Portsmouth Vs Hull City: Matt Crooks’ Deflected Winner Hands Tigers Narrow Victory

In a match dominated by one side for long periods, portsmouth vs hull city ended 0-1 after Matt Crooks capitalised on a defensive mix-up to score the only goal, a result that keeps Hull City's automatic-promotion bid alive and leaves Portsmouth frustrated by wasted chances.

Portsmouth Vs Hull City — Match-turning moments

Hull's victory arrived after a sequence of errors in their own box. Adrian Segecic made a short back pass that put Pompey keeper Nicolas Schmid under immediate pressure; Schmid could only scramble the ball clear to a waiting Matt Crooks, who connected to finish into an empty net. Other match coverage described the goal as a smash-and-grab and as a tap-in gifted by a double Segecic error, with Crooks’ strike recorded as his fourth goal of the season.

First-half dominance and unanswered pressure from Portsmouth

Pompey overwhelmingly controlled the early period. One account noted Portsmouth had 15 attempts on goal in the first half and that Hull keeper Ivor Pandur was kept busy. Another account recorded Pompey with 69% of possession in the first half and that they produced 14 of the other shots during that period. The visitors’ only clear early chance came when Oli McBurnie’s effort was ruled out for offside after a Joe Gelhardt shot was saved following a Lewis Koumas run down the left.

The decisive error and Crooks’ clinical finish

The goal stemmed from repeated short passes under pressure. Segecic had earlier been fortunate to escape when a short pass broke down; he then repeated the error inside his own penalty area. Nicolas Schmid managed to get a touch away from the diving McBurnie but only as far as Crooks, who lashed the ball home. The sequence was described in coverage as involving a miscontrol followed by a short backpass that allowed McBurnie to close down the keeper and the ball to pop up for Crooks’ fourth of the campaign.

Key moments, chances and goalkeeper intervention

• Early openings: Lewis Koumas fed Joe Gelhardt whose effort was saved; McBurnie’s rebound was ruled offside.
• Shots and saves: Zak Swanson fired from distance and was denied by Pandur; Terry Devlin’s long-range effort produced an unconvincing save and the Croatian keeper Ivor Pandur was described as fumbling that attempt.
• Box action: An Adrian Segecic corner led to pinball and Regan Poole’s improvised close-range effort was smartly stopped by Pandur.
• Second half chances: Colby Bishop failed to convert from close range after a set-piece; Millenic Alli’s low shot was blocked; John Egan’s header looped over his own keeper and went agonisingly wide.
• Stat lines in match coverage: one figure showed Portsmouth finished with 21 shots overall while Hull had two; separate match detail recorded Pompey with 69% possession in the first half.

Standings implication and streaks

The win helps Hull continue their automatic-promotion push. One account stated the Tigers are now just three points behind second-placed Middlesbrough, and another noted the victory kept pressure on the top two in the promotion race. The result also made it five away wins in a row for Hull, equalling a run last achieved in 1966, while the Tigers managed the win despite having only two shots overall in the match. For Portsmouth, the defeat left them in 19th place, five points clear of the relegation zone, and marked consecutive home losses for Pompey for just the third time since their return to the second tier.

Manager reaction, crowd feeling and what's next

Pompey head coach John Mousinho expressed strong frustration, saying he was very disappointed with the result. He noted his side controlled most of the game, highlighted Pompey’s 21 shots compared with Hull’s two, and described the manner of the goal as unacceptable, adding that his team had effectively shot themselves in the foot. Fans and the manager were left reflecting on another frustrating home defeat.

Immediate fixtures and incoming tests

Hull now face a potentially pivotal week in which they travel to play promotion rivals Ipswich Town and Millwall. The match at Fratton Park was also framed in coverage as the ground where Hull confirmed their Championship status on the final day of the previous season, and the Tigers arrived having recently beaten Derby on Tuesday, a momentum they tried to extend but ultimately did so only narrowly.

Despite heavy pressure in the closing stages and a late barrage of shots, Portsmouth could not find a leveller and the narrow scoreline stood, leaving the home side to rue their wastefulness and Hull to celebrate a clinical, if unconvincing, road victory.