(Credit: Imago / Portsmouth FC on X)
(Credit: Imago / Portsmouth FC on X)
Match

Connor Ogilvie stuns Portsmouth fans after Blackburn win - 'What a turnaround'

Dan Godfrey
Dan Godfrey

Dan is a sports writer and broadcaster, who wrote for Breaking Media Limited's club sites including Pompey News between May 2024 and May 2025. Graduating from the University of Huddersfield in 2018 with First Class Honours in Sports Journalism, Dan has worked with several EFL clubs, as well as with BBC Radio, talkSPORT and TNT Sports. He previously resided in Sydney, Australia, where he continued his career as a freelancer in various sports. Dan was born and raised in Portsmouth, comes from a Pompey-supporting family, and was in attendance at both of the club's FA Cup finals in 2008 and 2010.

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Portsmouth managed to get over the line and return to winning ways on Saturday with a determined 1-0 victory over Blackburn Rovers.

Pompey were resolute to keep the clean sheet against a Blackburn side whose play-off challenge is diminishing - but crucially, so is the Blues' emergency peer over their shoulders towards the Championship drop zone.

The gap between John Mousinho's men and the relegation places has been restored to seven points, a much more comfortable cushion than the four points over the international break.

Connor Ogilvie
Connor Ogilvie has been showered in praise by Portsmouth fans (Credit: Imago)

Connor Ogilvie 'best in league', 'proved me wrong'

Ogilvie was again deployed in a more central role in the backline by Mousinho for the return to Championship action, and he put in an exemplary performance.

Not content with just his part in a clean sheet, Ogilvie also played a major part in the decisive moment going forward, playing a ball from the left side into Josh Murphy, who then exchanged passes with Colby Bishop and stroked home a wonderful finish inside 20 minutes.

Ogilvie's first season in the Championship has been far from plain sailing, but his improvement from the sluggish early months to now has been staggering.

The 28-year-old's rise has been recognised across the Portsmouth support base, who have taken to social media to air their views after he was captured taking the acclaim of the Fratton End at the final whistle (Portsmouth FC on X, 29 March).

Mousinho has kept faith with Ogilvie through the tough times (Credit: Imago)
Mousinho has kept faith with Ogilvie through the tough times (Credit: Imago)

Portsmouth would be riddled with nerves without Fratton Park win

Given the impressive home record of Portsmouth this season - and struggles on the road - it was absolutely integral that they beat Blackburn on Saturday.

It was far from a glamorous clash, but Murphy's goal and the robust defensive display proved enough, and crucially so, as Pompey's next two fixtures are away from Fratton Park.

Millwall at The Den (5 April) and Coventry City at the CBS Arena (9 April) represent a significant double challenge for Mousinho's Blue Army.

Portsmouth - next three fixturesDate
Millwall (A)5 April
Coventry (A)9 April
Derby (H)12 April
Pompey prepare to set off on the road twice

Afterwards comes the visit of Derby County to Fratton, which, if matters go south in the next two for Pompey, could turn out to be huge in the context of the campaign.

Blues fans would certainly be wracked with nerves had they dropped points against Valerien Ismael's Rovers, but are now seven points clear of the drop and can enjoy a sigh of relief.

Connor Ogilvie
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