Chris Foy reacts to Portsmouth and Preston controversy on Sky Sports
Preston North End’s opening goal against Portsmouth has gone under the microscope after their 2-1 win over John Mousinho’s side.
Pompey suffered a late defeat at Deepdale in their last Championship game before the international break, conceding to Stefan Teitur Pordarson in the 87th minute, after Colby Bishop had equalised.
Preston’s opener, however, was mired in controversy after Ryan Porteous arrived at the back post to volley home from close range, appearing to have done so from a potentially offside position.
Porteous’ opener kickstarted a final 15 minutes with plenty of talking points, as the hosts were reduced to 10 men following Sam Greenwood’s red card for a late elbow on Bishop.
Terry Devlin singled out after Preston v Portsmouth incident
Portsmouth suffering a third defeat in their last four games may not have happened had Porteous’ goal been ruled out, with both the scorer and his assister, Ched Evans, potentially being in offside positions.
However, the lineman’s flag stayed down and the goal therefore stood, and speaking on Sky Sports’ Behind the Whistle (20 March), ex-Premier League referee Chris Foy stated this was the correct call.
| Preston NE | Statistic | Portsmouth |
| 2 | Goals | 1 |
| 2.51 | xG | 0.58 |
| 6 / 14 | Shots on Target | 2 / 9 |
| 54% | Possession | 46% |
| 6 | Corners | 5 |
Foy said: “This is good officiating from the assistant referee here, as he correctly identifies that there is no offside for Preston North End across multiple phases of this attacking free-kick.
“When the ball is headed across the box, there is a potential offside situation. However, the replay clearly shows that Portsmouth’s Terry Devlin keeps the Preston player, who wins the header, in an onside position.
“The ball then finds its way to the back post, where it initially appears as though Preston’s goalscorer might be offside.
“However, a side-on angle, level with the 18-yard box, confirms the decision is spot on, with [Regan Poole] being the deepest defender. The flag stays down, and the goal rightly stands.”
Mousinho must turn things around after Preston controversy
Preston’s opening goal being awarded at the time and retrospectively given the green light, leaves Pompey with no valid complaints, and therefore a deserved defeat heading into the international break.
Suffering three defeats from four is a far cry from the form Mousinho’s side showed throughout mid-to-late February, winning three games on the spin to pull clear of the Championship relegation zone.
The high watermark of this run, a deserved 1-0 victory over league leaders Leeds United, lifted the Blues to 17th and gave them a 10-point buffer to the relegation places – certainly a healthy cushion to have.
However, that gap now stands at just four points and five places respectively, and if Pompey are to seal their Championship status for next season, a fast start to their final eight matches is absolutely needed.