Late Portsmouth Winner Stuns Middlesbrough

In a dramatic turn of events, Portsmouth secured a vital win with a late goal, boosting their Championship survival hopes and dealing a significant blow to Middlesbrough's fading automatic promotion bid. The visitors' eight-game winless streak was ended when Andre Dozzell's volley deflected in off Conor Chaplin in the final seconds. This result leaves Boro winless in six games, now three points behind second-placed Ipswich, who have two games in hand. Portsmouth's win keeps them a point and a place above the relegation zone. Despite dominating the ball, Boro struggled to create meaningful openings, with Portsmouth's winner coming as a surprise. The home side had 20 shots compared to Portsmouth's three, but their lack of efficiency in front of goal proved costly. Portsmouth's manager, John Mousinho, acknowledged the team's luck but hailed the result as 'brilliant' given the circumstances. Middlesbrough's Kim Hellberg expressed disappointment and devastation at the performance, describing it as 'poor' and 'boring'. The loss highlights Boro's inefficiency in converting chances into goals, a trend that has persisted in their last six games.