Wrexham Vs Portsmouth: Sam Smith and Max Cleworth Steer Red Dragons to 2-1 Win as Pompey Rally

Wrexham Vs Portsmouth produced a 2-1 result that leaves plenty to unpack: Wrexham secured a hard-fought victory while Portsmouth dominated the second half but ultimately fell short, and Pompey lost John Swift to a hamstring injury even as Conor Chaplin is fit again. The outcome matters for both clubs' immediate momentum and for Portsmouth's run of challenging fixtures.

Wrexham Vs Portsmouth — match snapshot

Wrexham held on for a 2-1 win at the Racecourse Ground, also referenced as Stok Cae Ras. Sam Smith and Max Cleworth headed Wrexham into a first-half lead; Portsmouth pulled one back through Zak Swanson early in the second half but could not find an equaliser despite sustained pressure. The result continued Wrexham's push for a fourth successive promotion and followed a recent frenetic 5-3 victory over Ipswich that moved them back into the play-off places. An FA Cup tie against Chelsea is also scheduled for Wrexham.

How the goals unfolded

• Early chance: George Dobson fired wide in the first minute, while Josh Windass later dragged a shot wide.
• Opening goal: Sam Smith opened the scoring after 23 minutes, heading powerfully from a Callum Doyle cross.
• Second for Wrexham: From the resulting corner, Max Cleworth rose to turn in another cross from George Dobson and double the lead.
• Pompey reply: Zak Swanson curled an effort wide before the break, then pulled one back in the 49th minute by latching onto a Regan Poole pass and beating Arthur Okonkwo with a shot that took a deflection off Callum Doyle.
• Late Wrexham chances: Oliver Rathbone hit a post and George Thomason tested goalkeeper Nicolas Schmid as Wrexham saw the game out.

Pompey's second-half response and Mousinho's assessment

Portsmouth boss John Mousinho praised his side's excellent second-half performance despite the 2-1 loss at Wrexham. He framed the contest as "a game of two halves, " saying Portsmouth completely dominated after the break. Mousinho expressed real disappointment with the first goal and described the second as a set-piece stemming from a foul, while also saying the officiating had been poor that night. He argued Portsmouth gave themselves a mountain to climb but were superb in the second half.

Mousinho noted the team had come off a third away game on the spin and had faced a side that had been running riot at home. He suggested that if the score had been 1-0 at half-time the outcome might have been different, praised the side for finishing strongly and looking fit, and urged more belief on the ball. He concluded there has been a lot of improvement and that Portsmouth made their opponents look very ordinary in the second half.

Key squad and performance issues for Portsmouth

The defeat has been described by some as "one game too far" for Portsmouth; in other respects it was a match that got away. Pompey were dominant for much of the second half but struggled to carve Wrexham open earlier. They paid for a very poor second quarter and once again failed to defend a near post corner. Losing John Swift to a hamstring injury is a blow, though it comes at a time when Conor Chaplin is fit again. This run of games was always likely to challenge Portsmouth's thin squad. Earlier, at Millwall, Portsmouth had put in a full 90-minute performance that they were unable to replicate at Wrexham. The team still lacks a cutting edge at times, but overall remains in a decent place. The bottom of the table was described as fairly chaotic and capable of quick change, and there is a belief that if Portsmouth keep playing as they have been they should survive.

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Match details and squad conditions in this article are drawn from coverage of the fixture and team reaction. Unclear in the provided context: exact match date and kickoff time, and the identity of some players referenced in brief passages of the coverage where names appear without further detail. These specifics were not supplied in the provided context.