22/02/2011 Portsmouth 1-0 Crystal Palace: Pompey grind out another win

It's a night game at Fratton Park, the view down Frogmore Road prior to Pompey's match against Crystal Palace

Whisper it quietly but Pompey have hit a vein of good form: unbeaten in four matches, 10 points out of a possible 12 and three consecutive wins without conceding a goal is the evidence. The Pompey grinder is fully up-and-running and it's producing results. The outcome has been a steady, step-by-step rise up the table away from the dropzone.

Is there a more special view than this? The Fratton Park pitch under lights which comes into sight as you go up the steps into the stand.

Pompey made one change from the starting line-up against Barnsley, Liam Lawrence who limped out of that match, was replaced by Jonathan Hogg returning from a one match suspension. Aaron Mokoena returned to the bench. Dave Kitson was given the captain's armband ahead of David Nugent and Hayden Mullins other good candidates. There was one other absentee: Kanu who came on against Barnsley to turn the game didn't make it. Personal reasons and a visit to Nigeria have since been cited by Steve Cotterill.

As with the matches against Derby County, Doncaster Rovers and Barnsley chances were few and far between in this game and the style of football wasn't the prettiest ever witnessed at Fratton Park.

However, Pompey always looked to have more about them than a Crystal Palace side sitting a few places below them in the Championship table just above the dropzone.

The Eagles appear to have gone backwards since the reverse fixture earlier in the season when Neil Danns and James Vaughan in particular had put Pompey to the sword. On this occasion Danns was anonymous for much of the game and Vaughan got more and more frustrated as he tussled with his Ice Man marker with no positive outcome.

Vaughan was eventually replaced to a chorus of boos from the Pompey fans – a 'reward' for his petulant outbursts towards the referee Mr Malone - such a shame to see a young prospect react in this way, there was such high hopes for him during his early days at Everton. English football doesn't want to see him go off the rails a la Danny Cadamarteri another former Everton player although that would take some doing.

Vaughan gets a talking to from the referee

Two players stood out for Pompey during the first half: Jonathan Hogg and Ritche de Laet.

Hogg has added some bite and tenacity to the midfield alongside Hayden Mullins – how he must welcome having the on-loan Villain playing with him. He's been carrying the centre of midfield since the Brown-Hughes debacle, now he has a whipper snapper of an apprentice to work with and Pompey have a better shape in that part of the field as a result.

Whereas Hogg has grown in stature gradually with each game, De Laet has had a quiet start to his loan spell from Manchester United, occasionally showing glimpses of why he is on the Old Trafford playing staff.

However, in this game he came of age and showed what he's about.

There were two special moments in particular that stood out in his performance. The first started in his own half where he picked up the ball and showed a tremendous burst of speed to charge forward on a run that carried him past a number of Palace defenders. Just as it looked like his good work would end in a goal kick he managed to keep the ball in play and get in a right footed cross that was cleared by the defence. It was a great run that lifted the crowd.

Shortly afterwards, again in his own half, De Laet got himself out of trouble with a Cruyff-like turn that freed him from his opponent. He drove forward again and played a pass to David Nugent down the right whose cross in to the box was just too high for Dave Kitson to get a head on to.

If pace and skill are two of the basic pre-requisites required to be a success in The Premier League then De Laet has them both in abundance, he just hasn't demonstrated them consistently to date during his loan spell.

De Laet was eventually awarded the official Man Of The Match which was well deserved and warmly received by the Fratton Park crowd. If he continues to show this level of form for the remainder of the season Pompey fans could be in for a few more treats.

Despite having the better chances and looking the better team in the first half Pompey could not take advantage. David Cotterill had a couple of good opportunities including one that was blasted over the cross bar.

For the visitors Anthony Gardner found himself unmarked at the far post from a set piece only to put his header wide of the goal. He should have hit the target but as with much of the game Jamie Ashdown was rarely troubled.

HT Portsmouth 0-0 Crystal Palace

Despite Crystal Palace starting the second period brighter, Pompey's defence looked rock solid as it has done in the previous two games.

Pompey continued to press and won a series of set pieces to ensure they continued to turn the screw and put the Eagles under pressure.

One long range free kick from Greg Halford was drilled powerfully on goal and punched away by goalkeeper Julian Speroni.

A weird looking picture of Greg Halford's free kick

Pompey were making more use of both flanks as Nugent, Cotterill and Hermann Hreidarsson found themselves in good positions to get crosses in to the danger area adding to the threats from Halford's long throw-ins.

The breakthrough finally came in the 65th minute. Halford took a long throw-in from the right hand side which was flicked on by skipper Kitson. The ball fell invitingly to Nugent who hit his shot into the turf and saw it bounce over the head of Speroni, who was slightly off his line, and in to the back of the net. It was Nugent's 10th goal of the season.

Earlier in the season Pompey were not always capable of maintaining a one goal lead or a winning position. But these are different times and Pompey's defence looks better organised, more resolute and more confident that one goal will be enough. Despite one scare where Palace found themselves in a good goal scoring position, the ball was cleared away for a corner by Greg Halford, this result was never in any doubt.

With four minutes of added time signalled Pompey brought on Aaron Mokoena to replace Joel Ward, a move to break up play and shore up the defence a bit more. Not all the fans are confident in Mokoena's abilities as a defender but there can be no substitute for experience and what a great position for Steve Cotterill to be in to be able to bring on the South African captain and holder of 100 international caps.

Pompey saw out the remaining added time to secure victory. They move up the table to 15th on 41 points.

Next up is Ipswich Town on Saturday 26th March at 3PM. The Tractor Boys are 13th on 42 points and in Pompey's sights.

It's time for the Pompey results grinder to roll in to Suffolk.

