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Football

Portsmouth

vs Middlesbrough. Sky Bet Championship.

3: 00pm, Saturday 4th October 2025.

Fratton Park Attendance: Attendance20, 397.

Report and free match highlights from the Sky Bet Championship match between Portsmouth and Middlesbrough at Fratton Park on Saturday; Yang Min-Hyeok scores the only goal as Rob Edwards' Boro side are beaten for the first time this season. Saturday 4 October 2025 18: 27, UK Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Middlesbrough missed the chance to move back to the top of the Sky Bet Championship after their unbeaten start to the season was ended by a 1-0 defeat at Portsmouth. Boro needed a point to return to the summit following Coventry's 5-0 thrashing of Sheffield Wednesday earlier in the day. But South Korean winger Yang Min-hyeok's first-half strike was enough to earn Pompey a first win in five league games. The visitors dominated the early exchanges and Aidan Morris should have done better than lifting his shot over from the edge of the penalty area after good wing play from Tommy Conway. Hayden Hackney also saw his effort from midway inside the 18-yard box deflected over the crossbar. Pompey could have taken the lead against the run of play in the 19th minute when Yang broke down the left and cut his cross back for Conor Chaplin. Chaplin looked certain to score, only for Alfie Jones to produce a brilliant block to divert the ball behind for a corner.

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The hosts did break the deadlock after 23 minutes courtesy of Yang's second goal in the space of four days. Jordan Williams fired a right-wing cross to the far post which was met by Yang and the Tottenham loanee's half-volley squirmed through the gloves of Boro goalkeeper Sol Brynn. Morris looked to mount an immediate response from Rob Edwards' men but could only slice a 20-yard shot well wide of Josef Bursik's goal. Chaplin came close to doubling the hosts' lead seconds after half-time, cutting in from the right and unleashing a curling shot that sailed just past a post. Boro forward Sontje Hansen prodded a 52nd-minute effort wide after Matt Targett had cushioned a high ball from fellow wing-back Callum Brittain into his path. Morris sliced his shot wide after Conway's initial shot had spun into his path. Conway then saw a side-foot strike blocked by Williams and Brittain fired tamely into the arms of Bursik as Middlesbrough began to lay siege to the Pompey penalty area. Seven minutes from time, Targett so nearly picked out the bottom corner with a half-volley from substitute David Strelec's floated cross but the ball flashed agonisingly wide via a deflection. The Teessiders got a late equaliser along the south coast at Southampton last weekend to preserve their undefeated record, but found it hard-going to break through a stubborn Portsmouth defence. Morgan Whittaker's wayward long-range attempt in the final seconds of normal time summed up Boro's frustrations in front of more than 2, 000 travelling fans. Portsmouth's John Mousinho: "I thought it was a brilliant performance and two different halves. "We played very well in the first half and deserved the lead, and maybe could have got another one with a couple of chances that we created. "The second half was different and probably a lot more difficult. "We were a little bit too deep. It was difficult to get pressure on the ball without giving up too much in behind, so we had to defend in a different way. We did it very, very well. " Middlesbrough's Rob Edwards: "We showed a lot of puff and got into a lot of good areas, but the final product wasn't good enough. "It's all well and good having a lot more of the ball, but you've got to do something with it. One shot on target is not enough, ultimately. "They didn't have much either, but they did enough to win. Once they got the goal, the onus is not on them to come out and onto us. "We tried, and it wasn't through lack of effort and I saw a lot of good things, but the final little bit was lacking. Today is a frustrating day. The first defeat was going to happen at some stage. "Because we've made a good start we are building something. So today, we've got to take it on the chin and then continue to try and improve. " The £250, 000 is up for grabs with Super 6, and as always it is completely free to play. Entries by 3pm Saturday.

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