@PompeyChicken provides another match report ‘mash-up’ including tweets from (mainly) Pompey fans and Official Portsmouth FC on Twitter.
A reasonable sized Boxing Day crowd of 17,521 saw Portsmouth draw 1-1 against Millwall. It could have been larger perhaps but for a number of factors including a 1PM kick-off and Millwall not selling their complete allocation, the London club had been given the whole of the Milton End with two large sections of seats unavailable due to segregation. Memories of trouble in the 1970s and 1980s sadly linger long in the memory and no chances were taken by Hampshire Constabulary. A police chopper buzzed overhead before and after the game.
@djcopio Off to #Pompey Millwall today, hoping no idiots spoil it. First game in years, looking forward to it!
@sianifer Taking my nan to see #pompey v Millwall! Woo
@fatheed Wanted to buy tickets to #Pompey #Millwall at Fratton Park but they're not being sold at the ground :(
@nayla123jervis Can't believe my husband can't get x1 ticket for the Pompey v Milwall game today bless him #pompey #sports #shepherdscrook
@wordsfailme no tickets, no public transport, no #pompey game for me today – boooooooooooooooooo
@andyradiobloke Love being at boxing day footy. Was even free mince pies on the pub before the match #pompey
It was the first game at Fratton Park for six weeks following the recent bad weather conditions. The last match was the 2-3 defeat to Doncaster Rovers.
@tomc_1984 Can any1 post directions from Copnor 2 Fratton Park as I've forgotten how 2 get there it's been so long #pompey
@PompeyDog A home game that's actually on! C'mon #Pompey - tame the Lions! PUP
Although it was very cold on the South Coast the pitch at Fratton Park was in good condition, no danger of a postponement for this fixture, the fate that fell many Festive games.
@SolentSport #pompey match v Millwall on Boxing Day set to go ahead. Pitch at Fratton Park understood to be fine.
@mikeypfc #pompey - better win today it is far too cold to sit and watch a defeat!
@BileysMullet Taps at fratton park normally run water like volcanic lava, typically today when want to warm hands is bleeding freezing #pompey
@PompeyChicken Flags on North Stand at Fratton Park perfectly still. #Pompey
With Greg Halford suspended Steve Cotterill introduced Hermann Hreidarsson to the starting line-up in defence his first for nine months since the injury he sustained at White Hart Lane. Prior to this match he had only made a few cameo appearances up front making a nuisance of himself. Carl Dickinson was on the bench following his return from suspension.
Pompey 'glove watch' identified only John Utaka, the team was snoodless although there were a few players wearing long sleeve undershirts beneath their short sleeved tops. Only Michael Brown, Hayden Mullins and Aaron Mokoena went for the hard-man, summer look.
During the first half Pompey looked a bit 'ring-rusty' despite two magnificent away wins against Swansea and Norwich City in their last two matches.
Skipper Aaron Mokoena was booked very early on for a crunching tackle from behind on a Millwall player that led to a small melee amongst the players surrounding the referee Mr Phillips. He produced a yellow card after shooing players away in dramatic style more appropriate for a pantomime. Mokoena was on edge for the rest of the game.
@officialpompey Mokoena booked for a foul but the free-kick comes to nothing (3 mins) #pompey
Pompey had a number of half-chances in the first period and occasionally looked the better team, especially from set pieces, but without posing Millwall too many problems. The best opportunity to score fell to John Utaka who found himself through on goal and one-on-one with Millwall keeper David Forde, who blocked the shot well with his legs after reacting quickly to the danger. The Nigerian should have done better but this effort summed up his afternoon: lots of expectation but no end delivery. One chap behind me declared that he knew what was wrong with Utaka, “He's too fat!”, he announced to his mate. Pot and kettle sprang to mind.
@officialpompey Forde comes tearing off his line to save at the feet of Utaka (15 mins) #pompey
As the game settled down Millwall grew in confidence and started to look the better team. Trotter and Puncheon in particular were causing Pompey problems. Jamie Ashdown was being kept busy due to some off-colour defending by Pompey being called into action a number of times.
@officialpompey Ashdown makes a fine double save to deny Henry and Puncheon (6 mins) #pompey
@officialpompey Trotter fires against the post from point-blank range before Henry scuffs the loose ball wide (20 mins) #pompey
@onejimproudfoot Trotter unlucky to hit post and Henry misses shocker on rebound. Lions coming into it #Pompey #millwall
It was no surprise when Millwall took the lead through a Trotter header after Ashdown had made an initial save from a shot by Dunne. As the cliché goes 'it had been coming for a while'.
@onejimproudfoot Millwall lead: Trotter header after Dunne effort parried. Deserved after impressive 10 min spell #Pompey #millwall
@officialpompey Goal: #Pompey 0 Millwall 1 (Trotter 26)
@officialpompey Trotter did well to guide his header past Ashdown and into the net after the #Pompey keeper had kept out Dunne's initial effort
Almost immediately Pompey had a great opportunity to equalise but Aaron Mokoena's unmarked header went wide after Liam Lawrence had whipped in another excellent corner. He should have at least hit the target.
Set pieces looked the most likely avenue for Pompey to score from in the first half. Pompey's only other half-decent chance fell to Michael Brown but the midfielder fired his effort well wide of the goal and into the Millwall fans gathered in the Milton End.