FT Portsmouth 1-0 Crystal Palace

Portsmouth versus Crystal Palace: Jamie Ashdown, Ritchie de Laet, Greg Halford, Ricardo Rocha, Hermann Hreidarsson, Joel Ward, Hayden Mullins, Jonathan Hogg, David Cotterill, Dave Kitson, David Nugent. Substitutes: Daryll Flahavan, Aaron Mokoena, Carl Dickinson, Tom Kilbey, Nadir Ciftci

MOTM: Ritchie de Laet

Attendance: 15,641 - there was a good turnout from the Eagles' fans combined with some half-term inspired attendees raising the size of crowd compared to recent home games.

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19/02/2011 Portsmouth 1-0 Barnsley: not many sparks but the grinder's definitely been fired-up

"Cheers King!" Steve Cotterill thanks Kanu for his match winning performance at the end of the game against Barnsley

A late goal from second half substitute Kanu secured three valuable points for Pompey in this Championship encounter at Fratton Park.

The goal was one of the few bright moments in a mediocre game. However, how many times in football do people talk about 'grinding out results' when needs must? With that thought in mind and Pompey's recent form having been on the slide, who cares about mediocrity?

Pompey made one enforced change from the team that beat Doncaster Rovers, new on-loan signing David Cotterill from Swansea City coming into the team in place of Jonathan Hogg who saw red at the Keepmoat Stadium and served a one match ban.

Welsh international Cotterill had a good first game in blue and showed why he has been the subject of a few big money transfer fees already in his short career. He played in this match both on the left, where he looked best, and the right flank. He linked up well with the defence and the midfield, holding the ball up and delivering some telling crosses in to the box. It's too early to draw direct comparisons with former Pompey player Steve Stone, who also started his career on the South Coast on-loan, but he has similar looks and the fans will be hopeful he'll have a similar impact albeit over a much shorter timeframe.

Liam Lawrence retained the captain's armband despite Aaron Mokoena's return from South Africa clutching his renewed work permit. His comments in the matchday programme would suggest that slow functioning bureaucracy was the cause for delay. Or perhaps expectations that it would operate quicker were misplaced.

But as Jimmy Greaves used to say “football's a funny old game” and before the first half was out Lawrence had left the field with a recurrence of a calf injury to be replaced by Mokoena; it was a straight armband swap and Mokoena slotted into midfield and the versatile Joel Ward was pushed wide right.

The game started brightly with both sides having chances. Barnsley's Danny Haynes, probably the visitor's most eye-catching outfield performer on the day, fired wide when through on goal.

For Pompey David Nugent found himself in a great scoring position following a pass from Liam Lawrence. He fired an excellent shot at goal which was saved superbly by Barnsley 'keeper Luke Steele, with a one-handed reflex flick of the ball over the cross bar.

Dave Kitson was another Pompey forward who could have scored early on, putting a header over the bar and a shot, which ended a good move down the left hand side, wide of the upright.

At times in the first half Kitson, perhaps searching for the ball in frustration at the lack of service, drifted too wide leaving the centre forward position 'unmanned'. This was highlighted when he found himself in the right wing position only to see his effort at crossing the ball to the non-existent centre forward fly high and wide into the travelling fans. As Brian Clough might have said: “Get in the box young man, that's what I pay you to do!”

Both Cotterill and Mokoena managed shots at goal before half-time. The former having his shot comfortably saved by Steele the latter with his head up driving his shot high and wide a-la-Quashie into the Milton End.

The only other moment of note in the first half came from the visitors and that man Haynes was again at the centre of the action, firing a long distance shot-volley, from well outside of the box, that dipped and swerved away from Jamie Ashdown and past the home team's left upright.

HT: Portsmouth 0-0 Barnsley

Unfortunately, the second half continued in the same fashion as the first. Both sides were closely matched and neither one was able to conjure up a piece of skill to break the deadlock.

Kitson, foraging for the ball in a more central position, managed to work himself a goal scoring opportunity in the penalty box, only to take the ball too far wide of the goal. Although he got his shot off Steele made himself big and saved well.

The game needed a spark and it came when Steve Cotterill decided to bring on Kanu in place of Joel Ward.

Ward was unlucky to be replaced having already swapped positions and some of the Pompey fans expressed their displeasure with the decision. But that quickly turned to acknowledging his performance.

Ward's flexibility, covering positions in defence, midfield and up front in recent games, may see further withdrawals from the action for the Emsworth youngster until he finds a settled position. That will most likely be right back. But with on-loan Ritchie de Laet continuing to improve with every game - he showed one particularly impressive turn of speed in this match to snuff out a Barnsley threat - Ward may continue be the player to be sacrificed.

Kanu was immediately into the action, his long, gangly legs and big feet taking the ball through a number of tackles to raise the voices of the home fans as he fell into a crumpled heap on the turf, got himself back up and strolled forward in that languid, 'limping', style of his.

During the pre-match warm-up Kanu had demonstrated some intricate, silky skills that had been more entertaining than the match itself to the point of his arrival. Now he was doing what he did best where it mattered most and it was giving Barnsley a different set of problems to deal with, leading to mistakes and fouls.

The atmosphere in the ground had changed with Kanu's arrival, suddenly the home fans sensed some hope and it was Kanu who broke the stalemate six minutes before the end of normal time.

Greg Halford drifted a free kick in to the penalty area from a central position and Kanu jumped high enough to glance the ball past Steele. It was as if a huge weight had been lifted and as some of the players celebrated with the Nigerian goalscorer, Ricardo Rocha was stood on the halfway line punching the air in delight.

