Portsmouth secured their inaugural win of the Championship campaign with a convincing 3-1 triumph over Lincoln at Sincil Bank, marking a significant milestone as the Imps continue to search for their first victory in the second tier after a 60‑year absence. The visitors, who had stumbled in their opening two fixtures with identical scorelines, found themselves on the back foot early in the match.
However, a swift breakthrough came just seven minutes in when Ryan Kavuma‑McQueen, operating on the left side of the penalty area, slipped a low, precise shot into the bottom corner, giving Pompey an early advantage. Only nine minutes later, Adrian Segecic doubled the lead. The Australian midfielder collected a second‑set‑piece from Ivan Varfolomeev and, from the edge of the box, unleashed a powerful left‑footed free‑kick that beat Lincoln goalkeeper George Wickens at the near post, making the score 2-0 and putting the game beyond the Imps' reach. Lincoln responded before the half‑hour mark when Reeco Hackett converted a penalty.
The spot‑kick was awarded after Adam Reach's 20‑yard effort was adjudged to have been handled by defender Zak Swanson while attempting to block the shot. Hackett's composure from the spot reduced the deficit to 2-1 and gave the home side a glimmer of hope. The second half began with both teams struggling to create clear chances under a bright sun at the ProAmpac Stadium. Lincoln’s captain, Tendayi Darikwa, was forced off with a knee injury ten minutes after the break, prompting the debut of City’s record signing, Andrei Coubis.
Throughout the half‑hour, attempts from both sides—including wide efforts from Hackett and Varfolomeev—failed to find the net, while goalkeeper Wickens continued to make crucial saves, notably deflecting a looping header from Colby Bishop. Portsmouth’s decisive moment arrived in the 69th minute when substitute Ebrima Adams was given space in the middle of the pitch. He took advantage of the opening, driving forward and unleashing a spectacular 25‑yard strike that flew past Wickens into the top corner, sealing the 3-1 victory and providing the Pommy supporters with a much‑needed morale boost. Segecic came close to adding a fourth goal in the dying minutes, but his low drive was comfortably saved by Wickens, preserving Lincoln's solitary tally.
Post‑match, Lincoln manager expressed disappointment: "It was a disappointing result on what was a huge day for the club. I thought we were dominant for the majority of the first half, but we were really disappointed with the goals we conceded. After a good start, the first goal knocked the wind out of our sails.
I was pleased with how we responded, but the second half just petered out a bit. Freddy (Draper) and Ben (House) caused their defence a lot of problems in the first half, which was great to see.
We can't, though, concede as many goals as we have in the past couple of games. We've got to go away and think of how we're going to be more solid." Portsmouth captain John Mousinho praised his side’s performance: "I thought it was excellent. If you take everything under consideration and the context of the game, against a side who took 103 points last year, then I think it was a very, very good performance. There were two aspects I was pleased with - we stood up to Lincoln's physical threat pretty well for the most part, and then when we settled down and played, we broke through the lines well and had a real attacking threat at the top of the pitch.
I still think there were a couple of defensive moments where we could have done better - their goal I haven't got an issue with - but largely against a very different test, I think we handled it well and got the reaction we needed." The match also featured several notable incidents: early on, Lincoln earned a free‑kick just outside the box, but Portsmouth keeper Nicolas Schmid tipped Adam Reach's effort over the bar. A subsequent corner from Varfolomeev was cleared, leading to a second set‑piece that saw Darikwa’s first‑time strike deflected for another corner.
Later, Freddie Draper set up Ben House, but House's shot lacked power, allowing Schmid to make an easy save. Overall, Portsmouth’s victory not only broke their winless streak but also demonstrated their ability to capitalize on early chances and maintain composure under pressure.
Lincoln, meanwhile, will need to regroup quickly as they continue their quest for a long‑awaited win in the Championship after more than six decades away from the second tier.