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Pompey 4 Oxford 1 - The Lowe Show is a hit
Saturday, 18th Aug 2018 22:00 by pompey-fans.com staff

Three League One games - three League One wins. Not for three decades have Pompey made such a good start to a league campaign.

Jamal Lowe was the star with two of the goals - his second a gem of a run and finish - but new loan recruit from Millwall Ben Thompson also starred as an ordinary Oxford team were sent packing from Fratton just as they were last spring.

More than half the starting line-up was altered from the one that had lost to AFC Wimbledon in the cup in midweek. Thompson, Craig MacGillivray, Jack Whatmough, Lee Brown, Ronan Curtis and Oli Hawkins all started.

Pompey dominated from the word go as Tom Naylor and Ronan Curtis sent efforts goalwards.

Hawkins was seeing plenty of the ball and when he robbed a defender and was brought down clumsily, ref Lee Swabey pointed to the spot, but Gareth Evans' kick was saved by Jonathan Mitchell.

After Naylor and Evans threatened an opener, Oxford picked up three bookings as they resorted to some questionable challenges and their coach Shaun Derry, the ex Pompey midfield man, was also shown yellow in the technical area.

The Blues had had no luck shooting towards the Milton End but as so often happens their luck changed with the Fratton End in front of them.

Lowe got to the byline down the right and after Hawkins fluffed his lines at the near post he recovered to set up Evans, who made up for his spot kick miss with a low left-foot finish.

Lowe notched assist number two when his curling cross was headed into his own net by Rob Dickie to the delight of the home fans.

A third goal in 15 minutes arrived when Matt Clarke and Hawkins each got their head on an Evans corner and Lowe flicked in the loose ball.

Oxford bucked their ideas up and hit the post twice and forced a fine leaping save from McGillivray before getting one back as Whatmough couldn't help himself turn a cross past his own stopper.

But the three-goal advantage was restored late on with the best goal of the game as Lowe skipped down the right, cut inside and bent a left-footed effort beyond the goalie and into the far corner.

A good afternoon's work for Kenny Jackett's men, and one that leaves them second as they head for a week on the road and trips to Bristol Rovers and Doncaster.

Pompey: MacGillivray; Walkes, Whatmough, Clarke, Brown; Naylor, Evans), B Thompson; Lowe, Hawkins, Curtis (Wheeler 80). Subs not used: McGee, Burgess, Haunstrup, Close, Chaplin, Pitman.

Referee: Lee Swabey

Attendance: 18,093 (1,312 away fans)

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