There are grounds in League Two where the hard-working and not inconsiderable black and yellow-shirted Cambridge support will be able to influence the result in their favour.
Fratton Park is not one of them.
From the eyrie that is row NN seat 74 I watched as the opposition began to stretch the blue’s defence, which was hard pressed, and showing signs of fatigue. It was now that Pompey’s twelfth man came to life, and suddenly, it was 11 versus 11 again. 16000 souls had not come to watch some agricultural specialists from the fens bully their way to a point.
The manager has this season, urged his men to harness the energy emanating from the terraces, by transferring that energy into their tired aching limbs. The fans bellowed their support; the rhythmic clapping tingling their hands. The volume was cranked up another notch, and you could see that the players had gained a second wind.
As in the first half, they were able to challenge and close down the opposition. Well-timed tackles drew enthusiastic applause. They were also able to take time out of the game by keeping possession in the form of accurate passing, both to feet and cleverly, into space.
Make no mistake, the second goal could be attributed to the Portsmouth No. 12 as surely as if a fan had run onto the pitch and rolled the ball in. The Cambridge player, in blind panic, attempted a hack out of defence, perhaps more suited to conference football? He probably had not experienced such an atmosphere.
Cambridge quickly replied with a goal of their own, but as the game went on, I could see they were a spent force, and lacked the guile to unlock the defence a second time.
The 5 minutes extra time I had been dreading, passed quickly enough; and we were going forward into their half at the final whistle. I was sorry in a way that the game was over, and another “religious experience” consigned to the memory bank, for like a drug, attending Fratton Park is very addictive.
Written by Terraceman and originally posted as a comment on VP.
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