Portsmouth vs Wrexham; Sky Bet Championship
Portsmouth vs Wrexham. Sky Bet Championship.
Fratton ParkAttendance19,877.
Portsmouth 0-0 Wrexham: Both sides wasteful in goalless draw at Fratton Park
Report and free match highlights from the Sky Bet Championship match between Portsmouth and Wrexham at Fratton Park on Wednesday night; Pompey and Red Dragons both miss good chances in a goalless draw.
Wednesday 5 November 2025 22:51, UK
Arthur Okonkwo made two superb second-half saves to earn Wrexham a point in a 0-0 draw at goal-shy Portsmouth.
Pompey are the lowest goalscorers in the Championship but fired 18 shots on the Welsh side's goal, seven of which were on target.
Josh Murphy's near-post stinger and Ibane Bowat's point-blank header were brilliantly saved by Okonkwo.
It meant Portsmouth have still only scored 10 times in the league this season and have just a single win in nine, with Wrexham losing only once in nine league outings to sit 14th.
Pompey made seven changes from their 4-0 drubbing by Birmingham at the weekend, and one of those that came into the XI was at the heart of everything good they created in the first half.
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Murphy has struggled for minutes due to a troublesome ankle but impressed down the right, starting in the third minute when his wayward cross almost caught out Okonkwo.
He cleared the crossbar with a free-kick, sent in a wicked cross which Regan Poole diverted wide, and charged down Issa Kabore, only for Colby Bishop to dither over a shot.
But Murphy's best first-half moment came when he drilled a shot across the face of goal.
The hosts might have had more than double the chances, but Wrexham were more than their equals, and had the better quality efforts on goal.
The lively Lewis O'Brien had a shot saved by Josef Bursik after a nice move, and Ben Sheaf dragged wide having being allowed to run through the heart of midfield.
Kieffer Moore scored a hat-trick in Wrexham's victory over table-toppers Coventry on Friday night and he almost added an eighth goal of the season in the 21st minute.
O'Brien hung up a perfect cross to the striker in the six-yard box. Moore headed down and towards the bottom corner, only for Bursik to push the ball away.
Portsmouth came out for the second half in a more aggressive and direct style, and swarmed for the opener.
Andre Dozzell fired the ball across goal to start the barrage. Murphy found himself unmarked at the back post but Max Cleworth and then Okonkwo made a double block-save.
Okonkwo was then forced into two sensational stops. Murphy's low drilled effort looked destined to creep in at the near post before the former Arsenal youngster clawed away at full stretch.
From Murphy's corner, Bowat headed goal-bound only for Okonkwo to use his hip to clear.
For all Portsmouth's dominance, the best chance fell for O'Brien. After a quick free-kick, Liberato Cacace's excellent first-time through ball set O'Brien free, but he shot straight at Bursik.
At the other end, Conor Chaplin's curling shot was denied by Dan Scarr, while Bishop's flick was easily saved by Okonkwo.
Chaplin tried his luck from 25 yards but again Okonkwo held firm having made seven saves.
The managers
Portsmouth's John Mousinho:
"We created more than enough in the second half to win the game.
"We gave ourselves a foothold but we couldn't put the ball in the back of the net. That was the big thing that was missing tonight.
"I thought there were some brilliant saves in there - the one which he made down to his right from Josh Murphy and from Ibane's header.
"On another night you think you have to bury those chances. It was a combination of their goalkeeper being on form and not testing him quite enough."
Wrexham's Phil Parkinson:
"Arthur was brilliant. I'm so pleased for the big fella. He's getting better and better each week. He's been on this journey with us and is adapting all the time and that was a really good performance from him tonight.
"He can be very pleased with his clean sheet.
"It was a hard-earned point for us tonight. Fratton Park on a Wednesday night is always a test.
"We showed some good quality and played through the press but in the second half we couldn't get a foothold in the game. Credit to them, they put us under pressure."