Millwall maintained their lead and could have scored again but spurned a number of very good chances. Excellent work from Ashdown and some timely interventions from the linesman helped to keep the scoreline to 1-0 at the half-time break.
@Jlsouthwarknews #Millwall could've easily had a couple more here. Well on top and #Pompey not offering much by way of a response.
@officialpompey Trotter somehow fails to put the ball in the net from two yards out but his blushes are spared by the linesman's flag (37 mins) #pompey
@onejimproudfoot Lions ripping Hreidarsson to bits: Pompey best chances coming from high balls inside Millwall box, but all from set pieces #Pompey #millwall
@officialpompey Morison races clear but Ashdown stands his ground and makes a good block (42 mins) #pompey
@officialpompey Ashdown makes a superb save from point-blank range to deny Morison. The Millwall player was offside but it was still a super stop #pompey
HT Portsmouth 0-1 Millwall
As has happened on more than one occasion this season Pompey came out for the second half, attacking the Fratton End, firing on all cylinders. I have a sense of deja-vu whilst writing this sentence!
Michael Brown had two good shots on goal from the edge of the area but couldn't get past a stubborn Millwall defence.
@officialpompey Brown shot cleared off the line (46 mins) #pompey
Pompey continued to pile pressure on the Millwall goal and thought they had equalised a few minutes later, David Nugent drilling the ball home from the left. But the fans' joy soon turned to despair when the 'goal' was disallowed, the linesman flagging for offside although it was difficult to see who the offender was.
@officialpompey Nugent nets from a tight angle but it's ruled out for offside (48 mins) #pompey
@onejimproudfoot Pompey impressive start to 2nd half. Excellent Nugent had goal disallowed for offside #Pompey #millwall
Pompey continued to generate chances and Dave Kitson did everything but score after an excellent turn on the edge of the box to get free from his marker only to fire wide of the left hand upright.
@officialpompey Great chance for Kitson - but he pokes wide of the post (57 mins) #pompey
Hayden Mullins fired a shot from just outside of the penalty area that just clipped the top of the cross bar. Pompey were in the ascendency and having a much better second half.
@officialpompey Mullins shot from the edge of the box clips the top of the crossbar (67 mins) #pompey
Pompey's pressure finally paid off in the 73rd minute when David Nugent scored his seventh goal of the season. A mis-hit cross from Lawrence from the left side of the area was headed back towards goal by Kitson and Nugent was the first to react with a close range header past Forde. A well deserved goal.
@stuart_matthews Hooray - now for the winner ! #pompey
@PompeyGoat Nugent!!! Get in there you little beauty... #Pompey
@paulpfcgarner Get in there nuge, 1all come on #pompey the come back is on!!!
In the second half Millwall's best efforts came from long range and on the break, both the impressive Puncheon and Morrison with chances.
The main threat to Pompey in the second half was their own defensive frailty and on one occasion Joel Ward, who got stronger as the game went on, did well to clear the ball off the line and away from danger after Brown had misdirected a cross from a Millwall player.
Steve Cotterill recognised this frailty when he withdrew Rocha and Hreidarsson and replaced them in a double substitution, Sonko and Dickinson coming on.
Rocha had not had one of his better games, occasionally getting side-tracked into verbal battles with the Millwall players, and eventually seeing yellow for a deliberate handball just before his departure.
Hreidarsson had given his all but not unexpectedly lacked match-fitness. One trade-mark 'sprint', arms and legs pumping away in an exaggerated fashion brought a smile to the face.
Both players will have a big part to play in the second half of Pompey's season when defensive experience and nous will be needed to balance attacking flair (of which the team has plenty).
Ashdown had to remain alert until the end, making one more good block from Morrison to keep the scores level.
@officialpompey Ashdown makes another fine save to deny Morison (85 mins) #pompey
With five minutes of added time Cotterill threw on Kanu in place of Kitson but the Nigerian was unable to exert any influence in such a short space of time before the referee blew the final whistle.
FT Portsmouth 1-1 Millwall
On reflection a draw was a fair result in this match. Millwall were the better team in the first half and Pompey the better in the second. However, if Pompey are to push on in this league and secure a play-off place, it's games like this that Pompey need to pick up three points.
Good recent form plus a win earlier in the season at The New Den raised expectations that Pompey would pick up a double. Four points out of a possible six against a workmanlike but unspectacular Millwall team looks good on paper but it could have been six out of six.
Liam Lawrence was named the official sponsor's MOTM but I would have given it to David Nugent whose tireless running, closing defenders and keeper down was a constant thorn in Millwall's side.
Next up Leeds United (away) on Bank Holiday Tuesday 28th December at 3PM.
Portsmouth team vs Millwall
@officialpompey #Pompey team: Ashdown; Ward, Mokoena (c), Rocha, Hreidarsson; Lawrence, Brown, Mullins, Utaka; Kitson, Nugent
@officialpompey #Pompey subs: Flahavan, Sonko, Dickinson, Ciftci, Kanu
@PompeyChicken at twitter.com
A shorter version of this report can be found at http://pompeypages.com/2010/12/26/pompey-1-millwall-1-a-view-from-the-stands/
