to control the game in the last 20–25 minutes, we looked more likely to win—unfortunately, we were caught on the break.”
“Every game from now until the end of the season is going to be massive. The next one is the biggest one.”
Sheffield United’s Chris Wilder:
“Sometimes games are won on mentality. You can’t always play well. We played well on Monday against arguably the best team in the division (Middlesbrough). The art is to keep going when you’re not at your best—if we weren’t together, we’d have been rolled over.”
“It’s the next game. You win games of football, you go up the division. If we were 24th, I’d want to be 23rd. If we were 10th, I’d want to be ninth. If we were top, I’d want to be top by 10 points. So that’s our attitude. We’re not top.”
And this is the part most people miss: late winners can shift momentum just as much as the result itself. Do you think United’s resilience changes how teams approach their remaining fixtures, or would Portsmouth have been better off embracing an earlier switch in tactics? Share your thoughts in the comments.
