Tommy Conway’s late penalty snatches Middlesbrough a point against Portsmouth

Posted Sunday, August 25, 2024 by PA

Summer signing Tommy Conway came off the bench to score a last-gasp penalty and earn Middlesbrough a 2-2 draw with Portsmouth at the Riverside.

Championship newcomers Pompey looked set for their first win of the season after first-half goals from Christian Saydee either side of Matt Clarke’s header for Boro.

But Conway struck in the 90th minute to earn a deserved point for Boro, who had 29 shots on Portsmouth’s goal.

On the back of draws against Leeds and Luton, Portsmouth got off to the perfect start with the opening goal after just two minutes.

Boro’s defence had not settled and the unmarked Saydee was allowed to sweep home from inside the penalty box.

But the visitors were in front for just nine minutes. Middlesbrough responded well to their nightmare start and drew level when Clarke, who played more than 150 times for Pompey, met Finn Azaz’s corner with a superb header into the bottom corner.

Clarke was then involved in the defensive mix-up that led to Portsmouth and Saydee’s second.

The centre-half collided with goalkeeper Seny Dieng when the pair both tried to head clear a long throw and allowed Saydee to pounce on the loose ball and tap into an empty net.

Boro once again responded well, with Delano Burgzorg dragging a shot just wide from inside the box and Isaiah Jones seeing his close-range effort bundled clear off the line.

And deep into first-half stoppage time, Azaz set Emmanuel Latte Lath away but goalkeeper Will Norris dived at the feet of Boro’s top scorer from last season and saved well.

Boro started the second half in the ascendancy and looked certain to draw level when Aidan Morris rounded Norris and two Portsmouth defenders in the box only to be denied by a brilliant last-ditch Andre Dozzell challenge.

Hayden Hackney then went close before Burgzorg forced a good save from Norris.

Portsmouth were fortunate not to go down to 10 men when substitute Harvey Blair, who had been booked less than a minute after coming on, wiped out Anfernee Dijksteel on the edge of the box but referee Matthew Donohue opted against a second yellow card for the winger, to the fury of the home supporters.

Hackney tested Norris again with a dipping drive that was tipped over the crossbar before substitute Conway dragged a shot just wide of Norris’s far post.

Conway then made no mistake from the spot after Portsmouth substitute Owen Moxon had fouled Jones.