Mousinho spot on with new admission after Portsmouth win v Zwolle
Portsmouth ended their pre-season campaign in the best possible way as they beat Dutch side PEC Zwolle.
A last-minute winner from Thomas Waddingham handed Pompey an impressive 1-0 victory, ahead of the Championship season’s restart next week.
Portsmouth have had a productive pre-season, and will now hope to head into the new season full of confidence following their win over a top-flight side.
John Mousinho kept Portsmouth comfortably up last season, but is well aware of the challenge that lies ahead.
Mousinho calls for focus after Portsmouth win
Portsmouth are in good shape ahead of the Championship campaign, but Mousinho is refusing to get carried away after winning their final friendly.
Pompey will start their league season with an away trip to Oxford United, and any positive feeling from the Zwolle victory will quickly be forgotten if they fall to a defeat.
| Opposition | Home/Away |
| Oxford United | Away |
| Reading (Carabao Cup) | Home |
| Norwich City | Home |
Speaking to club media after the Zwolle friendly, Mousinho claimed that the full focus will be on the Oxford clash, despite the win at Fratton Park.
- Portsmouth have two away trips in their opening three Championship games in the upcoming season.
“We’ll have to look back on the things we could have done better in the first half, while trying to build on what we did so well in the second,” he stated of the game.
“I’m encouraged by what I’ve seen from us in pre-season, while also not getting carried away by games where there are no points available.
“It’s nice to play well and win, but we’re ultimately going to be judged on what happens at this time next week.”
Mousinho right to call for focus
Mousinho has taken Portsmouth to a higher position in the football pyramid than they have managed for over a decade, but he will not rest on his laurels.
Pompey secured survival with a 16th-place finish in the Championship last season, and they will hope to build on that to finish higher up with some new signings coming in.
The presence of Mousinho has attracted players such as Adrian Segecic to join Portsmouth, and the 39-year-old’s work at Fratton Park has not gone unnoticed.
A fast start for Portsmouth to kick off the season will set them up nicely for the campaign, but an opening day defeat could kill the optimism around the club right now.
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