Portsmouth boss Kenny Jackett angered by defending and deficiencies which led to downfall at Sunderland
and live on Freeview channel 276
And the Blues boss pinpointed a continuing inability to make the most of getting into good crossing areas as a key factor in Saturday’s 2-1 loss.
Pompey threw away a lead provided by Marcus Harness’ first goal for the club and a golden chance to turn up the heat on Jack Ross at the Stadium of Light.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdFirst-half goals from Jordan Willis and Chris Maguire turned the game on its header, however.
And Jackett was frustrated with the manner in which both of them were conceded.
He said: ‘The first goal was an out-swinger and a one-touch header from Willis.
‘That was really poor from our point of view.
‘It’s really difficult to score from an out-swinger directly.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide Ad‘He’s put it straight in, so from our marking and our zone men it’s a poor one.
‘I thought it was a poor corner to concede, too.
‘No one really put their name on it. They played it down that side too easily for me.
‘The keeper had no chance from that one and similarly for the second it’s a bit of ricochet off Walkes, a cross and a tap-in for Maguire.
‘It’s a flash of quality which has ultimately won them the game.’
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdIf the mistakes at the back were costly, so too was the inability of Pompey to deliver better crosses when they were well placed in wide areas.
That has now been a key factor in both of the defeats Jackett’s men have suffered this term.
He added: ‘It was a lot of possession but was there enough quality into the box? Probably not.
‘We had a number of chances we did create though which we didn’t make enough of or it didn’t fall for us.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide Ad‘I did feel that in both halves we were quite good and in control.
‘But ultimately we couldn’t produced the quality going forward to get us back into the game.'
Pompey’s superior possession did carve out openings after the break with John Marquis and Gareth Evans missing chances, while impressive sub Ross McCrorie’s 80th-minute cross was almost diverted into the net by Grant Leadbitter.
That was another significant factor for Jackett who accepted his side didn’t do enough to make the most of mounting Sunderland tension after Marcus Harness’ goal.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdJackett said: ‘Maybe that’s the case (Pompey didn’t make the most of tension).
‘Similarly, we didn’t fall away or cave in through the second half.
‘We had a good attitude and kept driving on until the end.
‘It is (a frustration), but even so we had enough time to get into it (after Sunderland's goals).
‘In the second period we had enough of the ball but ultimately two pieces of quality have got them the goals
‘While we had the lion’s share of possession we couldn’t find that cutting edge and the big chances which came our way couldn’t get us back into the game.’
Comment Guidelines
National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.