The Portsmouth fans reacted with fury at Fratton Park, jumping to their feet and chanting “off, off, off” for every foul that Oxford committed. The Oxford fans replied with chants of “that is embarrassing”, while Stan Mills was booed every time he touched the ball. What was initially a positive and encouraged mood amongst the home fans has now become incredibly hostile.
Portsmouth earned a corner, exciting the home stands. However, tempers had already boiled following the red card, and the referee punished the home players for getting a little too handsy in the box. The delivery from the corner was weak.
Ogilvie’s Red Card Changes the Game
The Fratton Park crowd were stunned as the referee paused before showing Connor Ogilvie a red card. The Oxford fans waved Ogilvie off ironically as the Portsmouth fans booed referee Josh Smith’s decision. Portsmouth reacted by taking off Conor Chaplin to introduce right-back Jordan Williams. It is a big job for Williams this afternoon.
Guy Whittingham, a former Portsmouth manager, said that the referee’s decision was massive in a game of this significance and that he has to be absolutely certain in a game like this. Whittingham added that it wasn’t a good tackle, but Ogilvie hooked his foot around the ball at the same time he hooked around the Oxford player.
Connor Ogilvie landed a heavy challenge on Stanley Mills. The referee pulled out the red card, feeling the contact was too high. The majority of the ground did not agree with the decision.
Caballero Misses a Key Chance
Jamie Donley took a fast throw-in to get Oxford moving, but Terry Devlin intercepted the pass into the box and drew a foul from Will Lankshear to halt the attack. The interception was brilliant stuff from the right-back.
Gustavo Caballero had a great chance for Pompey. The ball was sliced into the box where the Paraguay international was waiting, ready to thump it into the net, but he connected all wrong and sent it into the sky. Eddie Odhiambo, a former Oxford defender, said that’s probably who you would want that chance to fall to. He added that you’d be disappointed that they haven’t made the net burst there, and you’ll struggle to get many better chances than that.
Oxford’s Near Miss
The ball in from Stanley Mills was superb, curled pinpoint into the path of Will Lankshear. It bounced off a Portsmouth man into Myles Peart-Harris, who gave it a whack but saw it cleared on the line before the whistle was blown for a goal kick.
One person posted online that the ref was making it all about himself and that it was a ridiculous decision, adding that VAR is needed in the football league immediately.
Oxford may have found a momentum change after Connor Ogilvie’s red card.