Portsmouth's Australian-born Croatian forward Adrian Segecic netted a maiden EFL hat-trick, leading his team to a 3-1 win over Stoke in the SkyBet Championship. The victory marked Portsmouth's first ever win at the bet365 Stadium. Segecic opened the scoring in the 32nd minute and added two more goals in the 66th and 82nd minutes, with Lamine Cisse temporarily equalizing for Stoke in the 47th minute.
The win ensured an eighth consecutive bottom-half finish for Stoke since their relegation from the Premier League in 2018. Portsmouth manager John Mousinho made five changes to his lineup, including the start of Austrian keeper Nicolas Schmid, but it was Segecic who stole the show with his impressive individual display. After the game, Mousinho expressed his commitment to the club, stating his focus is on Portsmouth and his desire to 'kick on' with the team. Meanwhile, Stoke's defeat prompted their manager to call for significant changes, emphasizing the need to recruit the right players and create a more ruthless team culture.