Sam Hudson makes bizarre claim after Portsmouth Academy thrashed by Cheltenham
Sam Hudson made a strange claim about the Portsmouth Academy team after they were humiliated 6-0 by Cheltenham in the Youth Alliance League.
The Academy side suffered a thrashing at Copnor Road as the Young Blues suffered their 10th Youth Alliance League defeat of the season.
With the defeat to Cheltenham, Pompey Academy are 12th in the table on 28 points, level with Milton Keynes U18s and Cheltenham U18s.
After the 6-0 thrashing, the lead professional development phase head coach Hudson delved deeper into Pompey’s loss.
Hudson’s bizarre claim
The Portsmouth Academy kids had a day to forget as they conceded six goals for the first time this season.
Before their 6-0 defeat, the biggest loss was 5-3 to Exeter U18 as Hudson’s side ended up conceding five goals for the first time.
Portsmouth U18s will now face league leaders Luton Town on 5 April. With six games to go in the league, Pompey are heading for a mid-table finish in the Youth Alliance League.
Speaking to Portsmouth’s official website (30 March), Hudson spoke about the loss. He said: “We looked good up until conceding the first goal, pressing high up the pitch and ensuring the game was being played almost exclusively in the opposition half.
“We’ve had some good performances and results recently, so hopefully this was just an off day and it’s something we can get over quickly.”
To suggest Pompey “looked good” prior to conceding simply sounds bizarre on the back of such a heavy loss, although as Hudson says, hopefully it is just a minor stumbling block.
Joy for Portsmouth senior side as dejection for kids
While Pompey Academy were left shell-shocked over the weekend, Portsmouth’s senior side triumphed over Blackburn Rovers in the Championship.
| Opposition | Home/Away |
| Millwall | Away |
| Coventry City | Away |
| Derby County | Home |
| Norwich City | Away |
Josh Murphy scored the only goal at Fratton Park as John Mousinho’s side went seven points above the drop zone. With the win over Blackburn Rovers, Pompey are 17th in the table with 45 points and have taken a huge step in their quest for championship survival.
At one point, Portsmouth looked set for relegation as Mousinho’s side sat last in the table. However, the South Coast side managed to turn things around, winning five of their last eight Championship games.
Pompey now have two tricky away trips as they travel to Millwall and Coventry City in the upcoming weeks. While Championship football for next season is not yet guaranteed, Mousinho’s side have taken some important steps to ensure safety.
Pompey fans will be delighted if the team avoid relegation as at one point survival looked a bleak possibility.
Mousinho deserves credit for taking Portsmouth to the Championship and now helping them maintain their Championship status.