16/07/2011 Portsmouth 0-1 Chelsea Friendly A Few Pictures

Images Of Pompey Fans

Proudly flying the flag.

Mini-Westwood?

Drums and bugles were as loud as normal.

Match Action

A full Fratton Park.

First half action - picture one.

First half action - picture two.

Second-half action at the Milton End.

Hermann Hreidarsson's free-kick was comfortabaly saved by Hirallio in the Chelsea goal. The Chelsea 'keeper also saved a penalty from the lively Luke Varney having brought down the striker to concede it in the first place. Being a friendly there was no booking and no sending-off. In a competitive match the outcome may have been different. Personally, I think Varney was moving away from goal when he was fouled. A booking would have sufficed, if it had been 'for real'. Despite the penalty save there were enough errors and defensive mis-haps to suggest that Peter Cech has little to worry about in terms of competition.

Dave Kitson's free-kick just went over the cross-bar.

Luke Varney in a heap after John Terry studded him in the head. The England captain offers some sympathy. One Pompey fan lets his feelings be known and 15,000 plus fans did the same for the next ten minutes of the match.

"Sorry Mate." - picture number one.

"Sorry Mate." - picture number two.

Final Comments
The match was the second good workout for Pompey in a week. Although the result was disappointing - and the own-goal by Tal Ben Haim, in the seventh minute, farcical - this didn't feel like a defeat.

Chelsea fielded two teams, one in each half, a luxury Pompey could not afford. But there were plenty of positive signs - the hard work of Luke Varney in particular which eventually earned him the official sponsors' MOTM award.

Skipper David Norris again worked hard in the midfield - one moment in the second half typifying his performance: losing the ball, he tracked back and saw the ball away from a Chelsea player and danger. Not everyone in a friendly match would have shown this level of commitment. It bodes well for when the action starts for real.

There were second half appearances from Ryan Williams, Sam Magri and Jason Pearce and all showed glimpses of skill that promise a bright future.

With the squally conditions disappearing during play and bright sunshine eventually bathing Fratton Park, albeit accompanied by a stiff breeze, most of the Pompey fans will have gone home reasonably happy, satisfied that their team competed well and caused their Premier League opposition plenty of problems.

As often happens in friendly matches, the game became scrappy and fragmented towards the end and it's not one that will live long in the memory for its onfield play.

John Terry will have been pleased to leave the field of play at full-time following the constant barracking he received for the last ten minutes after his 'horror tackle' on Luke Varney. The challenge was poor and went unpunished - almost certainly because the referee's whistle had already gone for a foul by Varney on the 'keeper. Varney's 'reward' was a set of studs to the head. Terry was very apologetic immediately afterwards and again after the game.

Sadly, the incident left a bit of a sour taste from what was overall another afternoon spent watching the Pompey re-build under Steve Cotterill continue in a positive manner.

Next-up: the US Tour and a couple of friendly matches against teams from US soccer club Charlston Battery.

FT: Portsmouth 0-1 Chelsea (HT: 0-1).

Attendance: 19,345

Portsmouth team: Scott Henderson (replaced by Jamie Ashdown at the start of the 2H), Tal Ben Haim, Greg Halford (replaced by Jason Pearce in the 2H), Ricardo Rocha (replaced by Ryan Williams in the second half), Hermann Hreidarsson (replaced by Sam Magri in the second half), Aaron Mokoena, hayden Mullins, Joel Ward, David Norris, Luke Varney and Dave Kitson (replaced by Lewis Stockford in the second half).

Source for team and attendance: www.portsmouthfc.co.uk

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