Bognor Regis Town are set to play host to Portsmouth at the MKM Arena on Saturday as both teams aim to advance their pre-season preparations.
The Rocks have maintained a flawless pre-season record with three wins from three friendlies, while Pompey will be playing their second game in as many days when they face off.
Match preview
![Portsmouth manager John Mousinho pictured in April 2024 [IMAGO]](https://sm.imgix.net/24/25/john-mousinho.jpg?w=640&h=480&auto=compress,format&fit=clip "Portsmouth manager John Mousinho pictured in April 2024 [IMAGO]")
© Imago
Bognor Regis are coming into this game preparing for another season in the Isthmian League Premier, where they have spent the best part of 12 years since being promoted into the division ahead of 2012-13.
After challenging for promotion in 2013-14 and 2015-16, the Rocks were finally promoted in 2016-17, but they managed just a single-season stint in the National League South as they finished at the foot of the table with 27 points from 42 games.
Bognor Regis have since failed to find the same level of consistency that saw them place in the playoff positions in three out of four seasons, instead languishing around the middle of the table in each of the last six campaigns.
While they once again finished in the middle of the pack last term, placing 10th with 62 points, Robbie Blake's side enjoyed a brilliant end to the campaign, winning all of their last three games, and have continued that form into pre-season.
Three wins from three friendly matches, defeating Littlehampton Town, Moneyfields and most recently Pagham 1-0, will give Bognor Regis plenty of confidence heading into a new season where Blake aims to take a step up the table.
However, Portsmouth are sure to be their biggest test so far, and John Mousinho's men will be looking for a big victory as they aim to build a strong run of form in preparation for their first appearance in England's second division since 2011-12.
After a gruelling seven-year stay in League One, during which Portsmouth lost in back-to-back playoff semi-finals before narrowly missing out on the playoffs altogether between 2021 and 2023, Pompey went all the way last season as they were crowned champions.
While Mousinho's men were a dominant force throughout the entire season, only relinquishing top spot for one week between September 15 and the end of the campaign, the Championship will serve as an entirely different challenge.
Pompey are aiming to build a solid foundation ahead of next season, starting perfectly with a 3-1 win over Gosport Borough, and are now set to face Bognor Regis just a day after taking on Havant & Waterlooville.
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Team News
Dan Gifford struck the only goal of the game in Bognor Regis' 1-0 win over Pagham in their last friendly game, and the striker is likely to play a part here.
Tommy-Lee Higgs scored 15 times for the Rocks last campaign and has signed a new deal ahead of next season, and he could play alongside new signings Doug Tuck and Tommy Block here.
New signing Josh Murphy got on the scoresheet in his first appearance for Pompey, opening the scoring midway through the first half against Gosport, and the midfielder is expected to feature again on Saturday.
Mousinho named an entirely different side for both halves of that victory, and that is likely to happen once again at the MKM Arena, particularly with Pompey playing two games in two days.
Bognor Regis Town possible starting lineup:
Hall; Block, Robson, Spurway, Whyte; Davies, Burgess, Tuck, Osborne; Gifford, Higgs
Portsmouth possible starting lineup:
Norris; Williams, Shaughnessy, Towler, Ogilvie; Pack, Stevenson; Scully, Lang, Murphy; Yengi
We say: Bognor Regis Town 1-4 Portsmouth
Bognor Regis will want to cause a shock upset against a much tougher opponent, but Portsmouth are likely to name a strong squad as they prepare for the Championship, and we expect the visitors to comfortably take the victory.
Data Analysis
Our analysis of all available data, including recent performances and player stats up until an hour before kickoff, suggested the most likely outcome of this match was a Portsmouth win with a probability of 72.98%. A draw had a probability of 16.3% and a win for Bognor Regis Town had a probability of 10.67%.
The most likely scoreline for a Portsmouth win was 0-2 with a probability of 11.38%. The next most likely scorelines for that outcome were 1-2 (9.38%) and 0-1 (9.33%). The likeliest drawn scoreline was 1-1 (7.68%), while for a Bognor Regis Town win it was 2-1 (3.16%). The actual scoreline of 0-2 was predicted with an 11.4% likelihood. Our data analysis correctly predicted a 0-2 win for Portsmouth in this match and our team at Sports Mole correctly predicted the win for Portsmouth.
Ellis Stevens
