John Mousinho reveals why he brought off Mark O’Mahony in Portsmouth v Oxford United
John Mousinho revealed Mark O’Mahony was feeling an issue in his groin that forced him off as a precaution for Portsmouth against Oxford United.
The teenage striker made it two in two as he scored the opener at Fratton Park, which was cancelled out by Louie Sibley’s equaliser to ultimately deny Pompey a first Championship win of the season.
As the Blues pursued a winner, O’Mahony was withdrawn for Harvey Blair in the 79th minute, baffling sections of the home crowd.
Mousinho later admitted he did not want to make the change, confirming to The News [6 October]: “Mark tired towards the end of the game, he slightly felt his groin as well, so we needed to bring him off.
“I didn’t want to, but it was something which was flagged at half-time. We kept him on a bit longer than we would probably have liked.”
Mark O’Mahony making his name at Portsmouth
The determination and tenacity of O’Mahony – not to mention his ability to physically handle himself in the rigours of the Championship – make it easy to forget he is still just 19.
The Irish youth international chose a move to Fratton Park over a clutch of league rivals when he arrived from along the coast in Brighton, for whom he netted his first senior goal the night before his August loan transfer.
In the past two games, he has been a source of goals that the club desperately need, with Elias Sorensen given a chance against Oxford only to find himself denied from the penalty spot inside the first four minutes.
O’Mahony subsequently doubled Sorensen’s scoring tally for the season, but the second-bottom Blues need a far more clinical overall output than nine goals in as many games.
Five of those nine came away at Leeds United and Middlesbrough within the first fortnight of the campaign, so goal threats like O’Mahony have to be wrapped in cotton wool – it gives Mousinho’s enforced call a lot of context.
In other Portsmouth news, Nicolas Schmid reflects on his feelings to make his Pompey debut.
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