Portsmouth 2 Walsall 0 - Report and pictures

In front of 16,794 fans - including 184 Saddlers who made the journey - goals from Oli Hawkins and Ronan Curtis saw Kenny Jackett’s side run out comfortable winners at Fratton Park.

Hawkins opened the scoring midway though the first half with Curtis doubling Pompey’s advantage shortly after the re-start.

Walsall had their moments with Kane Wilson and Josh Ginnelly both missing decent chances.

But overall, it was the hosts who were the better side with Pompey having a number of opportunities to win by a greater scoreline.

Analysis

Keates sprung a couple of surprises when naming his starting line-up with the boss opting to make two changes from the team that drew with Sunderland.

With Zeli Ismail ruled out with a thigh injury, Kane Wilson was preferred on the right of midfield ahead of Kieron Morris.

While Morgan Ferrier was given the nod to partner Josh Gordon in attack with top scorer Andy Cook dropped to the bench.

Otherwise Walsall lined up as expected in a 4-4-2 formation with George Dobson joined by Liam Kinsella in central midfield.

Portsmouth lined up in a 4-2-3-1 system with Jamal Lowe, Ronan Curtis and Gareth Evans operating behind lone striker Hawkins. Ex-Saddlers shot-stopper Craig Macgillivray was in goal.

In what proved a keenly contested opening 20 minutes, both teams created early chances to open the scoring.

For Walsall, Wilson headed a whipped Ginnelly ball wide, while at the other end an unmarked Evans was also unable to turn a Curtis cross towards goal.

Pompey had become the first team in the country to surpass the 40 point mark by beating Scunthorpe on Saturday.

And their confidence was clear to see with Jackett’s side looking a threat whenever they ventured forward.

Walsall though were proving a match for the league leaders with Keates’ side organised and willing to throw men forward when they were in possession.

But gradually the tempo with which Pompey were moving the ball began to tell with the Saddlers surviving a huge penalty scare in the 18th minute.

A long ball forward was cushioned by Hawkins into the path of Evans and with Devlin on the wrong side the defender bundled the former Fleetwood man to the floor.

It looked a blatant spot-kick, but despite strong appeals from the home crowd, referee Alan Young waved played on.

In the 25th minute though, the hosts did break the deadlock with Curtis’ whipped cross flicking off the boot of Dobson and towards the back post.

And there waiting was Hawkins who nodded in for his sixth goal in eight games.

Despite the set-back, Walsall responded well with Keates’ men twice coming close to pulling a goal back just before the half-hour mark.

First, Kinsella’s ball into the box was collected by Ferrier who then teed up Wilson. But from 18-yards the Albion loanee saw a low drive deflect inches past the post.

Then from the resultant corner, MacGillivray dropped the ball under pressure from Jon Guthrie but there was nobody on hand to prod it home.

It was Pompey though who continued to look the brighter of the two teams as the clock ticked towards half-time.

And they almost grabbed a third just before the break when Curtis flashed a strike across the face of goal after being played in by Lowe.

It was the Saddlers who flew out the blocks following the re-start with Keates’s men creating a glorious chance to get back on terms.

Russell Martin clipped a wonderful ball over the defence which was met on the volley by an unmarked Ginnelly.

But on the angle, just eight-yards out, the winger steered his effort over the bar when he should have hit the target.

That miss proved particularly costly when Portsmouth then extended their lead just minutes later - with the goal coming from a Walsall corner.

After the ball was worked to Kinsella, the Republic of Ireland under-21 international sent in a tame cross which was easily cleared.

And Pompey were then able to break at pace with Ginnelly initially blocking a Lowe cross but with the ball then falling for Curtis who fired in from close range.

With a two-goal cushion, Pompey went in search of a third to put the game to bed with Hawkins heading a corner over before glancing an Evans cross wide.

Walsall had another shout for a penalty just past the hour mark when Luke Leahy played in Wilson who went down under a challenge from Matt Clarke.

But despite the decision looking a debatable one, referee Young opted to book the 18-year-old for diving.

With his team in need of some inspiration, Keates switched the injured Ginnelly for Connor Ronan and brought on Cook for Gordon.

It was a move that saw the Saddlers play with a more narrow midfield with Ronan and Wilson tucking in to join Dobson and Kinsella.

And it led to the Saddlers enjoying a sustained spell of pressure with Ronan almost pulling a goal back when he collected Cook’s pass before firing wide from just inside the box.

Overall though, it was Pompey who had been the better side and they almost grabbed a third in closing stages when Ben Thompson steered a header just wide.

Teams

Portsmouth (4-2-3-1): MacGillivray, Brown, Clarke, Whatmough, Naylor, N. Thompson, B. Thompson, Lowe, Curtis (Wheeler 74), Evans (Close 85), Hawkins.

Subs not used: McGee, Burgess, Pitman, Green, Haunstrup.

Walsall: Roberts, Devlin, Martin, Guthrie, Leahy, Wilson (Morris 88), Kinsella, Dobson, Ginnelly (Ronan 65), Gordon (Cook 78), Ferrier.

Subs not used: Dunn, Fitzwater, Johnson, Osbourne.

Attendance: 16,794 with 184 away.