Match report

Preston Defeats Portsmouth 1-0 in Championship Clash

Preston
Preston
1–0
FT
Portsmouth
Portsmouth
Feb 7, 2026

Preston held off a determined Portsmouth side to secure a crucial win in the Championship. The decisive moment came early as Alistair Devine netted on the back of an assist from Aleksandar Vukcevic, setting the tone for Preston's defensive solidity throughout the match.

Key Facts

  • • Preston defeated Portsmouth 1-0 in a Championship match.
  • • Alistair Devine scored the only goal at the 40th minute with an assist from Aleksandar Vukcevic.
  • • Portsmouth made multiple substitutions but could not break through Preston's defense.
  • • Two yellow cards were shown to Preston players Alistair McCann and J. Thompson.

Lineups

Preston

Formation: 4-4-2

Starting XI

  • 13 D. Cornell (G)
  • 42 O. Offiah (D)
  • 14 J. Storey (D)
  • 19 L. Gibson (D)
  • 3 A. Vukcevic (D)
  • 26 T. Small (M)
  • 8 A. McCann (M)
  • 4 B. Whiteman (M)
  • 21 A. Devine (M)
  • 17 L. Dobbin (F)
  • 22 M. Lukovic (F)

Substitutes

  • 12 J. Walton
  • 2 P. Valentin
  • 15 J. Thompson
  • 18 J. Lewis
  • 23 A. Moran
  • 24 M. Smith
  • 34 K. Nelson
  • 35 N. Mawene
  • 36 E. Nolan

Portsmouth

Formation: 4-2-3-1

Starting XI

  • 1 N. Schmid (G)
  • 24 T. Devlin (D)
  • 5 R. Poole (D)
  • 3 C. Ogilvie (D)
  • 22 Z. Swanson (D)
  • 21 A. Dozzell (M)
  • 38 E. Adams (M)
  • 10 A. Segecic (M)
  • 36 C. Chaplin (M)
  • 27 M. Alli (M)
  • 40 J. Brown (F)

Substitutes

  • 26 J. Bursik
  • 2 J. Williams
  • 7 M. Pack
  • 8 J. Swift
  • 16 L. Le Roux
  • 17 I. Bowat
  • 25 M. Kirk
  • 34 A. Alese
  • 47 G. Caballero

Timeline

  1. Preston
    40' Preston Goal · Normal Goal
    A. Devine · Assist: A. Vukcevic
  2. Preston
    46' Preston subst · Substitution 1
    Off: M. Lukovic · On: M. Smith
  3. Preston
    59' Preston subst · Substitution 2
    Off: A. Vukcevic · On: P. Valentin
  4. Portsmouth
    69' Portsmouth subst · Substitution 1
    Off: C. Chaplin · On: M. Pack
  5. Portsmouth
    69' Portsmouth subst · Substitution 2
    Off: J. Brown · On: M. Kirk
  6. Preston
    71' Preston Card · Yellow Card
    Alistair McCann

    Foul

  7. Preston
    76' Preston subst · Substitution 3
    Off: Alistair McCann · On: J. Thompson
  8. Portsmouth
    79' Portsmouth subst · Substitution 3
    Off: A. Dozzell · On: G. Caballero
  9. Portsmouth
    86' Portsmouth subst · Substitution 4
    Off: A. Segecic · On: John Swift
  10. Portsmouth
    86' Portsmouth subst · Substitution 5
    Off: Z. Swanson · On: A. Alese
  11. Preston
    87' Preston subst · Substitution 4
    Off: L. Dobbin · On: A. Moran
  12. Preston
    89' Preston Card · Yellow Card
    J. Thompson

    Time wasting

  13. Portsmouth
    90' Portsmouth Card · Yellow Card
    A. Alese

    Foul

Match Stats

Stat Preston Portsmouth
Fouls 15 11
Pass Accuracy 69% 79%
Offsides 2 3
Red Cards — —
Total Shots 7 12
Corners 2 14
Total Passes 253 424
Yellow Cards 3 1
Blocked Shots 3 7
Shots on Target 3 4
xG 0.57 1.20
Shots off Target 1 1
Possession 37% 63%
Goals Prevented 0 0
Accurate Passes 174 333
Shots Inside Box 5 9
Saves 4 2
Shots Outside Box 2 3

Key Match Notes

  • ▸ The early goal by Alistair Devine in the 40th minute was pivotal, giving Preston a lead they would not relinquish.
  • ▸ Portsmouth made several substitutions to boost their attack but failed to convert opportunities into goals.