The game opened up following the goal and Pompey had three more good chances to increase their lead. Kitson had a header well saved by Steele at point blank range and from the resulting corner Hreidarsson's header was also well saved. A late Pompey break down the right hand side – possibly the most free-flowing move of the game - saw Nugent put in to an excellent position to score but his shot went wide of the upright. Hands on heads time all around Fratton Park.

The home fans recognising the importance of holding on to the lead reminded the referee of his duty to call time with some whistling. Mr East eventually called time and Pompey had seen out the four added minutes to secure victory.

This was the second game in a row where Pompey had put 'the grinder' to good use.

Another three points, unbeaten in three games and with a clutch of winnable matches coming up in the fixture list this was exactly what was required to put some space between Pompey and the relegation zone, which had been looming ever nearer in recent weeks. After this result Pompey are up to 16th position on 38 points 9 points clear of Sheffield United in 22nd.

There may not have been many moments of excitement in this match but this is what is known as 'being professional' and 'getting the job done', aka 'grinding out results'.

The Play-Offs seem well out of reach now. But by pushing on in the last part of the season, away from the edge of drop zone, Pompey can get themselves into a decent mid-table position and then finish off in a bit of style to reward the fans.

FT: Portsmouth 1-0 Barnsley

Portsmouth versus Barnsley: Jamie Ashdown Ritchie de Laet, Greg Halford, Ricardo Rocha, Hermann Hreidarsson, Liam Lawrence, Joel Ward, Hayden Mullins, David Cotterill, Dave Kitson, David Nugent. Substitutes: Daryll Flahavan, Ibrahimo Sonko, Aaron Mokoena, Carl Dickinson, Tom Kilbey, Nadir Ciftci

Attendance: 14,318

Man of the match: the official MOTM was Hayden Mullins who had another solid game in the midfield. But for the second match in a row I would have given it to Ricardo Rocha, he made one or two errors in the first half but his abilities to recover, organise and shepherd the Pompey defence, which led to another clean sheet clinched it for me. Steve Cotterill is going to find it difficult to change a 'winning formula' to bring back his skipper. Halford and Rocha in the centre of defence looks a stronger pairing than either Mokoena-Halford or Mokoena-Rocha. I think Aaron may be on the bench again Tuesday night especially as Jonathan Hogg will be back from suspension and Liam Lawrence is struggling with an injury. It's a no-brainer.

Next up: Crystal Palace at Fratton Park on 22nd February at 7:45PM

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Giant Milkybar Buttons

At last! Discovered at Sainsburys, Farlington in Portsmouth - two pounds per packet!

12/02/2011 Doncaster Rovers 0-2 Portsmouth: Keepmoat Stadium Pictures

Entrance to away fans stand

Images of The Keepmoat Stadium

The moon in the background and a Stadium floodlight

A statue outside of the Stadium

An inflatable footballer

One of the Stadium's entrances

The Pompey coach at The Keepmoat Stadium

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12/02/2011 Doncaster Rovers 0-2 Portsmouth

Pompey returned to winning ways at The Keepmoat Stadium, securing their first win of the 2011 calendar year with goals from Dave Kitson and Joel Ward either side of half-time.

Pompey made one change to their starting line-up, Ricardo Rocha replacing Aaron Mokoena who was 'stranded' in South Africa waiting for a renewed work permit to be processed. Liam Lawrence took over the captain's armband.

The Keepmoat Stadium is a modern, 'cookie-cutter' arena, similar in design to other new grounds that have emerged over the last few years.

The stadium hosts men and women's football as well as rugby league and there is an athletics facility next door.

It is easily accessed from the M1/M18 and on arrival in Doncaster it's well sign-posted and simple to find. Match day car parking is simple and straightforward and the stewards helpful and friendly.

The stadium itself holds around 15,000 fans and has a uniform eighteen rows of red seats all around. One side of the arena hosts hospitality, the other the media. The away fans' end has a good sized concourse and the viewing lines of the pitch are unobstructed.

View of match action from The Keepmoat Stadium

It is a super facility and one that over 1,000 Pompey fans took the opportunity to experience providing a rousing backing for their team, cheering them on to victory.

Pompey fans at The Keepmoat Stadium

Managers and players alike talk a lot about the significance of the fans being their vocal twelfth man but this was more of a good old fashioned day out.

Overall, this was a professional Pompey performance and they were rarely troubled in a game which never reached great heights in terms of quality or excitement.

This was a very different performance from the home team to the one they gave at Fratton Park earlier in the season when they won 3-2. That day they played some nice football. On this occasion that just wasn't evident.

Unable to break down a resolute Pompey defence Doncaster resorted to a number of long range efforts in both the first and second halves, none of which troubled Jamie Ashdown.

The closest they came to doing so was a first half shot from James Coppinger, driving in to the penalty area, which was well saved by Ashdown and eventually cleared away from the danger zone for a corner by Hermann Hreidarsson.

The Ice Man had a solid game at left back. There was one worrying moment in the second half when he went down in a heap following a tough challenge with a Doncaster player, his recent cruciate injury an all too recent a memory. Thankfully he emerged unscathed, the home fans' jeers were unwarranted.

Pompey also used the long-ball a lot during the game, trying to make the most of their height advantage up-front. Unfortunately, firing long-balls to Dave Kitson, often operating in a lone role, did not always bear fruit. He's a striker who can be effective with the ball played in to his feet, when he gets it right he can twist and turn past any defender.

Pompey's opening goal, scored in front of the travelling fans, came just before the half-time break. The ball fell to Greg Halford, who was up for a Liam Lawrence set-piece, his shot hit the right hand upright before rebounding back in to play where Kitson threw himself at the ball and headed it into the unguarded net. He paid the penalty for his braveness and required treatment before leaving the pitch and before play could resume.

