Portsmouth ease to win over Swansea
Portsmouth 4 - 0 Swansea
Portsmouth climbed out of the Championship's bottom three with a commanding victory over Swansea City at a rain-soaked Fratton Park.
Josh Murphy's crisp first-time strike put the hosts ahead in the 22nd minute, and Paddy Lane doubled their advantage just seven minutes later, capitalising on defensive uncertainty.
Swansea briefly looked like mounting a second-half comeback, with Josh Tymon rattling the woodwork, but Ryley Towler’s well-placed header eased any nerves for Portsmouth. A costly error by Cyrus Christie then allowed Colby Bishop to seal a resounding win.
While John Mousinho’s side have struggled away from home this season, their improved form at Fratton Park has reinvigorated their fight to avoid a swift return to League One. Pompey have now claimed 13 points from their last five home games, scoring 14 goals in the process.
For Swansea, it was a torrid afternoon as defensive lapses contributed to their heaviest defeat of the campaign, leaving them in 12th place.
A closer look at what happened at Fratton Park
The footage below is from the Portsmouth YouTube account.
The two sides had drawn in South Wales just over a month ago, with Swansea battling back from 2-0 down to earn a point against Portsmouth's high press. However, Pompey’s relentless approach paid off again here, leaving Luke Williams' team unable to respond.
Portsmouth’s opening goal came after Zak Swanson dispossessed Liam Cullen near halfway. Swanson exchanged passes with Lane before delivering a pinpoint cross for Murphy to fire past Lawrence Vigouroux.
Pompey kept up the pressure, and Swansea's backline continued to falter. A poor clearance from Harry Darling was headed back into the danger zone by Connor Ogilvie, and amid defensive confusion, Tymon's weak header allowed Lane to poke home his first goal of the season.
Swansea began to find their feet in attack towards the end of the first half, with Eom Ji-Sung denied by a last-ditch Swanson tackle and Cullen heading over. Florian Bianchini spurned their best chance of the half, heading straight at Portsmouth goalkeeper Nicolas Schmid from close range.
Goodnight, #Pompey fans. 💙 pic.twitter.com/SX6PhVpq2E
— Portsmouth FC (@Pompey) January 2, 2025
Swansea started the second period brightly, with Eom forcing a sharp save from Schmid and Tymon striking the bar from a tight angle. However, Portsmouth extended their lead when Jay Fulton's foul on Bishop led to a free-kick, which Freddie Potts delivered for Towler to nod home.
Vigouroux denied Callum Lang and Murphy further goals before Bianchini had a header ruled out for offside. The visitors' misery was compounded late on when substitute Christie miscontrolled in his box, allowing Murphy to set up Bishop for a simple finish.
The win moves Portsmouth up to 21st, a point clear of the relegation zone, as their resurgence at Fratton Park continues to gather momentum.
