Portsmouth 4 Doncaster Rovers 0 RECAP: Rovers slump to defeat following second half collapse
Gary McSheffrey’s men must take confidence from their fine victories at promotion-chasing MK Dons and Sunderland as they look to bounce back from Tuesday night’s jaded display in the home defeat to Ipswich Town.
But they will face a Pompey side buoyed by victory at home to Burton Albion in midweek which ended their six-game win-less run in League One.
These sides drew 0-0 in the reverse fixture in August.
Keep refreshing this page for the latest updates from Fratton Park.
LIVE: Portsmouth v Doncaster Rovers
Full time: Pompey 4 Rovers 0
Goals: Hackett 56, Hirst 63, O’Brien 81, Raggett 90+5
Portsmouth: Bazunu, Carter, Raggett, Robertson, Harness, Thompson (Ogilvie 83), Jacobs (O’Brien 80), Hackett, Curtis, Walker (Tunnicliffe 67), Hirst. Subs: Webber, Hume, Romeo, Jewitt-White.
Rovers: Mitchell, Knoyle, Younger, Olowu, Jackson (Agard 70), Smith, Rowe, Gardner, Martin (Barlow 78), Dodoo (Odubeko 60), Griffiths, Subs: Jones, Williams, Clayton, Horton.
Referee: Tom Reeves
FULL TIME
A real game of two halves that one.
Rovers caused Portsmouth some problems in the first period but they barely got out of their half in the second.
They started the second half slowly and failed to muster any sort of response after going behind.
Pompey have won it 4-0 and they’ve hardly had to get out of second gear either. Hugely disappointing.
78: ROVERS SUBSTITUTION
Barlow on for Martin.
Rovers have looked disjointed following the two earlier changes.
63: GOAL POMPEY
Really poor header from Jackson allows Hirst to race clear and clip it past Mitchell.