League One
ShrewsburyShrewsbury Town0PortsmouthPortsmouth2

Shrewsbury Town 0-2 Portsmouth

Brett Pitman
Brett Pitman celebrates after scoring his ninth of the season for Portsmouth

Promotion-chasing Portsmouth climbed to third in League One with victory at relegation-threatened Shrewsbury.

Ben Close and Brett Pitman were on target at New Meadow to keep Pompey within sight of second-placed Barnsley against a Shrews side just a point clear of the bottom four.

The home side started brightly, with Shaun Whalley's shot producing a fine save from former Town goalkeeper Craig MacGillivray low to his right.

Whalley followed up soon after with an effort that was deflected narrowly wide before James Bolton headed over.

Pompey then came into the game, with Jamal Lowe and Gareth Evans both denied by Shrewsbury goalkeeper Steve Arnold before they broke the deadlock in the 40th minute.

Arnold initially kept out a shot from Lee Brown, only for Close to drill home the loose ball for his sixth goal in his last 10 matches.

Substitute Oli Hawkins twice went close for the visitors in the second half, hitting the bar and then seeing a header impressively saved by Arnold.

Town came close to equaliser when McGillivray superbly stopped a free-kick from Ollie Norburn, but it was Portsmouth who sealed the points in the 79th minute, with Pitman tucking home from close range a Hawkins left-wing cross.

Match report supplied by the Press Association.

Line-ups

Shrewsbury

Formation 3-5-1-1

  • 15ArnoldSubstituted forMitchellat 83'minutes
  • 22Waterfall
  • 2Williams
  • 13BoltonSubstituted forCampbellat 71'minutes
  • 6Beckles
  • 8Docherty
  • 42GrantBooked at 75minsSubstituted forLaurentat 77'minutes
  • 29Norburn
  • 23Golbourne
  • 7Whalley
  • 12Okenabirhie

Substitutes

  • 1Mitchell
  • 4Edwards
  • 5Sadler
  • 11Campbell
  • 20Amadi-Holloway
  • 28Laurent
  • 50Payne

Portsmouth

Formation 4-2-3-1

  • 15MacGillivray
  • 20Thompson
  • 6BurgessBooked at 76mins
  • 5Clarke
  • 3BrownBooked at 81mins
  • 7NaylorBooked at 57mins
  • 33CloseBooked at 68mins
  • 26EvansSubstituted forWalkesat 90'minutes
  • 8Pitman
  • 10Lowe
  • 22BogleBooked at 52minsSubstituted forHawkinsat 55'minutes

Substitutes

  • 2Walkes
  • 9Hawkins
  • 30May
  • 32Vaughan
  • 35Bass
  • 37Isgrove
  • 38Haunstrup
Referee:
Ollie Yates
Attendance:
8,028

Match Stats

Home TeamShrewsburyAway TeamPortsmouth
Possession
Home46%
Away54%
Shots
Home19
Away11
Shots on Target
Home6
Away5
Corners
Home4
Away3
Fouls
Home18
Away14

Live Text

  1. Post update

    Match ends, Shrewsbury Town 0, Portsmouth 2.

  2. Full Time

    Second Half ends, Shrewsbury Town 0, Portsmouth 2.

  3. Post update

    Attempt saved. Tyrese Campbell (Shrewsbury Town) header from the right side of the six yard box is saved in the top right corner.

  4. Post update

    Corner, Shrewsbury Town. Conceded by Tom Naylor.

  5. Post update

    Attempt blocked. Greg Docherty (Shrewsbury Town) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked.

  6. Post update

    Jamal Lowe (Portsmouth) wins a free kick on the right wing.

  7. Post update

    Foul by Ro-Shaun Williams (Shrewsbury Town).

  8. Post update

    Oliver Hawkins (Portsmouth) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

  9. Post update

    Foul by Omar Beckles (Shrewsbury Town).

  10. Post update

    Attempt saved. Josh Laurent (Shrewsbury Town) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal.

  11. Post update

    Attempt missed. Shaun Whalley (Shrewsbury Town) right footed shot from the centre of the box is too high.

  12. Substitution

    Substitution, Portsmouth. Anton Walkes replaces Gareth Evans.

  13. Post update

    Attempt missed. Lee Brown (Portsmouth) left footed shot from outside the box is too high from a direct free kick.

  14. Post update

    Foul by Luke Waterfall (Shrewsbury Town).

  15. Post update

    Oliver Hawkins (Portsmouth) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  16. Post update

    Foul by Shaun Whalley (Shrewsbury Town).

  17. Post update

    Nathan Thompson (Portsmouth) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

  18. Substitution

    Substitution, Shrewsbury Town. Jonathan Mitchell replaces Steve Arnold because of an injury.

  19. Post update

    Delay in match Steve Arnold (Shrewsbury Town) because of an injury.

  20. Post update

    Jamal Lowe (Portsmouth) wins a free kick on the right wing.

As It Stood

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Luton392411476314583
2Barnsley392212565283778
3Portsmouth392111768412774
4Sunderland371916264343073
5Charlton381910955371867
6Peterborough391610136054658
7Doncaster3815121161501157
8Blackpool391414114341256
9Coventry39168154343056
10Burton391411145346753
11Fleetwood381410144941852
12Gillingham39138185363-1047
13Oxford Utd391113154554-946
14Plymouth391210174961-1246
15Bristol Rovers381112153939045
16Wycombe381111164758-1144
17Accrington371111154054-1444
18Scunthorpe39128194767-2044
19Shrewsbury391013164252-1043
20Southend39126214757-1042
21Walsall39119194261-1942
22Rochdale38118194776-2941
23Wimbledon39116223457-2339
24Bradford39106234367-2436
View full League One table