Andre Dozzell strike gives Portsmouth first home victory of season

Andre Dozzell’s second-half goal was enough for Portsmouth to claim their first home win of the season with a 1-0 victory over Preston.

Dozzell’s deflected shot four minutes before half-time proved enough for John Mousinho’s side in a largely uninspiring game at Fratton Park.

Preston’s start to the season had defied pundits’ expectations with Paul Heckingbottom’s men already having secured impressive home wins against Leicester and Ipswich.

But their away form has been a problem for a while.

The Lilywhites have won just three of their last 29 games on the road, a major factor in them only clinching survival on the final day of last season’s Championship.

Daniel Jebbison almost found an early opener, deftly flicking Thierry Small’s low cross onto the roof of the net.

Pompey’s first sight of goal came from John Swift’s swerving free-kick which dipped just over the bar after Jordan Storey had been booked for a foul on Andre Dozzell.

It was John Mousinho’s side applying the most pressure but Preston were defending doggedly and posed a threat on the break. Small was enjoying space on the left and cut in to curl a shot just wide of the far post for the visitors.

Five minutes before half-time, Preston had their goalkeeper Daniel Iversen to thank when he made a magnificent point-blank save with his legs to prevent Colby Bishop from turning in Josh Murphy’s low cross.

But it counted for nothing as Pompey scored from the resulting corner as Dozzell’s long-range shot deflected in off Michael Smith, giving Iversen no chance.

This was a game of few clear chances but Small might have done better with Stefan Thordason’s cross. His shot was easily gathered by Pompey keeper Nicolas Schmid.

Portsmouth will again be reliant on Murphy for goals and assists this season. He had a chance to shoot straight from Connor Ogilvie’s throw-in but dragged his effort wide.

Heckingbottom rang the changes but still his side were unable to create a clear-cut chance as the rain poured down.

Murphy, who has recently been linked with a move to Leicester, was Pompey’s most likely source of a second goal and his whipped cross almost saw Bishop score, only for Iversen’s fingertips to direct it away from him.

Preston sub Lewis Dobbin, on loan from Aston Villa, ought to have done better with another Small cross in the final minute of normal time but shot wastefully over.

With Preston stretched, Murphy had a golden chance to add a second but lazily scooped over.

Pompey had to play out six minutes of additional time but were put under little pressure by Preston, whose miserable away run goes on.