Portsmouth secured their first home victory of the campaign with a 2-0 win over Cardiff City on a heartfelt afternoon at Fratton Park, thanks to goals from defender Conor Shaughnessy and forward Marezi. The match began with a somber tribute to former Portsmouth goalkeeper Alan Knight, who passed away earlier this week at the age of 65. Knight, a club legend with 801 appearances and later roles as coach and ambassador, was honoured with a minute’s silence observed impeccably by both squads standing around the centre circle. The hosts also introduced two new signings on the final day of the transfer window – Tyrese Shade and Jayden Meghoma – who both made their debuts in front of a packed Fratton Park crowd.
Early on, Cardiff seemed poised to draw first blood when Krystian Bielik headed wide just three minutes after a free‑kick delivered by Joel Bagan. Portsmouth’s own chances arrived quickly; Adrian Segecic unleashed a long‑range effort that was tipped over the bar by goalkeeper Nathan Trott after a poor clearance from the Cardiff keeper.
Portsmouth came close to opening the scoring in the 23rd minute when Marezi headed a cross from close range but failed to find the net. A minute later Terry Devlin also missed a header from a low free‑kick taken by Segecic.
The deadlock was finally broken fourteen minutes before the interval when Shaughnessy rose above the defence to meet a looping header from Tyrese Shade’s long throw, sending the ball into the back of the net and giving the home side a deserved lead. Cardiff pressed for an equaliser, and Marezi, who had missed earlier, produced a tight‑angle effort that sailed over the bar after John Mousinho’s side launched a quick counter‑attack. However, the Serbian striker redeemed himself shortly after the restart. Segecic delivered a pinpoint cross into the box, and Marezi met it with a powerful sweep that left Trott helpless, doubling Portsmouth’s advantage.
A moment of controversy followed when Marezi appeared to score a third goal after nodding in a cross from the newly‑debuted Jayden Meghoma, only for the referee to rule the effort out for off‑side. Throughout the second half, Portsmouth’s defence showed occasional vulnerability, yet Cardiff lacked the cutting edge to exploit any lapses. The Bluebirds, who sit second from bottom in the Championship and are still searching for their first win since promotion from League One last season, could not convert the few chances they created. Tensions flared in the final fifteen minutes when Cardiff defender Krystian Bielik seemed to grab a home supporter around the throat, prompting a brief pause in play.
Portsmouth almost added a third goal when Abu Kamara’s shot struck the crossbar, and captain Marlon Pack’s header from a sharp angle was blocked. In the dying moments, Cian Ashford attempted a long‑range effort from the edge of the penalty area, but Portsmouth’s goalkeeper Daniel Bielica made a comfortable save to preserve the clean sheet.
John Mousinho, Portsmouth’s manager, reflected on the performance: "I’m delighted with the result. It was completely different to the other performances; we didn’t necessarily dominate, but the first half was solid.
The second half became a bit fractured as Cardiff changed their shape, causing us a few problems. After the second goal, the game broke up with several stoppages, which helped us see out the match.
We know we can’t be perfect in everything, and we’ll keep working on the areas that need improvement. We’ve been down in the dumps because of recent results, but the performances aren’t a million miles off the mark. We need to be consistent – winning or losing – and keep looking for ways to get better." Cardiff’s boss Brian Barry‑Murphy admitted disappointment: "It’s a very disappointing result.
We’re not happy with the goals we conceded and there are many areas where we can improve. We created enough chances but weren’t clinical enough, and we weren’t aggressive defensively.
We knew it would be a tough test. We are confident we can win games at this level as long as we get the basics right." The match also featured a reminder for fans to use Chrome for a more accessible video player, and promotional messages about watching free Championship highlights, streaming EFL games on mobile, and entering Super 6 contests for cash prizes. Overall, the victory gave Portsmouth a much‑needed boost in confidence and points, while Cardiff left Fratton Park aware of the work required to climb out of the relegation zone.