Southampton take Spygate reprieve into Portsmouth derby as Saints target third straight win
Spygate decision clears the way for Eckert
Southampton head into Sunday’s south-coast derby against Portsmouth with Tonda Eckert cleared to take his place in the dugout at St Mary’s. The Football Association handed the Saints head coach a suspended six-week ban and a £28,000 fine for his role in the Spygate affair, meaning his immediate future will not hang over the build-up to the game.
Former Southampton striker James Beattie said the decision could provide the team with “a little shot in the arm”, adding that it would allow the players to focus on the match. Southampton shared footage of Eckert celebrating with supporters shortly after the announcement.
Saints’ home form puts pressure on Pompey
Southampton have won all four of their home games in the Championship this season, scoring 15 goals at St Mary’s. They started the campaign on minus four points but had climbed to 10 points after eight league matches, with Finn Azaz and Leo Scienza central to their attacking threat. Cyle Larin, the Championship’s leading scorer at the time of the report, gives Portsmouth another danger to account for.
Azaz had three goals and five assists in eight Championship appearances this season, while Scienza was continuing to build on a previous campaign in which he made 17 goal contributions in the Championship and was named Southampton’s player of the season. The report identifies limiting the supply to Larin—and disrupting Azaz and Scienza—as key tasks for Portsmouth.
A rivalry still waiting for a league winner
The sides’ two meetings last season brought no derby winner. Their first encounter at St Mary’s finished goalless; at Fratton Park, Scienza scored for Southampton before Ebou Adams equalised late for Portsmouth in a 1-1 draw.
Southampton and Portsmouth have met only 12 times in all competitions since 1996, according to the report. Neither has beaten the other in a league match since Portsmouth’s 4-1 victory at Fratton Park in 2005, when Lomana LuaLua scored twice. The four league meetings since that win have all been drawn.
Portsmouth’s investment faces a derby test
Portsmouth spent more than £10m on new players over the summer, making this a major recruitment window for head coach John Mousinho and sporting director Rich Hughes. Marko Milovanovic has scored twice in the Championship this season but has missed Portsmouth’s previous two matches with fitness problems. Midfielder Rocco Shein has featured in all seven of the club’s league games, while Abu Kamara and Tyrese Shade had each registered an assist.
Ryan Kavuma-McQueen, a Chelsea loanee, has also caught the eye with a goal and an assist in the Championship this season. The 17-year-old has continued playing with a splint after suffering a double fracture to his right hand.
With both clubs still seeking a league derby victory over the other, and last season’s contests ending level, Sunday’s meeting at St Mary’s offers another chance to break the stalemate. Kick-off is scheduled for 12:00 BST.