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Portsmouth 2 v 2 Derby County
EFL Championship
Saturday, 12th April 2025 Kick-off 15:00
Destiny in our hands: Mousinho relishes Fratton return for Derby clash
Friday, 11th Apr 2025 14:28 by Pompey-fans.com staff

It feels like every time a home game comes round, there's pressure on Pompey to win it.

Often they do - they've taken victories from 10 of their past 14 matches at Fratton - but the away games that come in between rarely yield any return.

So it is again this week - and a fortnight after the Blues lifted some pressure with a home 1-0 win over Blackburn, they return to Fratton to face Derby having lost two away games in the meantime, late goals turning one point into none at both Millwall and Coventry.

John Mousinho is happy to be back at Fratton this weekend - and is not getting too downhearted about the cruel end to the trip to Coventry.

He told the Pompey website: 'Our performance on Wednesday was generally very good and we have to remember that when we face Derby. It’s a massive game for both sides – we’re fighting at the bottom end of the table and need the points.

'Everyone should be relishing the game because we’re playing at Fratton Park with our destiny in our hands, so we have to be positive. Getting the mentality right is so important when you’re in the position we find ourselves in and you can use that to make up for any deficiencies in other areas.

'I feel like we’ve performed better this season when the pressure has been on us and it’s when there has been a buffer to the bottom three that we’ve struggled. There have been setbacks before that we’ve recovered well from and I’m confident in the ability of this group to bounce back.

'But Derby are a strong team and recent results under John Eustace speak for themselves, so we have to be ready.'

It looks like Alexander Milošević, Rob Atkinson and Conor Shaughnessy will all miss out - which would seem to mean it likely that Connor Ogilvie will continue in the centre of defence alongside Regan Poole.

Mousinho has implied that Thomas Waddingham will get another start in support of Colby Bishop after a decent showing at Coventry.

Photo: Action Images



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