Luke Le Roux excellent as 4/10 teammate struggles – Portsmouth player ratings vs Reading
Portsmouth bowed out of the Carabao Cup in the first round as they were beaten 2-0 by Reading at Fratton Park.
John Mousinho’s side toiled away but were unable to overturn the visitors’ first-half lead, despite a late consolation goal from youngster Olutayo Singerr.
Adrian Segecic got Portsmouth’s season off to a strong start last weekend as they won away at Oxford United, but goals from Andre Garcia and Kelvin Ehibhatiomhan condemned them to defeat on Tuesday night.
Pompey turned out a heavily rotated side from their Championship opener, and with that in mind, Pompey News rates the performances of every player in a blue shirt.
Le Roux the standout in Portsmouth defeat
Luke Le Roux’s arrival at Portsmouth has sparked plenty of intrigue, and he showed glimpses of real quality in the cup defeat.
The South African turned in a promising performance in his first competitive outing in English football, and he was the pick of the bunch from a Pompey perspective in his 70-minute cameo.
The 25-year-old looked composed and adept with the ball at his feet, and looks like the sort of player who could be capable of running games in the second tier.
He read the play well and also showcased a combative element, with the early signs suggesting that he will be a very useful addition to Mousinho’s midfield.
It wasn’t a great night for Pompey in general, but Le Roux was impressive and worthy of a 7/10 rating.
Matthews struggles on competitive return
Hayden Matthews’ return to action has been highly anticipated, but the Australian had a difficult night on his first competitive outing since 22 February.
The centre-back missed his header on Reading’s second goal, allowing Ehibhatiomhan to race through and beat Killip in the one-on-one.
The 21-year-old has had a lengthy injury lay-off, and he certainly showed signs of rustiness in the defeat.
There are big hopes for the Matthews at Fratton Park, but his performance on Tuesday night was certainly one that he will want to forget, and worthy of little more than a 4/10 rating.
Portsmouth player ratings vs Reading
Ben Kilip – 5
Zak Swanson – 5
Hayden Matthews – 4
Ibane Bowat – 5
Jacob Farrell – 6
Mark Kosznovszky – 6
John Swift – 6
Terry Devlin – 6
Luke Le Roux – 7
Yang Min-hyeok – 5
Thomas Waddingham – 6
Substitutes
Andre Dozzell – 6
Florian Bianchini – 5
Regan Poole – 6
Adrian Segecic – 7
Olutayo Singerr – 7
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