Neil Warnock sends message to Portsmouth fans after League One title victory
Neil Warnock has congratulated Portsmouth for winning the League One title and believes that Pompey’s fans “deserve so much credit” for sticking with the club through tough times and helping them bounce back.
Portsmouth clinched the third-tier crown with a 3-2 victory over Barnsley at Fratton Park on 16 April, sealing their return to the Championship after 12 years in the process.
And Warnock revealed his delight at seeing Portsmouth’s success, pointing to the supporters as a significant factor in that.
The 75-year-old posted on his personal X account [17 April]: “Congratulations Pompey and all the fans for the League One title [on Tuesday] night!
“So pleased for a great club that has seen tough times in recent years and fought back strong. The fans deserve so much credit for that.
“Look forward to seeing you in June at the Guild Hall.”
Portsmouth fans roar their club back to the Championship
In Pompey’s decisive game against Barnsley, it looked as though their Yorkshire visitors were set to spoil the Fratton Park party.
They took the lead through Devante Cole after just six minutes, but Kusini Yengi equalised just three minutes later.
John McAtee’s strike just before the hour mark saw Barnsley pull ahead for much longer than that, though, until Pompey top scorer Colby Bishop came off the bench to score an equalising penalty that would have ensured automatic promotion.
Portsmouth were not done there, though. Roared on by a raucous home crowd, central defender Conor Shaughnessy found a late winner with just one minute of normal time remaining that turned the promotion celebrations into title ones.
John Mousinho’s men have produced a stellar record in League One this season, losing only four times in 44 games. The manager and players deserve plenty of credit for their performances – but it would not have been possible without the support of their fans, either.
In other Portsmouth news, Robbie Earnshaw compared Will Norris to Peter Schmeichel against Barnsley.
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