Portsmouth's Championship Return Marked By Late Leeds Equaliser In 3-3 Draw

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John Mousinho expressed his disappointment as Portsmouth couldn't hold on to their lead, resulting in a 3-3 draw against Leeds United. The match marked Pompey's return to the Championship after 12 years. Callum Lang's 92nd-minute penalty gave them a brief lead, but Brenden Aaronson equalised two minutes later.

Despite the dramatic finish, Mousinho found positives in the performance. "It's very difficult to sum up," he said. "It's a brilliant point, particularly where we were this time last week after a really poor week of football. The lads gave everything and Leeds know they've been in a game. But we are gutted not to win the game."

Leeds dominated much of the match but trailed twice despite their strong start, which saw them hit the goal frame three times in ten minutes before Pascal Struijk's opener. Portsmouth responded with goals from Elias Sorensen and Lang, taking a 2-1 lead into halftime.

Leeds manager Daniel Farke faced criticism for substituting goalscorer Willy Gnonto and winger Daniel James when the score was 2-2. Farke acknowledged that these changes disrupted their rhythm. "Our game was not great after the changes," he admitted. "Every player wanted to show their worth and were maybe over-motivated in the final 25 minutes."

Mousinho also noted that Portsmouth were fortunate not to lose all points when Aaronson missed a late chance. "I'd lost my head with the ref at that point," he said. "I thought it was a foul in front of the Portsmouth fans. Our player was dragged down with both hands."

Historical Context

This match made Portsmouth the first team since Nottingham Forest in May 2022 to lead in the 90th minute or later and not win in a Championship game. Despite scoring three goals from just five shots, they couldn't secure victory.

Mousinho reflected on how close they came to losing even their single point but felt relieved by Aaronson's miss. "I thought the ball was going to nestle in the back of the net," he said. "I was really relieved."

The result left Mousinho with mixed feelings, recognising both the achievement and missed opportunity against one of the promotion favourites.