Marlon Pack vital in Portsmouth win after John Mousinho admission
Marlon Pack may be overlooked after his appearance for the final quarter of a crucial win for Portsmouth over Cardiff City.
The captain replaced Isaac Hayden midway through the second half with the contest ever so slightly tilted Pompey’s way against the side he departed for his homecoming in 2022.
It was an unglamorous game, in which the best of the action was ploughed through in the opening 17 minutes as Colby Bishop and Conor Shaughnessy were both set up by another former Bluebird, Josh Murphy, to race the Blues into a two-goal lead.
After Callum O’Dowda rose highest to make it 2-1 at the Fratton End and give Cardiff hope, the quality largely ebbed from the encounter and with Pompey needing to calm things down, who better than their experienced skipper?
Marlon Pack is an assured midfielder – but never a defender
John Mousinho recently admitted Pack’s defensive episode – which lasted for a series of games as he filled in at centre-half ahead of natural defenders – was over.
That will, I must say, come as a relief to most of Pack’s fellow Portsmouth locals, who felt nervous every time he was faced with a rapid Championship striker or the Blues were overrun on the attack.
Pack is a midfielder, and still an excellent one at that. When he came on to replace Hayden, he was entering the fray at the hub of the midfield and completely cancelled out what Cardiff tried to offer through the middle of the pitch.
After he was introduced, the visitors had but one chance – Callum Robinson firing a volley straight at Nicolas Schmid. Pompey played on the break, and Pack himself nearly scored after one particular move in which Cardiff kept out four separate shots which would have made it 3-1.
He got forward when he could, but remained disciplined when other players were perhaps losing that sturdiness. He demonstrated his importance to this Pompey squad. The local boy from Buckland still has his role.
Portsmouth still have a massive mission
Portsmouth have plenty still to do in their mission to achieve Championship survival, but that was one heck of a huge win.
The three points against the side directly above them not only move the Blues above Cardiff, but also avenge the defeat earlier this term in South Wales in which a tame Pompey barely laid a glove on their opponents.
Players like Murphy are going to be Portsmouth match-winners this season, and the defenders are doing a better job of contributing, too. The squad has been shaped up in the transfer window, and Mousinho must feel a new-found confidence in what he has available to him.
Heading to fellow promoted side Oxford United on Saturday (15 February), Portsmouth are under pressure to sort out their away form, and quickly – they have won only once on their travels in 2024-25, a 2-1 win at QPR in October.
Another concern is that of Shaughnessy, who was taken off and replaced by Hayden Matthews on the hour mark having scored what turned out to be the winner.
With the Irishman’s injury woes so far this season, hearts are in mouths until further information is available on his condition.