Reality Check: Lincoln City 1-3 Portsmouth

If last weekend left Lincoln City fans drunk on hope, then the first game at Sincil Bank in the Championship might just be a sobering experience.

A first-half double salvo left the Imps chasing their tails, and a second-half mistake ended it as a contest. All in a game where we weren’t that bad, we just weren’t good enough.

City made one change from the side that lost at Middlesbrough last week, with Reeco Hackett coming in for Ryley Towler, seeing a shape shift for the Imps. Yunus Konak came into the squad, with Josh Honohan making way.

Portsmouth also made changes, with former Imo Regan Poole losing his place in the squad, with what was pre-match assumed to be an injury rather than a tactical change. Odin Bailey, linked with City in the summer, took his place on the bench.

The opening exchanges belonged almost entirely to City, who immediately forced Portsmouth onto the back foot. Ben House was pushed on the edge of the area inside two minutes, allowing Adam Reach to step up from the resulting free kick and force Nicolas Schmid into a smart save as the Portsmouth goalkeeper tipped his effort over the bar.

Ivan Varfolomeev then curled the resulting corner towards the near post, where it was headed behind for another, before Tendayi Darikwa saw a volley deflected wide as the pressure continued. City should have taken the lead after five minutes when Freddie Draper won possession and threaded House through one-on-one, but Schmid stood up well to deny the striker.

Having weathered that early storm, Portsmouth struck with their first meaningful attack. A quick break released Ryan Kavuma-McQueen from the left and his effort beat George Wickens across goal, taking a cruel deflection on its way in to leave City behind after seven minutes.

The goal changed the complexion of the game and Portsmouth began to settle. Abu Kamara fired over from the edge of the area before Colby Bishop met a corner with a firm header which Wickens held, although the City goalkeeper then immediately gifted possession back by sending his attempted distribution straight out of play.

Things got worse after 15 minutes. Kamara, already proving difficult to contain, was fouled right on the edge of the penalty area and Adrian Segecic punished City from the resulting free kick, driving the ball beyond Wickens to make it 2-0.

It was a brutal scoreline given how brightly the Imps had started, but they gradually worked their way back into the game. Deji Elerewe could only glance a header wide from a corner before House robbed Conor Shaughnessy and was then brought down by the Portsmouth defender, although no card was shown. The resulting free kick was comfortably gathered by Schmid.

City continued to press and went close again on the half-hour when a dangerous ball into the area had both Draper and Elerewe attacking it before Portsmouth hooked clear for another corner.

A minute later came the breakthrough. Reach fired the ball into the area and Zak Swanson was adjudged to have handled as it deflected over, giving City a penalty. Hackett stepped up and converted to make it 2-1, bringing Sincil Bank back to life and changing the feel of the contest once again.

Draper was booked shortly afterwards after crashing into Terry Devlin when challenging for a loose ball, with the Portsmouth defender quickly returning to his feet.

Hackett then went close to levelling after controlling a long Reach pass and turning neatly before sliding his effort narrowly wide. City were firmly back on top by that stage, with Hackett and Darikwa combining well down the right before Varfolomeev drove a shot wide from distance.

There was still a warning at the other end before the interval. A City mistake released Kavuma-McQueen again and his deflected effort forced Wickens into a save, ensuring the Imps went into the break just one goal behind.

It had been an eventful opening 45 minutes in which City created enough chances to feel aggrieved at trailing, but Portsmouth’s ruthlessness on the break and Segecic’s free kick had punished two costly defensive moments. Hackett’s penalty, though, ensured the game remained very much alive at half-time.