Pompey XI Win At Bournemouth - Reeco Hackett-Fairchild on target in friendly. please log in to view this image An emphatic finish from Reeco Hackett-Fairchild ensured Pompey concluded their pre-season campaign with victory over a young Bournemouth outfit. The contest at the Cherries’ Canford Arena base saw new arrivals Connor Ogilvie and George Hirst handed their first appearance in a Blues shirt. Callum Johnson and Michael Jacobs also featured, with the rest of the side made up of trialists and academy players making up the bench. Pompey looked dangerous from the start and after playing a neat one-two with Hirst, Hackett-Fairchild saw a shot deflected wide. Jacobs – wearing the captain’s armband – then bent an effort wide, while one of the trialists saw his attempt beaten away by Cherries stopper Cameron Plain. Hackett-Fairchild was looking the most likely player to break the deadlock and narrowly cleared the crossbar from long-range. So it came as no surprise to see HACKETT-FAIRCHILD score on 20 minutes, with a thunderous strike into the top corner after being teed-up by Hirst. Bournemouth stepped up their game after falling behind and created a few half-chances, without really coming close to finding a leveller. Instead it was the Blues who finished the half on top and Hackett-Fairchild should have done more to trouble Plain after being put through on goal. Jacobs then fed Hirst, who fired over from a tight angle, as the visitors camped out on the edge of the opposition area. Half Time: Bournemouth 0 Pompey 1 The pace dropped a bit in the second half, with the usual selection of substitutes from both sides halting the rhythm. Pompey had a chance when they stole possession in the final third, but Hackett-Fairchild could not quite force his shot through a sea of bodies. Jake Scrimshaw went closest for the hosts at the other end, with a deflected effort that clipped the outside of the post. The Blues were passing the ball around nicely, though, with much of the action taking place in the Bournemouth half. They tried to find a second goal and Jacobs slammed a free-kick into the wall, while Johnson’s scuffed effort was claimed by Plain. For all of Pompey’s dominance, though, they were unable to properly test Plain again as the seconds ticked down. And Bournemouth almost snatched an equaliser right at the death, with Scrimshaw seeing an attempt deflect wide, while a trialist could not find the net from the resulting corner. Pompey: Trialist A (Trialist G 46); Callum Johnson, Trialist B (Issiaga Kaba 46), Trialist C, Connor Ogilvie (Harvey Hughes 75); Trialist D (Trialist H 68), Trialist E; Reeco Hackett-Fairchild (Dan Gifford 68), Michael Jacobs (c), Trialist F; George Hirst (Harry Jewitt-White 46)