A treatment call for goal hero Dave Kitson


HT: Doncaster Rovers 0-1 Portsmouth

Pompey's second goal owed a lot to route one. Ashdown cleared the ball down the left flank to David Nugent who was having another workmanlike game up front. His flicked on header fell in to the path of Joel Ward who calmly dinked the ball high, up and over the approaching keeper and in to the net after the first bounce.

It was a well taken goal from Ward who had been pushed into a more forward position for this game. His youthful energy and enthusiasm shone through and this goal was just reward.

On-loan Jonathan Hogg had a good game in the middle of the park, he has improved every time he's pulled on a Pompey shirt. His dismissal right at the end of normal time for a handball, that the referee deemed to be deliberate and one that warranted a second yellow card, looked a poor decision. Hogg will now miss one match, red cards that result from two yellows cannot be appealed; another one of those rules which needs to be sent to football's equivalent of Room 101.

Pompey's defence was able to see out the remainder of the game with little trouble, including the added five minutes. It was a continuation of what started before Hogg was dismissed.

Rocha, Halford, de Laet and Hreidarsson together looked like a secure, organised defensive unit, something Pompey fans have not witnessed on too many occasions this season.

The clean sheet was well deserved and almost as welcome as the three points.

At the final whistle the players and manager saluted the Pompey fans who hadn't stopped chanting for much of the second half. It was one of those afternoons when the Pompey fans could be proud to say they were there.

Pompey players salute the fans and celebrate the win


FT Doncaster Rovers 0-2 Portsmouth

The post-match phone in show on BBC Radio Sheffield, one of a number of local radio options, highlighted a touchline spat between former Bournemouth team mates Steve Cotterill and Sean O'Driscoll during the game that continued afterwards.

Some home fans also expressed disappointment with what they perceived to be Pompey's time wasting antics and the poor performance by the referee. It made interesting listening all the way down the M1 to the Midlands when the second half commentary of Derby County against Leicester City kicked-in and was endured through to full-time on BBC Radio Leicester. It was dire. Thank goodness for Alan McLaughlin who has joined BBC Radio Solent.

Portsmouth team versus Doncaster Rovers: Jamie Ashdown Ritchie de Laet, Greg Halford, Ricardo Rocha, Hermann Hreidarsson Jonathan Hogg, Hayden Mullins Liam Lawrence, Joel Ward, David Nugent Dave Kitson. Substitutes: Daryll Flahavan, Ibrahimo Sonko, Carl Dickinson, Tom Kilbey, Nadir Ciftci and Kanu

Attendance: 10,288

Pompey MOTM: Ricardo Rocha a terrific return for the Portugeuse defender, added some no-nonsense, grit, determination and solidity to the Pompey defence. Will skipper Mokoena make it back in to the starting line-up on his return?

Next up: Barnsley (home) on Saturday 19th February at 3PM.

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05/02/2011 Portsmouth 1-1 Derby County: Nugent's blooter just before 'hooter'!

View from the end of Frogmore Road towards Fratton Park

The back of the SOS Pompey demonstration in Frogmore Road

The view of the SOS Pompey demonstration looking out from Fratton Park down Frogmore Road

David Nugent with a late strike, reminiscent of the two wonder goals scored by Pedro Mendes against Manchester City during The Great Escape, secured Pompey a point in this dour, scrappy affair at Fratton Park.

It was one of the few highlights in a game between two clubs sadly struggling for form in the wrong half of the Championship table. Both sets of fans will have experienced much better days than this.

Prior to the match there was a tribute to former Pompey and Northern Ireland goalkeeper Norman Uprichard who played in the top division on the South Coast in the 1950s. He played for Northern Ireland 18 times including the 1958 World Cup Finals in Sweden. He sadly passed away in the days leading up to this game and there was a minutes applause from around the ground. He was seen on the Fratton Park pitch in recent years for the gatherings of former Pompey players and he always got a good reception as he did this one last time.

To be fair to both teams the prevailing weather conditions were not conducive to playing good football. A strong, swirling wind blew across Fratton Park throughout accompanied by sweeping rain. The flags on top of the North Stand stood wide and proud in the cold, stiff breeze. It was equally difficult playing with the wind as against it.

Pompey kicked towards the Milton End in the first half which was less than half full, the away fans taking up just over two-and-a-half sections of seats, the home fans barely half a section. There were pockets of empty seats around the ground.

Before the match, outside the ground in Frogmore Road, there was a small but occasionally noisy demonstration by some Pompey fans organised by SOS Pompey. Chants of: “Wrong hands! Our Club is in the wrong hands!” and “Play Up Pompey!” made sure the gathered fans, less than 100 in number, got their point across by combining dissatisfaction and loyalty to the cause.

Fans have every right to protest and they made their point even getting some coverage on BBC One's Football League Show that evening. But the numbers not protesting said just as much. Is it apathy? Weariness? Resignation? Disagreement? Wet weather? Probably a combination of all those things.

Perhaps in anticipation of fans' protests, following Pompey's disappointing final day of the January Transfer Window, Chief Executive David Lampitt set out very clearly the Club's position in the match day programme in particular its handling of transfer dealings.

