Portsmouth 2-1 Middlesbrough: Matt Ritchie double steers Pompey to vital comeback win

Report and free match highlights from the Sky Bet Championship match between Portsmouth and Middlesbrough at Fratton Park on Saturday; Matt Ritchie scores double as Pompey earn vital comeback victory.

Saturday 18 January 2025 21:29, UK

Matt Ritchie scored his first two Fratton Park goals as a Portsmouth player as his side came from behind to beat Middlesbrough 2-1.

Emmanuel Latte Lath, who has been linked with a move to MLS club Atlanta United, opened the scoring for the visitors with a cool finish.

However, Ritchie turned the match on its head with a second-half brace to give Pompey a fifth home win in six, although it was not enough to lift them out of the relegation zone.

The match was played against a sombre backdrop after a spectator in the home end required medical attention three seconds after referee Gavin Ward had initially started proceedings.

Portsmouth later announced the supporter had died, despite the efforts of the emergency services.

When play got under way 35 minutes later, Middlesbrough started strongly as Latte Lath forced home goalkeeper Nicolas Schmid into a diving save with a drilled shot from the edge of the area.

Pompey soon hit their stride as Freddie Potts curled wide before Callum Lang found himself unmarked seven yards out, but he could only direct his header straight at Tom Glover.

Glover then got away with a wayward pass as Josh Murphy failed to get a shot away before Potts dragged wide.

Just as the game began to reach a 30-minute lull, Delano Burgzorg rushed down the left wing before perfectly weighting a pass for Latte Lath.

The striker rounded Schmid before slotting home for the 11th time this season to move up to third on the Championship's top scorer list.

Hayden Hackney should have doubled the visitors' lead four minutes later but skewed his effort wide after more strong play down the wing by Burgzorg.

The lively Burgzorg began the second half by firing across the face of goal but Boro's advantage was wiped out in the 54th minute against the run of play.

Potts picked out Ritchie's run before the winger dinked over Glover, with the veteran - who grew up on the other side of Portsmouth Harbour in Gosport - wildly celebrating his first home Fratton Park goal.

Ritchie almost doubled up 90 seconds later as his screamer of a free-kick from 35 yards barely whistled over the crossbar.

Murphy then squandered a one-on-one chance before Ritchie almost rounded Glover after a poor back pass, but the goalkeeper pinched the ball at his feet.

However, the pressure paid off as Ritchie - who came through the Pompey academy before starring at Swindon, Bournemouth and Newcastle - smashed in from an angle to spark more celebrations and keep Boro to one win in seven.

The managers

Portsmouth's John Mousinho:

"I think a big part of Matt Ritchie coming back here was the fact he had the roots here as an academy player and there was always a tinge of regret he didn't have a long career at Portsmouth.

"I'm sure he wouldn't swap his brilliant career for anything but there was one thing that was missing and that was coming back for some unfinished business.

"He got the goal away at Swansea but it is difficult to come here. You saw what it meant to him, he is absolutely buzzing.

"Since he's come back into the side he's given us a huge amount of energy and quality on the ball in the final third.

"It was a brilliant run and finish for the first goal and then more energy for the second, maybe more energy than you would expect for someone at the back-end of his career - maybe he has six or seven years left in the tank!"

Middlesbrough's Michael Carrick:

"I'm bitterly disappointed with the result and the way we finished the game.

"We put ourselves in a good position at a tough place to come and dealt with it for 50-odd minutes. The second goal would have been important for us and this is the type of place where there is always a moment.

"We spoke about that at half-time and the first goal we conceded was an awful one for us.

"It's a position we've been in recently where we've put ourselves in great positions but not got anything from it. We've got to change that pretty quickly.

"We're hurting tonight and we have to change the cycle."