Portsmouth 2-1 Charlton Athletic: Post-match review, Stats, Key moments

Dive into Coral’s post-match review of Portsmouth 2-1 Charlton Athletic in the Championship on Monday, 29 December 2025, with stats, key moments and our take on the match.

Portsmouth edged out Charlton Athletic with a 2-1 victory in a tense encounter. The game remained goalless until the 69th minute when Conor Shaughnessy broke the deadlock for Portsmouth, assisted by Adrian Segečić, giving the home side the lead after a period of building pressure. Charlton pushed back late on, and Harvey Knibbs equalised in the 90+6th minute with an assist from Miles Leaburn, but Minhyeok Yang snatched the winner for Portsmouth just two minutes later in the 90+8th minute.

This win builds on Portsmouth’s recent form, which includes a draw against Queens Park Rangers and a victory over Blackburn Rovers, helping them gain momentum after a loss to Swansea City. For Charlton, the defeat extends a tough run with losses to Norwich City and Middlesbrough, though they showed fight here with a late equaliser. Overall, it was a match defined by late drama, rewarding Portsmouth’s persistence while leaving Charlton rueing missed opportunities.

Portsmouth held a slight edge in possession at 55% compared to Charlton’s 45%, suggesting they controlled more of the ball, but Charlton looked threatening with 11 corners to Portsmouth’s five, indicating they created plenty of set-piece chances. Successful dribbles were close, with Portsmouth on 40 and Charlton on 33, showing both sides had players willing to take on defenders and drive forward. Each team picked up two yellow cards, reflecting a competitive but not overly heated game, and while there were no red cards or penalties, the assists tally of one each underlines the key creative moments that decided the result.

Substitutions played a big role late on, with Portsmouth making five changes including Minhyeok Yang replacing Harvey Blair at 64 minutes and Conor Shaughnessy coming on for Hayden Matthews at the same time, which directly impacted their goals; Charlton used four, such as Harvey Knibbs replacing Joe Rankin-Costello at 85 minutes, leading to their late strike. No injury-time goals were specifically flagged beyond the timeline, but the subs helped spark the dramatic finish.

The match turned in the second half with Portsmouth’s substitutions proving decisive; at 64 minutes, Minhyeok Yang replaced Harvey Blair and Conor Shaughnessy came on for Hayden Matthews, setting up the opener when Shaughnessy scored in the 69th minute from Adrian Segečić’s assist. Yellow cards added tension, with Charlton’s Amari’i Bell booked at 59 minutes and Joe Rankin-Costello at 61 minutes, while Portsmouth’s Regan Poole saw yellow at 74 minutes and Ibane Bowat at 90+4 minutes after his 85th-minute substitution for Márk Kosznovszky.

Late drama stole the show as Charlton’s Harvey Knibbs, who had replaced Joe Rankin-Costello at 85 minutes, equalised in the 90+6th minute with Miles Leaburn’s assist, only for Portsmouth’s Minhyeok Yang to grab the winner in the 90+8th minute. Other changes, like Portsmouth’s Márk Kosznovszky replacing Conor Chaplin at 65 minutes and Franco Umeh-Chibueze coming on for Makenzie Kirk at 90+1 minutes, along with Charlton’s triple switch at 84 minutes where Rob Apter replaced James Bree, Sonny Carey came on for Luke Berry, and Macaulay Gillesphey substituted for Reece Burke, kept the energy high but couldn’t prevent the home side’s triumph.

Portsmouth lined up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, which allowed them to maintain a solid defensive base while pushing forward through creative partnerships, such as the one that saw Adrian Segečić assist Conor Shaughnessy’s goal after the latter’s introduction. Players like Minhyeok Yang made an impact after coming on, adding width and energy to the attack, while Regan Poole’s presence in defence was notable despite his yellow card.

Charlton Athletic set up in a 3-1-4-2 shape, giving them defensive stability with width from the midfield, which helped in creating chances like Miles Leaburn’s assist for Harvey Knibbs’ late goal. Key figures included Amari’i Bell and Joe Rankin-Costello, who picked up yellow cards, while substitutes such as Knibbs brought fresh legs to chase the game.

Coral’s Man of the Match goes to Miles Leaburn, who stood out for Charlton Athletic despite the defeat, thanks to his one assist that set up Harvey Knibbs’ equaliser, along with creating one big chance and delivering two key passes that kept his team in the hunt.

Recent Championship matches:

• Win: 2-1 vs Charlton Athletic (H)
• Draw: 1-1 vs Queens Park Rangers (H)
• Draw: 1-1 vs Derby County (A)
• Win: 2-1 vs Blackburn Rovers (H)
• Loss: 0-1 vs Swansea City (A)

Recent Championship matches:

• Loss: 1-2 vs Portsmouth (A)
• Loss: 0-1 vs Norwich City (A)
• Win: 1-0 vs Oxford United (H)
• Draw: 1-1 vs Birmingham City (A)
• Loss: 1-2 vs Middlesbrough (H)

Portsmouth have just secured a 2-1 win over Charlton Athletic, boosting their position at 21st with 25 points after a mixed run including draws with Queens Park Rangers and Derby County, plus a recent victory against Blackburn Rovers. They’ll look to build on this when they face Bristol City on 2026-01-01 at 15:00, with the opposition sitting eighth on 36 points, making it a chance for Portsmouth to climb away from the lower end of the table and gain ground in a tight league.

Charlton Athletic have just suffered a 2-1 defeat to Portsmouth, leaving them 20th on 27 points following a tough spell with losses to Norwich City and Middlesbrough, despite a win over Oxford United and a draw with Birmingham City. Their next challenge is against top-of-the-table Coventry City on 2026-01-01 at 15:00, with the leaders on 51 points, so they’ll need to regroup quickly to avoid slipping further and pick up vital points in the survival fight.

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