Portsmouth continued their flawless pre-season by thumping League One Reading 4-0, stretching John Mousinho’s side’s run to four wins, 12 goals scored and none conceded, leaving the head coach content with fitness levels and performances ahead of the Championship kick-off.
The Blues had already seen off Woking, Farnborough and Crawley, yet Saturday’s visit to the Select Car Leasing Stadium was expected to offer a far stiffer examination. Goals from Jordan Williams and the fully-fit Callum Lang, plus a Colby Bishop brace, ensured it was passed with ease.
Mousinho said: “The results have been excellent, but at this stage they’re not the priority. Over the past few weeks the emphasis has been on fitness and making sure everyone gets through unscathed. We want to come out of every game physically stronger and we’ve managed that so far.
“The next focus is performance. We’ve displayed good passages, poor passages and everything in between, but against Reading there was much more of the former. We know the challenges only get tougher from here.
“There were some pleasing patterns of play. Josh Murphy looked really bright and Callum was strong on the opposite flank. It’s always nice to see Colby on the scoresheet, and with a couple of weeks to go I think we’re in a good place.”
There was also a welcome return for Ibane Bowat, who played the final half-hour after Conor Shaughnessy succumbed to cramp. The defender’s cameo marked his first appearance in almost a year as he continues his recovery from a serious knee injury.
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“It was great to get Ibane on,” added Mousinho. “That was always the plan and it’s another small step on a long road back for him.”
Pompey conclude their warm-up schedule next week before opening their Championship campaign in early August.
