Decisive figure keeps Portsmouth alive and tilts it late at Boro | OneFootball

Nicolas Schmid set the tone in the ninth minute with a sharp low save and went on to make eight stops as Portsmouth won 1-0 at Middlesbrough.

The goalkeeper's early handling steadied the visitors amid a barrage of crosses and cut-backs. He then got down smartly to push away a close-range header (45.).

After the restart he blocked another effort from the right side of the box (47.). Moments later, he gathered a driven shot into the centre of his goal (48.).

Schmid finished with eight saves, seven from inside the box, against Boro's 20 attempts and eight on target. Late on, he stood up again to beat away a central strike (83.).

Because Portsmouth sat compact and conceded territory, his shot-stopping became the platform. The pressure resistance paved the way for the decisive winner in the seventh minute of second half stoppage time.

Portsmouth host Ipswich Town next. Boro visit Ipswich Town on 19 April.