View: John Mousinho to be concerned as 0% Portsmouth star struggles on int’l duty
Portsmouth loanee Mark O’Mahony struggled to make an impression for the Republic of Ireland’s Under-21s on Friday (11 October).
O’Mahony is beginning to find his feet at Fratton Park after joining Pompey on loan from Premier League side Brighton.
The 19-year-old has started Portsmouth’s last three matches in the EFL Championship. O’Mahony has scored in each of his last two games for the club and Mousinho will be delighted by the progress the forward is making.
During the 1-1 draw with Oxford United at Fratton Park on Saturday (5 October), in addition to his goal, O’Mahony also completed 73 per cent of his passes, with one of those key, and missed another big chance (Sofascore).
His goal helped Pompey earn a much-needed point, and Mousinho will no doubt be hopeful that the youngster can continue his goalscoring form and fire the club to a first win of the season in the coming weeks.
It has been a difficult start to life back in England’s second tier. After nine games played, Portsmouth have drawn five times while losing on four occasions.
However, they’ve had a tough start, already playing each of the Championship’s current top five teams. With some more favourable fixtures on the horizon, there will be optimism that O’Mahony can continue to shine.
Therefore, the forward’s recent struggles at international level might have caused concern for Mousinho.
Portsmouth loanee Mark O’Mahony struggles for Republic of Ireland Under-21s
O’Mahony is one of the few Portsmouth stars currently representing their nation during the October international break. This is a clear sign of just how talented and important to Pompey the player is.
However, unbefitting with his recent form at club level, O’Mahony was unable to make an impact as the Republic of Ireland’s Under-21s drew 1-1 with Norway’s Under-21s at Turners Cross on Friday (11 October) in a qualifier for the UEFA Under-21 European Championship.
Having become accustomed to starts in recent weeks, O’Mahony had to settle for a place on the bench. His involvement at all would have been a boost after a recent injury scare.
However, when he did come on, the 19-year-old did very little to impress.
With 13 minutes of normal time to play and the Republic of Ireland’s Under-21s having just taken the lead, O’Mahony was introduced.
However, he struggled, managing just seven touches of the ball and completing zero per cent of his passes, only attempting two overall.
He did chip in defensively, winning two of his three ground duels and one aerial duel, but he also gave the ball away four times and committed one foul.
Norway would go on to score a last-gasp equaliser, marking a miserable time on the pitch for O’Mahony.
After flying high in recent weeks, this underwhelming cameo for his country could derail the player’s form and confidence.
As a result, Mousinho will no doubt be concerned.
In other Portsmouth news, Steve Claridge has hailed the “unbelievable” thing Mousinho has done at the club.
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