Pompey ended their four holiday period fixtures with a second consecutive defeat, this time against Hull City at Fratton Park. The festive period has gleaned just 2 points when players had been talking about winning 10 or 12 before Christmas. The defeat leaves Pompey in 18th position and struggling to build up any sort of momentum. Defensively Pompey again looked woeful, this was the third game in a row that they have conceded three goals.
Neither Richard Hughes or Michael Brown were in the starting line-up but Greg Halford played, after Pompey decided to appeal the red card he received at Watford and Liam Lawrence returned having completed his permanent move from Stoke City. Ricardo Rocha made a welcome return alongside Aaron Mokoena and Dave Kitson returned from suspension. Ibrahimo Sonko and the three youngsters, Joel Ward, Tom Kilbey and Nadir Ciftci, were on the bench.
It was a murky, chilly day on the South Coast with little wind - needed perhaps to blow away the memories of New Year's Day at Vicarage Road.
Before the game quite a significant crowd had built up in Frogmore Road with fans from both sets of supporters queuing up for tickets. This was the first match day the re-located ticket office had seen action and it wasn't an auspicious start with some fans getting frustrated at the slow turnover. Some Hull City fans were observed entering the ground in the Milton End thirty minutes after kick-off.
As you would expect with the firepower Pompey had on the field they created plenty of chances. Nugent (shots fired over and wide), Lawrence (free-kick hit cross bar), Kanu (header) and Utaka (header wide) all had good opportunities to score.
Unfortunately, in the middle of the park Hayden Mullins, who was working his socks off, looked worryingly isolated at times with big gaps opening up between him, the defenders and him and the attackers.
Jimmy Bullard looked lively in the Hull midfield, linking up the away team's play and it was no surprise when he rattled the cross bar directly from a centrally positioned free kick just outside of the box.
Minutes later Bullard did open the scoring for the visitors from the penalty spot. The penalty came after some poor defending, Mokoena half clearing the ball which fell to Cameron Stewart who ran in to the box and into Halford standing his ground. It looked a harsh decision but the referee was under no doubt. Bullard fired the penalty into the bottom corner sending Ashdown the wrong way.
Pompey lost the experienced Rocha mid-way through the first half to injury, Hermann Hreidarsson coming on as a replacement.
Towards the end of the first half Utaka started to get into the game a lot more, foraging down the left had flank and looking dangerous. Unfortunately, none of the chances created led to anything positive for Pompey, the best being a Hreidarsson header.
HT Portsmouth 0-1 Hull City
Pompey created plenty of opportunities in the early stages of the second half with Nugent and Utaka looking lively. Utaka spurned a number of great chances down the left through poor shots when cutting in field on his right foot, crossing when he should have taken on a shot or failing to get a shot off from his left foot and finding himself hustled away from goal. All very frustrating for the home fans.
Pompey did equalise from the penalty spot. The move that led to the penalty started when Nugent, hassling and harrying the Hull defenders like an annoying terrier dog, nicked the ball away and played through Lawrence whose run in to the box was halted by a defender. He may have taken the ball but the linesman signalled for the penalty. Lawrence slotted the ball home to bring the scores level.
Pompey were in the ascendency and it looked certain that they would go on and take the lead, Ashdown had hardly been troubled in the second half. But how quickly things can change in football.
Hull made two substitutions and after each one the player went on to score shortly after arriving on the pitch. Firstly, Matty Fryatt recently signed from Leicester City and secondly, Nicky Barmby. Barmby's goal came after a good cross in to the box by the evergreen Nobby Solano from the right hand side. In the space of three minutes Pompey had found themselves 3-1 down and facing an uphill battle.
Pompey continued to press forward and still looked dangerous despite some wasted opportunities to deliver crosses into the box by Dickinson down the left. Steve Cotterill tried to add some freshness to the team by sending on Joel Ward in place of Kanu who'd completed another long shift, the substitution came on 76 minutes.
Pompey's second goal came from a Lawrence corner which was powerfully headed in by Greg Halford who was having a solid game at right back.
In a last desperate attempt to salvage something and in a move summing up Pompey's lack of resources when compared to their visitors, Cotterill withdrew Utaka and replaced him up front with Sonko more accustomed to kicking away from goal.
With the game ebbing away, not helped by some dubious time wasting tactics by Hull's 'keeper Guzan, Pompey had some more good chances to score through Kitson (header), Sonko (header), Nugent (shot saved) and Ward (threw himself at ball, shot saved). But it wasn't to be and after four added minutes the referee blew his whistle to call time on proceedings.
Greg Halford was named the official sponsor's Man of the Match.
This was a game Pompey dominated for long periods of time creating plenty of good chances to score but found themselves on the wrong end of the final result. Hull have some experienced players (Bullard, Solano, Barmby, Ashbee) and took their chances well when they came, Pompey's defensive shortcomings aside.
With the January Transfer Window now open Steve Cotterill needs to work some magic to bring in some reinforcements and bolster a squad that is looking painfully thin in numbers and will not be able to sustain a decent campaign run-in without additions. As injuries and suspensions kick-in the options will become limited. It's nor clear how much finance is going to be made available, if any, to do this but some investment is clearly required even if that means off-loading one or two youngsters or expensive players to generate cash to revitalise the squad. If it doesn't happen Pompey could be sucked into a relegation battle and as Sky TV reminded everyone today with its live match coverage involving Sheffield Wednesday and Charlton Athletic bigger clubs can and do fall through the trapdoor to League One.
FT Portsmouth 2-3 Hull City
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