When Sido Jombati stepped up to take a second half free kick against Portsmouth on Saturday few inside Fratton Park fancied his chances of scoring.

Yet, the Portuguese did, and in some style as he clipped delicately over the wall and into the top corner from 20 yards. While Jombati’s second goal of the season proved to be in vain in a 2-1 defeat, it was nonetheless a superb effort.

The strike caused widespread surprise, but the right-back insists he always had faith in his ability to produce the goods.

He said: “To be fair, when the ball is close to the line I sometimes watch JJ [Joe Jacobson] and ask if I can take it.

“I watch him take free kicks in training and sometimes get involved, but because he is a specialist he always takes them in matches.

“I am quite confident close to the box and I think I can do a job and JJ knows that.”

Indeed, Jacobson is one of the few players at the club who can vouch for Jombati’s quality at dead ball situations.

The 28-year-old revealed after the match that his Welsh team-mate had backed him to find the target.

Jombati explained: “The boys never saw me do it, but JJ knows I can and he actually said after the game ‘I was fancying you kid’.

“I just went for it, everything went well and I scored. We almost got back in the game, but they managed to clear off the line twice. A defeat is a defeat so we are not very happy.”