Portsmouth's Adrian Segecic scored a maiden EFL hat-trick as his team defeated Stoke 3-1 in the SkyBet Championship. Segecic, an Australian-born Croatian, gave Portsmouth the lead in the 32nd minute and scored again in the 66th minute after Lamine Cisse had equalized for Stoke early in the second half. Segecic then sealed the win with a 20-yard left-footed effort eight minutes from time, securing a historic victory for Portsmouth at the bet365 Stadium. This marked Portsmouth's first away win against Stoke since 1995.
The win ensured Stoke would suffer an eighth successive bottom-half finish since their relegation from the Premier League in 2018. Portsmouth manager John Mousinho made five changes to his team, including the introduction of Austrian keeper Nicolas Schmid. However, Schmid's understudy Josef Bursik started the game but left the field injured within three minutes, replaced by Ben Killip. Around 3,000 Pompey fans celebrated their team's recent Championship survival.
Segecic's first goal came after he collected a pass from Harvey Blair and shot beyond Tommy Simkin. Stoke rallied before halftime, with Cisse's effort denied by Killip.
The home side was booed off at the break but equalized through Cisse's header after the restart. Segecic restored Portsmouth's lead after 66 minutes and completed his hat-trick with a 20-yard effort.
After the game, Stoke's manager expressed his disappointment and frustration, stating that the team's culture needs to change and that they must recruit the right players. Portsmouth's John Mousinho, on the other hand, expressed his love for the city and his focus on the team, stating that he has an opportunity to start kicking on if things are done right.