A towering first-half header by Ibrahimo Sonko from a Liam Lawrence corner kick and a second-half goal from Lawrence himself, his sixth of the season, was enough to give Pompey all three points in this entertaining Championship game at Fratton Park.
With a flag flying proudly over the North Stand, heralding the start of a new era following Pompey’s exit from administration, there was eager anticipation amongst the home fans packed into the ground. The crowd of 19,719 was the biggest at Fratton Park this season, bolstered by a good following from the east Midlands, indeed, this was the biggest crowd at Fratton Park since November 2009 when Manchester United were the visitors.
McGugan had a good chance to score for Forest early on, hitting the side netting when he should have hit the target, Jamie Ashdown was nowhere after making an initial save. Mullins also had a good chance to score, driving into the box but firing over the bar into the Fratton End.
Sonko’s opener was equalised quite brilliantly by a stunning diving header from Anderson to make it all-square at the break; the second goal-of-the-season candidate the Pompey fans have witnessed in two home games. It was greeted with silent admiration and a few ripples of applause from fans who know their football. Followed by some ‘we forgot that you were here’ jibes at the now jubilant away supporters.
In the first half Pompey relied a lot on the long-ball, by-passing the midfield engine of Mullins and Brown; they were often out-numbered and stretched. The tactic wasn’t working: Kitson’s close control let him down on more than one occasion and Nugent’s tireless roadrunner act just couldn’t reap any rewards. Utaka was doing well in defence, tracking back well and making blocks, but up-front his forages were few and far between.
To be fair, despite some pressure from Pompey, Forest looked the better team at the break, shading it on points.
In the second half Steve Cotterill made an important change, bringing Utaka inside to play as the central striker and pushing Nugent down the left flank and Kitson down the right. With Lawrence, Dickinson and Halford all pushing on, the game opened-up. Utaka started to cause problems; Kitson continued to put in a hard-working, albeit fruitless, shift; and Nugent twice had good attempts on goal, one being tipped over the bar by Lee Camp.
Mullins and Brown started to run the show as the game progressed in the second half and it was no surprise when Pompey took the lead, Lawrence’s rasping shot inside the box taking a deflection off the defender and bouncing in off Camp.
Forest had chances to equalise, including one ‘sitter’: a headed shot which went wide following a Forest free-kick. Ashdown also had to make a good save. With time running out Camp joined the Forest attack in their search for an equaliser but with Pompey playing three central defenders at the back (Sonko, Rocha and the impressive Mokoena) and a fourth (the returning Hermann) playing in a floating, central-striker-cum-defender role the home team held out for three well-deserved points. Hermann’s arrival as a late substitution for Kitson brought one of the biggest cheers of the day.
This victory over Forest made it four wins on-the-spin, six wins in seven games, nineteen points out of a possible twenty-one. Whichever way you view it, the form is impressive. Pompey are nestled in 10th place on 21 points, just a point outside of the play-off positions.
The crowd has got back some of its old voracity and the chants were loud and proud. Those Pompey fans in the corner of the Milton End did what they promised they would do and the Chimes rang out, being echoed on the North Terrace and in the Fratton End.
There was an amusing moment in the second half when Steve Cotterill was ‘taken-out’ on the touchline by a sliding Robert Earnshaw. The collision left both men in a heap and Cotterill’s black tracksuit, which has overseen this impressive Pompey run of form, splattered in wet, Fratton Park mud. Quite apt for a man who could just as well have played the full game. He stands in the technical area barking out orders from start to finish, heading every cross, making every clearance, grimacing, cursing, shouting and pointing. The suited and booted Billy Davies had his moments too, and although he made Malkie Mackay of Watford look like a timid manager from the Nordics, he was upstaged by the effervescent Cotterill.
Next up for Pompey: Derby County away.
Pompey Man-Of-The-Match: Aaron Mokoena just clinched it for me ahead of Sonko and Lawrence (who won the sponsors’ award). The skipper celebrated his new contract by working tirelessly at the back with the highlight being a surging run forward in the second half roared on by the crowd which opened up a good scoring opportunity for Pompey.
By @PompeyChicken at Twitter.com
