Article body analysed
Football
Portsmouth
vs Norwich City. Sky Bet Championship.
12: 30pm, Saturday 16th August 2025.
Fratton Park Attendance: Attendance20, 382.
Report and free match highlights from the Sky Bet Championship match between Portsmouth and Norwich City at Fratton Park on Saturday; Canaries claim first points under new boss Liam Manning as Josh Sargent nets in victory. Saturday 16 August 2025 16: 01, UK Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Liam Manning secured his first Championship win in charge of Norwich with a 2-1 victory at Portsmouth thanks to first-half goals from Harry Darling and Josh Sargent. Adrian Segecic scored a late consolation for Pompey, who also missed a penalty through Colby Bishop. Manning's dream return to manage his boyhood club did not go as planned on the opening day, with the Canaries losing at home to Millwall. But with 11 new faces arriving at Carrow Road this summer, hopes remain high for a play-off push after a disappointing campaign last season. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player There was optimism at Fratton Park also, with Pompey winning their first fixture at Oxford, while they were also buoyed by the return from injury of former Norwich winger Josh Murphy. But John Mousinho's side got off to the worst possible start when Darling headed in his first goal for Norwich unmarked from Marcelino Nunez's free-kick in the sixth minute. Another defensive slip just a minute later let in Josh Sargent to score but this time Nicolas Schmid saved well with his knee.
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Pompey responded well and forced a string of corners and were denied an equaliser when Vladan Kovacevic saved brilliantly from Regan Poole after the ball had been flicked to him at the far post. But again they were undone by their own defensive frailties when Norwich scored from another set-piece. This time Darling was the provider, his long throw-in flicked on by Jose Cordoba to the far post where Sargent stole in to nod home. That is how it stayed until half-time, though Norwich's impressive Chilean midfielder Nunez sustained an ankle injury late in the half and limped off just a few minutes after the break. Mousinho waited until just before the hour mark to make his first change with Callum Lang being replaced by Florian Bianchini and they soon came close to pulling a goal back when Segecic saw his first shot turned over by Kovacevic. The game seemed to be petering out when Pompey earned a penalty after Kellen Fisher brought down Bianchini on the left of the area. Kovacevic guessed correctly against Bishop and saved brilliantly to his left. New Australian forward Segecic did give the hosts late hope as he fired a brilliant low show into the corner six minutes from time. Norwich had to survive 10 minutes of added time, during which they appealed for another penalty when Connor Ogilvie went down under Jacob Wright's challenge. Instead the referee booked the Portsmouth defender for simulation. Norwich survived a final scare when John Swift hit the bar with a controlled volley before the whistle went. Portsmouth's John Mousinho: "I thought we just apologetically defended the first goal, allowing Harry Darling to have a free header. It doesn't matter what level you play at, that's not good. "We've ended the game scratching our heads wondering how we didn't get the equaliser. " Norwich's Liam Manning on future of Josh Sargent: "I'm hoping Ben (Knapper - director of football) turns his phone off so we don't get any calls, " he joked. "Sarge role models everything you want. He's a top person, a top professional. You see his work rate and how he leads by example. He's top class. "It's a really tough place to come, you only have to look at the results here last year. We knew that and we showed a real fighting spirit. " 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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