Middlesbrough boss Michael Carrick with questions to answer after Portsmouth defeat
MIDDLESBROUGH'S miserable winter continued as they surrendered a first-half lead to crash to a 2-1 defeat at Portsmouth.
Former Newcastle United winger Matt Ritchie scored his first two Fratton Park goals as a Portsmouth player as Boro slipped out of the play-off positions.
Emmanuel Latte Lath, who has been strongly linked with a move to MLS club Atlanta United, opened the scoring for the Teessiders 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.
The incident led to a 35-minute delay, with the players returning to their dressing rooms.
After the spectator had been taken away in an ambulance, Boro 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 visitor’s 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.
The home crowd was now at fever pitch as Murphy 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 their last seven matches in all competitions.
