Adrian Segecic marked his Championship debut with the only goal of the game as Portsmouth edged a fiercely contested 1-0 victory over Oxford United at the Kassam Stadium. The Australian midfielder struck seven minutes before half-time, punishing a rare lapse from Cameron Brannagan to give John Mousinho's side the perfect start to their season.
Brannagan's loose back pass invited Colby Bishop to race clear, but after the striker's shot was blocked by keeper Jamie Cumming, the ball broke kindly for Segecic, who drilled a powerful left-footed finish into the back of the net. In a game where space was scarce and chances largely stemmed from mistakes, that single moment of composure proved decisive.
Oxford responded with a much improved second-half display, seeing more of the ball, having a Will Lankshear header ruled out for offside and forcing visiting goalkeeper Nicolas Schmid into several important saves late on. Portsmouth, though, remained organised under increasing pressure to secure a clean sheet and a valuable away win, on a night when the officiating and a series of physical challenges left the home crowd frustrated with referee Dean Whitestone and his team.
One misplaced pass turns a tight contest