Match Reports

Pompey cut down Forest

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What a month October has been, if Cotterill doesn’t get manager of the month it will be the biggest travesty since Paul Scholes robbed Matt Taylor of the goal of the season award, the month started with that fight back at ‘Boro, since it has been 4 wins on the bounce to put Pompey a point of the play-off positions.

Pompey went into the match with the same 11 who turned over Hull last week, no tinkerman is Cotterill, and we had a full bench as well!

Forest came on the back of two wins themselves, and it was in form man McGugan who had the first big opportunity, he shot at Ashdown first off, then after the rebound came back to him he dummied to leave the goal open, fortune favoured Pompey however as he fired wide when he should of added to his tally.
Mullins retorted at the other end, riding a couple of tackles and finding himself in the area, his shot beat Camp, but also the crossbar.
On 18 minutes the deadlock was broken, a corner floated in and Sonko met it with great power and buried his header into the net, I immeadiately got a text that simply said ‘Blakey’, I presume it meant Noel and not the bloke from On the buses.

Within 10 minutes however it was level, McGugan fired in a low cross and Anderson met it full length with a flying header, if Sonko’s was good, you must hold your hands up and say this was better.
The rest of the half was as scrappy as we have seen for a while, Forest were looking to get behind Utaka by doubling up on Dickinson, while Kitson and Nugent were having trouble holding up the ball, as the half drew out Forest were on top.

Second period and Cotterill had shown his nous, Nugent swapped with Utaka and we automatically carried greater threat, Nugent cut in from the left and first curled narrowly over, then forced a stretching save from Camp with another chip.
Pompey had really upped the ante now as they so often do second half, Lawrence had already spurned one good chance, sidefooting wide when well placed, when another opportunity fell to him in the same spot he made no mistake, thundering home through a crowded defence to give us a deserved lead.

Utaka almost made it 3, he cut in onto his left foot and Camp parried well to keep Forest in the game.

With time ticking, Forest had a couple of chances to level, a couple of headers going wide, Luke Chambers missing a golden chance, rising unmarked only to find the gleeful Fratton end.

So 4 wins in a month, seven unbeaten and six wins in the run, can it get any better right now?

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