Keith Hackett blasts Sheffield Wednesday star over controversy vs Portsmouth
Portsmouth suffered a humiliating 2-0 defeat to Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday at Fratton Park.
After Portsmouth showed so much promise earlier this campaign, few put in a decent display against the Owls.
A struggling Sheffield Wednesday side were comfortable throughout and came away with a deserved victory.
However, their victory at Fratton Park did not come without its controversy.
Pompey News presents the exclusive opinion of former Premier League and FIFA-listed referee Keith Hackett.
Keith Hackett: George Brown lacked sportsmanship vs Portsmouth
One of the most concerning parts of the match came via Wednesday’s second goal.
Conor Shaughnessy, who has torn his hamstring for Portsmouth, pulled up in a race for the ball.
However, instead of George Brown kicking the ball out of play due to the injury, the Owls player ran through and guided it into the back of the net.
Keith Hackett, speaking exclusively to Pompey News, was appalled by these scenes, believing more sportsmanship was needed.
He said: “It is evident that the Portsmouth player had sustained an injury, and frankly, I would have liked to see an act of Sportsmanship from the Wednesday player by kicking the ball out of play.
“Sportsmanship’s a rare commodity in the modern game.”
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Portsmouth got what they deserved vs Sheffield Wednesday
While many might be annoyed with the manner in which the Owls beat Pompey, it was nothing less than they deserved for their performance.
Even if Brown had put the ball out of play, it would have likely meant little, with Portsmouth showing few signs of scoring throughout.
In fact, their goalkeeper, Ethan Horvath, had little to do throughout, with many of Pompey’s shots being well off target.
Now, the challenge for John Mousinho is to ensure that the defeat was an anomaly rather than a trend-setter.
If so, there is no reason why Portsmouth cannot continue to fight for the playoffs this season.
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