In a 'set the record straight' article, which also appeared in an abridged form on the Club's Offical website, Mr Lampitt said:

* The Club had worked hard to bring players in during the January Transfer Window

* Five quality players were identified by Steve Cotterill and pursued

* The Club's owners made a decent transfer fund available

* The Club was outbid for two players and the others remained with their clubs

* Just 'bringing in lesser quality bodies' was not an option because of the limited resources available; this was a football decision; there was no panic buying; he backs Steve Cotterill's judgement

* He does not want to overstretch the Club

* He was disappointed not to make permanent signings but the Club did bring in two loanees from Premier League clubs

* He did not expect to sell John Utaka but as events unfolded it was clear he was keen to make the move once Montpellier had made their interest known
Matt Richie's departure was for footballing not financial reasons

* He acknowledged the SOS Pompey group's right to protest but prefers open and honest dialogue and hopes that will continue

* Everyone shares the same interest: having a stable and successful football club

* He wants to continue to rebuild trust between the football club and its supporters

* There is a Supporters Forum planned for February23rd, details TBC

Some very interesting points here for all Pompey fans to ponder.

Despite all the 'politicking' off the field there was of course the small matter of a football match and Derby County opened the scoring just after the half-hour with one of their few meaningful attempts on goal. Steve Davies found himself unmarked in the box and acrobatically scissor-kicked Cywka's cross from the right flank past Jamie Ashdown. It was a very very well taken goal.

Minutes before he scored Davies had been flat on his back in the front of the Fratton End, lying amongst the disabled supporters, having tumbled over the advertising hoarding following a fruitless chase for a loose all. It looked quite a nasty fall but following treatment he rejoined the match with a ripple of applause from a few of the home fans welcoming him back. Clearly the tumble didn't do him any harm!

HT: Portsmouth 0-1 Derby County

Steve Cotterill was absent from the technical area for the second half of the match; he was sat in the South Stand alongside David Lampitt. Ian Woan gave the orders in between reminding the fourth official how much time was being wasted by the Derby players, which he did by tapping an imaginary stopwatch on his wrist and a Pompey squad player ran up-and-down the stairs of the stand, between Cotterill and Woan, with messages.

It was an interesting footnote to the game that two ex-Nottingham Forest players – Clough and Woan - ran the technical areas in the second half. One to tuck away for Pub Quiz Night.

After the game Cotterill revealed that the referee had suggested he spend the second half there to avoid getting himself sent off, following some disagreements during the first period with the Fourth Official. Interesting because Cotterill was having one of his quieter games on the touchline.

Nugent's goal was his third good opportunity to score in the game. During the first half, prior to the goal by Davies he'd found himself through on goal following a through ball by Liam Lawrence. Unfortunately, he was squeezed out by two Derby defenders and goalkeeper Stephen Bywater saw the ball to safety for a corner.

In the second half Nugent had a gilt edged chance to score in front of the Fratton End, instead he fired his volley in to the fans on the turn following a header flicked on from a Greg Halford throw-in. He should have done better.

With normal time running out Nugent finally saved a point for Pompey. The ball fell to him on the edge of the penalty area via a long ball and a Kanu lay-off and he powered it in to the back of the net past the diving Bywater; it was a beautiful strike hit on the half-volley. A real 'blooter' as BBC football pundit Mark Lawrenson might say.

With five minutes of added time signalled Pompey, roared on by the fans who'd suddenly burst into life, sensed there was more to be taken from the game. Derby's defence fell back very deep to protect their point. The final decent chance of the game fell to second half substitute Kanu whose header was saved easily on the line by Bywater.

The referee called proceedings to a halt – with his whistle not a hooter - and both teams shared the spoils.

On loan Jonathan Hogg was named official Man Of The Match. He's improved in each of the three games he's played for Pompey so far. He's not scared to put in a tackle when he needs to and he played one or two decent through balls to set up Pompey attacks. His addition to the squad has certainly helped Hayden Mullins who had been carrying the midfield for a number of weeks before his arrival. The one nagging doubt is his physical size and stature, he can occasionally get out muscled in the cut and thrust of Championship football.

Ritchie de Laet is another young, on loan player who is improving. In the second half there was one surging run from defence in particular that caught the eye and got approval from the fans.

Overall, there can be no doubt that Pompey got away with one here. This was a poor performance against opponents who were about the same mediocre standard on the day. Conditions didn't help and the atmosphere in the crowd was flat to say the least.

There will be far better days at Fratton Park and the history books won't have very much to say about this game other than recording the scoreline as the match enters the annals of time. Unless of course David Nugent's goal has a similar effect on Pompey's fortunes to those two wonder strikes by Pedro Mendes.

FT: Portsmouth 1-1 Derby County

Portsmouth team versus Derby County: Jamie Ashdown, Ritchie de Laet Aaron Mokoena, Greg Halford, Hermann Hreidarsson Hayden Mullins Jonathan Hogg Joel Ward Liam Lawrence, David Nugent, Dave Kitson. Substitutes: Daryll Flahavan, Ibrahimo Sonko, Ricardo Rocha, Carl Dickinson, Tom Kilbey, Nadir Ciftci, Kanu
Attendance: 14,555

Next up: Doncaster Rovers (away) on Saturday 12th February at 3PM.

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On The Bench: A Closer Look At Pompey's Substitutions In The 2010-11 Season

Article updated 23rd July 2011
With the Football League voting this week, at an EGM held at Leicester City's ground, to reduce the number of substitutes from seven to five, I thought it would be interesting to revisit this blog article I wrote back in February 2011 and update it.

The number of substitutes Pompey were able to field last season (2010-11) was a matter of some debate and discussion amongst the fans. They were only able to field the full quota of seven substitutes on six occasions. But did it really matter that much? Read on to find out more!

Here's the original article updated with the results from the whole season.
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What's behind all this then?
Before a match back in February 2011 I was asked on Twitter if Pompey naming six substitutes was the highest number for the season. I wasn't sure so I decided to take a closer look.

Why is the number of substitutes on the bench important?
This goes right to the heart of the 'quality' versus 'quantity' debate and the strategy Pompey followed in the 2010-11 Championship season i.e. having a smaller sized squad of 'better quality' players as opposed to a larger one with players of slightly less quality.

