Fratton Park, the long-term home of Portsmouth
Fratton Park, the long-term home of Portsmouth
Match

Portsmouth U18 side lose third game in a row as defensive frailties rued

Dan Godfrey
Dan Godfrey

Dan is a sports writer and broadcaster, who wrote for Breaking Media Limited's club sites including Pompey News between May 2024 and May 2025. Graduating from the University of Huddersfield in 2018 with First Class Honours in Sports Journalism, Dan has worked with several EFL clubs, as well as with BBC Radio, talkSPORT and TNT Sports. He previously resided in Sydney, Australia, where he continued his career as a freelancer in various sports. Dan was born and raised in Portsmouth, comes from a Pompey-supporting family, and was in attendance at both of the club's FA Cup finals in 2008 and 2010.

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Portsmouth Under-18s have endured a tough start to the Youth Alliance League season, losing their first three fixtures.

Defeat to Sutton United at the weekend made it three straight matches losing by a single goal, which also occurred in their PDL Cup group stage opener against Bournemouth last Tuesday.

Nine first-years are currently being blooded into the side, some of whom had featured towards the end of last season aged just 15.

Having bedded in several of the club's new scholar intake, coach Sam Hudson told the club's official website [1 September]: "Too many of our attacks petered out, and it was another disappointing result for us at the start of the season.

"It’s becoming a bit of a trend when other sides are having a high conversion rate against us and not needing many chances to score.

"That’s something we need to sort out in order to give ourselves a better platform to succeed at the other end of the pitch."

Portsmouth youngsters suffer difficult start

A glance at the early Youth Alliance League table - which sees Pompey third from bottom of a 19-time southern division - makes for grim reading, but the reality is the team have been on the unfortunate end of fine margins.

Results will come, but it is tricky for Hudson and his young charges who are attempting to step up to the level.

However, there comes an element of added pressure by the fact that when you look at the size of the clubs in Pompey's youth division, they are arguably the most established outfit, historically speaking.

Fratton Park, Portsmouth
Fratton Park, home of Portsmouth

Another sizeable club and academy for the level, Plymouth Argyle, have also made a zero-point start to the season so far, and questions have to be asked about investment into these clubs' academies.

Hopefully there comes a turning point which allows these players to continue to develop into a professional contract with the Blues.

In other Portsmouth news, Marlon Pack shares what the team were guilty of in the Sunderland defeat.

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Sam Hudson
Portsmouth Academy
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