‘Leeds should’ve had penalty v Portsmouth’ after first-half incident
Leeds United should have been awarded a penalty during the first-half of their Championship clash with Portsmouth, according to Lucy Ward.
Heading into their clash with Leeds on Sunday 9 March, Portsmouth held a seven-point cushion between themselves and the relegation zone, which they were looking to extend with a somewhat unlikely win over the Whites.
Meanwhile, Daniel Farke’s travelling Leeds side were aiming to extend their lead at the top of the Championship table, and the pressure was heaped on them when second place Sheffield United went level on points with them via a 1-0 draw over Preston on Saturday.
Leeds should have been awarded a penalty against Portsmouth according to Ward
Last time Pompey met Leeds, the two sides played out an entertaining 3-3 draw at Elland Road, courtesy of an Elias Sorensen goal followed by a brace from currently injured star man Callum Lang.
John Mousinho’s men would love to frustrate Leeds in a similar manner on Sunday 9 March, or even pick up all three points.
| Portsmouth’s last four results | Championship |
| Cardiff (H) | 2-1 W |
| Oxford (A) | 0-2 W |
| QPR (H) | 2-1 W |
| Luton (A) | 0-1 L |
The match already had its first moment of controversy during the early proceedings of the first 45 minutes, when Matt Ritchie appeared to chop Leeds ace Dan James down in the penalty area.
Ward said on ITV: “I’ve seen it a few times now and I think that should have been a penalty.”
Portsmouth should be relatively pleased with their first-half performance vs Leeds
Portsmouth’s clash with Leeds presents a challenging affair for Mousinho and co, as they look to keep the highest scoring team in the Championship at bay.
Prior to their trip to Fratton Park, Farke’s side had scored a whopping 72 goals in just 36 games, and recently fired themselves to victories over direct promotion rivals Sheffield United and Sunderland.
Therefore, Pompey should be relatively content with the fact that they kept their clean sheet intact during the first half of their meeting with the Championship’s league leaders.
They have given themselves a solid platform to build on, and will be hopeful that they can create an opportunity to score during the second half.
Meanwhile, come the end of the match, Portsmouth may even be grateful for the stroke of luck they were handed when Leeds were not awarded a penalty despite the fact that Ritchie appeared to foul Leeds ace James in the area.