There can be no doubt that on their day, when they were able to field their strongest team, Pompey had a very good starting first eleven by Championship standards.

However, the strategy was risky, especially as player suspensions and injuries kicked in as the season progressed, cracks started to appear.

There was no more visible demonstration of the strategy's weakness than the lack of strength in depth. This manifested itself each matchday in Pompey's substitutes bench and the team's inability to impact games by making changes at key points in the game e.g. bring on a striker to add fresh legs and more fire-power up front or bring on a holding midfielder to protect a lead. Steve Cotterill's options were often perceived as limited.

It was always a topic of conversation on matchday amongst Pompey fans who sit around me. The number of substitutes named was a visible demonstration of Pompey's relative strength in depth and in the same way it sent signals to the fans, the make-up of the bench must also have sent signals to the opposition before the game even started.

How many times have you heard TV and Radio pundits comment on the 'strength in depth' and 'quality on the bench to turn things around'?

Does bench size impact performance?
Did bench size have an impact on Pompey's ability to gain points? Let's take a look at the data.

Pompey named between 4 and 7 substitutes in the 46 Championship games played. There was always a goalkeeper on the bench for each game (Liam O'Brien in the early games and Daryll Flahavan from Cardiff City on August 28th onwards). As it happened Jamie Ashdown was an ever present for Pompey playing in every Championship game.

It's worth reminding ourselves of course that the number of outfield players available to Pompey was always one less than the actual number sitting on the bench.

As a reminder, Pompey finished the 2010-11 Championship season on 58 points (out of 138, 42%).

The number of available substitutes in each match and the results of those matches were as follows:
7 = six times. Won 2, Lost 2, Drew 2, 8 points out of 18 (44%)
6 = eighteen times. Won 7, Lost 8, Drew 3, 24 points out of 54 (44%)
5 = twelve times. Won 4, Lost 4, Drew 4, 16 points out of 36 (44%)
4 = ten times. Won 2, Lost 4, Drew 4, 10 points out of 30 (33%)

Of course a team can use up to three substitutes and Pompey used at least one substitute in every game.

The number of substitutes used in each match and the results of those matches are as follows:
3 = twenty-five times. Won 9, Lost 9, Drew 7, 34 points out of 75 (45%)
2 = fourteen times, Won 4, Lost 7, Drew 3, 15 points out of 42 (38%)
1 = seven times, Won 2, Lost 2, Drew 3, 9 points out of 21 (43%)

These figures can be broken down even further by looking at the number of substitutions used versus those available to use.

Where there was seven substitutes available:
3 used = 2 times, Won 0, Lost 2, Drew 0, 0 points out of 6 (0%)
2 used = 3 times, Won 2, Lost 0, Drew 1, 3 points out of 9 (33%)
1 used = once, Won 0, Lost 0, Drew 1, 1 point out of 3 (33%)

Where there have been six substitutes available:
3 used = 11 times, Won 5, Lost 4, Drew 2, 17 points out of 33 (52%)
2 used = 5 times, Won 1, Lost 3, Drew 1, 4 points out of 15 (27%)
1 used = twice, Won 1, Lost 1, Drew 0, 3 points out of 6 (50%)

Where there have been five substitutes available:
3 used = 7 times, Won 2, Lost 2, Drew 3, 9 points out of 21 (43%)
2 used = 2 times, Won 1, Lost 1, Drew 0, 3 points out of 6 (50%)
1 used = 3, Won 1, Lost 1, Drew 1, 4 points out of 9 (44%)

When there have been four substitutes available:
3 used = 3, Won 2, Lost 1, Drew 2, 8 points out of 15 (53%)
2 used = 4, Won 0, Lost 3, Drew 1, 1 point out of 12 (8%)
1 used = 1, Won 0, Lost 1, Drew 0, 1 point out of 3 (33%)

Why do teams make substitutions?
Of course the data doesn't show the reasons why the substitutions were made and I've been having a think about that too as this will have an impact on the data.

Here are some reasons I've thought of off the top of my head - there may be others of course:
Injury
Fatigue
Change of formation - a sending off
Change of formation - tactical
Reward a good performance (to get a crowd reception)
Protection
Playing poorly
Rest (for the next game)
Poor attitude
Signal from ref to avoid a sending off
Give some experience to a younger player (to the sub)
Give some match time if coming back from injury or new to a Club (to the sub)
To try and waste time - although in theory the referee adds time on
To break up the play, especially towards the end of a game

It would be interesting to see how many of Pompey's substitutions this season fell into each category. But I'm not sure I'd even know where such data is maintained if at all. I suspect a lot of it is down to interpretation.

Of course the data doesn't show when the substitutions were made - i.e. how many playing minutes each substitute had. Goodness this is complicated!

The key question is this: how many times did a Pompey substitute positively influence a game last season, can you remember any occasions?

What can we conclude from this?
I'm not sure we can or should conclude anything from this data. It needs to be treated with caution. Remember this is a small sample size of one club in one season.

Having said that the data does show one or two interesting things:

(1) in those games where Pompey used three substitutes the number of points won was higher (34 points) than if they used one or two.

(2) Pompey only used three substitutes in just over half their games (54%).

(3) having a full quota of substitutes available on the bench didn't translate into more points. Indeed, Pompey got fewer actual points with seven substitutes on the bench than they did with four, five or six. Having said that the percentage points return from those available with five, six and seven substitutes is the same at 44%.

(4) Pompey named a bench with either six or seven substitutes for just over half of their matches (52%). Perhaps things weren't as bad as we all thought they were at the time? Hindsight is a great thing isn't it!

