Portsmouth supporters have been in a frenzy ever since their club were crowned League One Champions earlier this week, and who can blame them?
That party-like atmosphere continued into today's fixture between Pompey and Wigan Athletic, and the home side took the lead incredibly early on in the match… or did they?
Portsmouth score the game's first goal with a beach ball
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Pompey supporters and their beach ball
Limbs 🤪
Portsmouth go 1-0 up through a beach ball – you feel the keeper must do better here 🤣
— FanHub (@FanHub) April 20, 2024
Celebrations are unsurprisingly rife within the city right now and perhaps that led to many supporters taking inflatable objects into Frattonm Park this afternoon.
One such object was a massive beach ball, which, after being thrown onto the pitch moments before kick-off, ended up in Wigan's goal.
The home crowd hilariously cheered as if their side had just gone one nil up in the game before the ball was eventually removed from the field.
Unfortunately, Pompey went on to lose the game 2-1, failing to score their first legitimate goal of the match until the 85th minute – although to be perfectly honest, I'm sure very few of the club's supporters will care all that much about the defeat.
Fan reaction to the bizarre goal
Thankfully, all supporters present in the ground saw the funny side of the incident.
After the game, one Wigan supporter took to X, formerly Twitter, to say “The Portsmouth fans cheering when the beach ball went in had me laughing can’t lie.”
Not the first time a beach ball takes centre stage
Who remembers Darren Bent's beach ball goal?
Premier League goals VAR would have changed! ❌
— Sky Sports Retro (@SkySportsRetro) February 20, 2024
You could be forgiven for thinking this is the first that a beach ball has been the centre of attention during a football match, but unfortunately, you would be wrong.
Sunderland fans, and perhaps even more so Liverpool fans, will still remember with great vividness Darren Bent's remarkable beach ball goal against the Reds for the Black Cats in 2009.
After the ball had entered the field of play, it rolled into the penalty box and miraculously, Bent's shot deflected off the ball and rifled past Pepe Reina – it was a crazy moment that is undeniably one of the most iconic goals scored in the history of the Premier League.
Portsmouth's beach ball bonanza may not be remembered in years to come in the same way, but it is astonishing just how often one object can be involved in a football match.