Ben House was voted the Stacey West readers’ Man of the Match following Lincoln City’s 3-1 defeat against Portsmouth at Sincil Bank.
It was a difficult afternoon for the Imps, who found themselves two goals behind inside the opening 16 minutes. Reeco Hackett’s penalty reduced the deficit before the break, but Ebou Adams restored Portsmouth’s advantage with a powerful second-half strike.
House finished at the top of our player ratings with an average score of 6.42. He played 75 minutes before being replaced by Mason Melia and, although he was unable to find the net, his performance reflected many of the qualities City have come to expect from him.
The 27-year-old worked across the forward line, competed physically with Portsmouth’s defenders and helped the Imps turn possession into pressure. His contribution was not restricted to the penalty area either, with House regularly dropping into deeper positions and attempting to connect Lincoln’s midfield with the attack.
Ben House v Portsmouth in numbers
House registered three shots during his 75 minutes on the field, with two hitting the target. Those efforts produced an expected goals figure of 0.73, the highest figure among his individual attacking numbers, although his expected goals on target stood at 0.35.
His biggest opportunity arrived during the opening stages. With City already trailing, House was given a sight of goal but could not convert. It went down as the one big chance he missed during the contest and contributed significantly to his overall expected goals figure.
The striker had six touches inside the Portsmouth penalty area from 39 touches overall. That might not appear a particularly high number, but it illustrates how House was asked to contribute in several different parts of the pitch rather than simply operating as a penalty-box forward.
He completed nine of his 11 passes, giving him an accuracy rate of 82%, while both of his attempted long passes found their intended target. He did not create a chance and recorded an expected assists figure of just 0.03, leaving him with a combined xG and xA total of 0.76.
His defensive contribution was another important element of the performance. He recorded seven defensive actions, including three tackles, three clearances and one interception. He also recovered possession three times.
That work without the ball was reflected in his duel figures. House won seven of his 11 ground duels, a success rate of 64%, and was fouled on four occasions. He also won three of eight aerial contests and committed only one foul himself.
Those numbers underline why supporters selected him despite the result. It was not an afternoon on which City’s attacking players were able to dominate the game, particularly after Adams’ goal gave Portsmouth renewed control, but House continued to compete and contribute at both ends of the field.
There will be frustration that his early opportunity did not result in a goal, particularly given the timing of Portsmouth’s first two strikes. However, House remained one of City’s more influential performers until his withdrawal and earned a FotMob rating of 7.0 alongside the approval of Stacey West readers.
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