So, as the 2011-12 season approaches the number of substitutes Championship teams are able to put on their bench has been reduced from seven to five. It will be interesting to see how it all pans out. What are the implications? Maybe some fringe squad players will miss out on a bench spot. Those clubs with bigger squads may have a few disgruntled players. Maybe some younger players will miss out on experiencing being a part of the first team squad. Maybe some clubs will take a risk and avoid having a goalkeeper on the bench.

Will it actually play a major part in influencing the outcome of the Championship? Personally, I don't think so. If a player is good enough to influence a game he'll be playing or on the bench. If a club has the luxury of leaving players out of the matchday squad that would suggest they have someone better available.

Remember, substitutions are only one part of the Beautiful Game and I think we can see from Pompey's 2010-11 season that although there were concerns about the number of substitutes available, substitutions didn't greatly influence where Pompey finished or performed.

The data presented here may be superfluous to be frank...it was a good way to while away a few hours on a Saturday evening though! Honest!

Let me leave you with this question: how many Pompey games can you remember where a substitution positively influenced the outcome? Answers on a postcard please (or you can tweet me if you prefer).

Main source for this article: Pompey Matchday Programme versus Norwich City on May 2nd 2011

Summary Of Pompey's 2010-11 Season
Coventry City (a) 4 substitutes, 2 used, lost
Reading (h) 4, 1, draw
Preston North End (a) 4, 2, lost
Cardiff City (h) 4, 3, lost
Ipswich Town (h) 6, 3, draw
Crystal Palace (a) 5, 1, lost
Sheffield United (a) 6, 2, lost
Leicester City (h) 4, 3, won
Bristol City (h) 5, 3, won
Middlesbrough (a) 6, 2, draw
Watford (h) 4, 3, won
Millwall (h) 5, 2, won
Hull City (a) 6, 3, won
Nottingham Forest (h) 7, 2, won
Derby County (a) 6, 2, lost
QPR (h) 6, 3, draw
Doncaster Rovers (h) 6, 3, lost
Barnsley (a) 6, 3, lost
Swansea City (a) 6, 3, won
Norwich City (a) 5, 3, won
Millwall (h) 5, 3, draw
Leeds United (a) 5, 3, draw
Watford (a) 4, 2, lost
Hull City (h) 6, 3, lost
Nottingham Forest (a) 5, 2, lost
Leeds United (h) 5, 1, draw
Burnley (h) 6, 2, lost
QPR (a) 6, 1, lost
Derby County (h) 7, 1, draw
Donaster Rovers (a) 6, 1, won
Barnsley (h) 7, 2, won
Crystal Palace (h) 5, 1, won
Ipswich Town (a) 6, 3, won
Scunthorpe United (h) 6, 3, won
Sheffield United (h) 6, 3, won
Bristol City (a) 5, 3, lost
Middlesbrough (h) 7, 2 draw
Leicester City (a) 6, 2, won
Reading (a) 7, 3, lost
Preston North End (h) 5, 3, draw
Coventry City (h) 7, 3, lost
Cardiff City (a) 6, 3, lost
Swansea City (h) 4, 2, draw
Burnley (a) 4, 3 draw
Norwich City (h) 5, 3, lost
Scunthorpe United (a) 4, 3, draw

If I've got any of the data wrong or if you have any comments or observations let me know at @PompeyChicken at Twitter.com

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Sir Stanley Matthews Bench

Sir Stanley Matthews
The subject of substitutions, substitutes and benches has given me an excuse to post the pictures below of a bench I came across in Los Gigantes, Tenerife a few years ago (2006). It is in memory of Sir Stanley Matthews.

The bench has now moved from it's original position shown here but my Uncle recently visited the resort and rediscovered it, so it still exists it's just in a different place!

There's a tiny bit of irony involved in having a bench named in honour of one of the greatest English footballers of all time because of course when he played there was no such thing as a substitute's bench in football! However it's a nice reminder of the man who had close links with the area as you can see from the engraved plaque.

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Front Cover Of QPR Versus Pompey Matchday Programme 01/02/2011

When I saw this it did make me wonder if there was an element of 'rubbing your noses in it' but maybe I'm just an old cynic and I read too much in to this sort of stuff.

It is however the sort of thing matchday programme covers have been used for before in recent times e.g. 'goading' the opposition by having a picture of a former player of your opponents for that day on the cover of the magazine.

What it highlights is the contrast between the January 2011 Transfer Window activities of QPR and Pompey...and yes, yes I do know there are clearly differences between the two Clubs circumstances in terms of financial backing and so on.

But that's not the point here. It is, if you needed any reminding, that this cover highlights exactly how far Pompey have fallen in such a short space of time and the very sorry position they now find themselves in, unable to compete for players like this.

Five players paraded as if they are superstars ('QUALITY QUINTET') but if truth be told have actually been Premier League fringe players at best and at worst cast-offs from other Clubs, just not good enough for that level. The Norwegian Vaagan Moen is the exception obviously but we don't know too much about him yet.

Don't get me wrong, I hope players like Miller and Routledge do prove to be a success when they return to the Premier League with QPR, we need as much young English talent plying their trade in the top division as possible, and if Pompey had signed these five players of this calibre we fans would have been absolutely delighted.

The trouble is, despite some reports, we were seemingly never anywhere near doing so.

If you're wondering the five players signed by QPR were:
Peter Vaagan Moen (midfielder) from SK Brann
Wayne Routledge (midfielder and one time Pompey loanee) from Newcastle United
Ismael Miller (striker) from WBA
Pascal Chimbonda (defender) from Blackburn Rovers, contract terminated
Danny Shittu (defender) previously at Millwall, short-term contract ended

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Shakin Stevens Is A Pompey Fan Or Is A Pompey Fan A Fan Of Shakin Stevens?

