Adrian Segecic etched his name into Portsmouth folklore on Saturday, netting a maiden EFL hat-trick to guide the Blues to a 3-1 victory over Stoke City at the bet365 Stadium. The result marked Pompey's first-ever win at the venue and their first away success at Stoke since February 1995 at the old Victoria Ground, as reported by Sky Sports.
The Australian-born Croatian opened the scoring in the 32nd minute, capitalising on a threaded pass from Harvey Blair before rifling a left-footed shot past Tommy Simkin. Stoke equalised early in the second half through Lamine Cisse, who headed home from a Sorba Thomas corner, but Segecic responded emphatically. He restored Pompey's lead in the 66th minute by stabbing home from close range after Josh Murphy's cross, then completed his treble eight minutes from time with a stunning 20-yard left-footed strike.
Portsmouth manager John Mousinho made five changes to the side that lost 5-1 to Coventry, handing Austrian goalkeeper Nicolas Schmid a start. However, Schmid lasted just three minutes before being replaced by Ben Killip due to injury — Killip's first appearance since September. The visitors' resilience was rewarded as Segecic's heroics secured a memorable win in front of around 3,000 travelling fans celebrating the club's Championship survival.
Key Takeaways
- Historic Victory: Portsmouth's first win at the bet365 Stadium and first away win at Stoke since 1995.
- Segecic's Milestone: First EFL hat-trick for the 21-year-old, taking his season tally to 10 goals.
- Stoke's Slide: The Potters, second earlier in the season, are now destined for an eighth consecutive bottom-half finish.
- Injury Blow: Schmid's early exit forced Ben Killip into his first league appearance since September.
Adrian Segecic | 3 goals vs Stoke | 10 goals this season | Age: 21 | Born: Sydney, Australia | International: Croatia U21
Source: Sky Sports report. For more on Portsmouth's season, visit our Portsmouth page or check Championship standings.
