Jay Sadler ‘immensely proud’ of Portsmouth Women debutant after high-pressure performance
Portsmouth Women fell to a 2-0 defeat at the hands of Brighton in the Women’s League Cup on Wednesday.
First-half goals from Carla Camacho and Marisa Olislagers were enough to ensure the Women’s Super League prevailed in this cup tie.
It was always going to be difficult for Portsmouth Women to compete against a team that plays one division higher than them, but they were much better in the second half.
Manager Jay Sadler praised his Portsmouth team for their efforts against a superior side, and was keen to single out one debutant for her fantastic performance throughout the match.
Comfort Erhabor praised for debut performance in difficult circumstances
Goalkeeper Comfort Erhabor was finally handed her Portsmouth Women debut after a long wait.
Erhabor signed for Portsmouth Women on loan in January before making her move permanent over the summer.
She made her first start in place of Jess Gray and helped keep the score down with a string of smart saves.
Erhabor would have been desperate to perform well against Brighton, who released her this summer, allowing to join Portsmouth on a free transfer.
And Sadler was keen to recognise that in his post-match interview.
He said: “There was a lot of pressure on her today because obviously it’s her former club that let her go. It meant a lot to her, and I’m immensely proud of her and the work she’s put in since coming in in January.”
“Now, she’s competing well with Jess Gray. She had her moment today and she took it and fair play to her.”
Erhabor debut may give Portsmouth Women manager a selection headache
It’s common for goalkeepers to suggest that they’d prefer not to be busy during their games.
However, Erhabor was kept on her toes throughout this match against Brighton, as the WSL team peppered Portsmouth’s goal with shots.
That might play to Erhabor’s advantage in the long run though. She dealt with most of Brighton’s efforts admirably and couldn’t be blamed for either of their goals.
| Date | Competition | Opponent |
| 5 October | Women’s Championship | Nottingham Forest (A) |
| 8 October | Women’s League Cup | Southampton (A) |
| 12 October | Women’s Championship | Southampton (H) |
| 19 October | Women’s League Cup | Charlton Athletic (A) |
Her performance may give Sadder a selection headache for Portsmouth’s upcoming games. It’s a good problem for a manager to have though. Both Gray and Erhabor can be trusted to be a steady presence between the sticks for Portsmouth.
Portsmouth have League Cup fixtures against Southampton and Charlton coming up in October. They also face Nottingham Forest and Southampton in their Women’s Championship, as the games start to arrive thick and fast.
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