One of the most bizarre things I've seen for quite some time at a football match was the sight of a Pompey fan 'taunting' the QPR fans during the match at Loftus Road with...a Shakin Stevens calendar!

A closer look at Shaky.

I don't understand it but it's very funny and typical Pompey fan humour.

Similar to the guy who had the fish (yes a real one!) at Selhurst Park earlier in the season for the Pompey game against Crystal Palace.

Pompey fans, our team is in trouble but we're having a laugh...let's hope we don't find League One football behind the Green Door.

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01/02/2011 QPR 2-0 Portsmouth: from Loftus Road to the door of the basement

The teams line-up in front of the main stand before the game.

Pompey team huddle before the game.

Pompey fell to their 9th defeat on the road this season and 13th overall, against table-topping Queens Park Rangers at Loftus Road.

They have been in free fall during recent weeks and after this result find themselves in 20th position in the Championship having taken just one point from their last six matches.

Hermann Hreidarsson came in to the starting line-up and his presence gave the team a much more solid look in defence, especially in the first half. The Ice Man had a good match.

Aaron Mokoena and Dave Kitson also started having served their suspensions. Mokoena took over the Captain's armband from Liam Lawrence.

Pompey more than matched their hosts during much of the first half and would have been well pleased with their performance and the opportunities they created. QPR were limited to just two long range efforts of any note – one that was blasted over the cross bar by Clint Hill and the other an Adel Taarabt effort easily dealt with by Jamie Ashdown.

For Pompey Kitson, who was operating in a lone striker role, was showing some occasional neat touches and worked one really good chance which ended with him lifting a shot from the left side of the penalty box on to the roof of the goal net.

In the midfield, the tireless Hayden Mullins and on-loan Jonathan Hogg were knitting the formation together. Hogg in particular was having a much better game than his debut against Burnley and put in a couple of strong challenges. Liam Lawrence and David Nugent were also lively, Lawrence once again looked Pompey's most creative and dangerous player.

Pompey looked tight, compact and well organised across the park.

Pompey's two best chances of the first half both fell to Greg Halford within a minute of each other. The first came from a free-kick awarded after the most controversial moment of the half.

QPR failed to clear the ball from their area, goalkeeper Paddy Kenny who was a long way off his line out of position leaving the goal unattended, shanked his clearance. The ball fell to Lawrence who was clearly fouled in what looked like a goal scoring position.

After some deliberation the referee Mr Hegley decided that a yellow card was all that the offence warranted. From the free-kick Halford stepped up to drill a powerful, direct, on-target shot that Paddy Kenny pushed away to his left for a corner.

Lawrence took the set-piece which was well met by Halford for his second opportunity to score in quick succession but his header went wide of the upright.

HT: QPR 0-0 Portsmouth

Where Pompey had controlled much of the first half the second took on a different complexion. The game became much more open as QPR moved the ball quicker and used the channels more. Adel Taarabt, the one exceptional player on the pitch, suddenly came into life, he'd had a very quiet first half and it was no surprise when he opened the scoring.

Unfortunately, the goal was gifted to QPR following a huge blunder by Jamie Ashdown. Taarabt cutting in from the right hand flank hit a shot from just outside of the penalty area straight at the Pompey keeper. It was a shot that should have been saved but inexplicably Ashdown didn't get his body behind the ball and it squirmed through his grasp and in to the net. It was the turning point of the game as once again an avoidable error saw Pompey fall behind. There was a brief moment when one or two Pompey heads dropped, understandably after all their hard work.

QPR's second goal came quarter of an hour later, Clint Hill powerfully heading the ball past Ashdown from an Adel Taarabt corner.

Pompey had a number of good chances to score in the second half. Opportunities fell to Hogg (twice, one in particular shanked wide after a good move down the right flank), Nugent (a shot fired wide) and Kitson (a header over the bar from a corner) but unfortunately none of them troubled Paddy Kenny.

Action from the second half as Pompey attack the end where their fans were situated

Pompey's evening in front of goal was summed up when Nadir Ciftci, a second half substitute for Joel Ward, had a header which was some how clawed over the bar to safety from close range by Kenny. It was excellent goalkeeping, his second super save of the game following his effort to deny Halford's freekick in the first half.

FT: QPR 2-0 Portsmouth

Overall, this was a performance from Pompey that warranted so much more, especially the first half. Unfortunately, errors once again cost them. It was so much better than the previous game against Burnley. Ashdown's mistake for the first goal was disappointing because he's played well at times this season and made some very good saves. The second goal from a set-piece acted as a reminder of Pompey's defensive frailties seen far too often this season.

Taxi for Taarabt - to the Premier League

As for QPR, they will most likely get promoted this season to the Premier League but they will need to up their game to a much higher level than the one displayed here if they are to survive. They did not play particularly well and that's taking nothing away from Pompey. The one shining light on their team sheet, Adel Taraabt, is an exceptional footballing talent although on this display he doesn't seem to be the sort of player who will “put in a full shift” every time he crosses the line. But he's sure to produce plenty of memorable moments that will brighten up the top flight when QPR get there.

Portsmouth versus QPR: Jamie Ashdown; Ritchie de Laet, Greg Halford, Aaron Mokoena, Hermann Hreidarsson, Joel Ward, Hayden Mullins, Jonathan Hogg Liam Lawrence, Dave Kitson and David Nugent. Substitutes: Daryll Flahaven, Ibrahimo Sonko, Ricardo Rocha, Tom Kilby, Nadir Ciftci and Kanu

Pompey MOTM: Liam Lawrence, hard working and Pompey's most creative player

Attendance: 14,078

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