First off let’s get one thing straight, I will use an analogy to explain how this hame was. If a person harms themselves for attention, it is know as Münchausen syndrome, if they harm others, it is known as Münchausen syndrome by proxy, Pompey v Barnsley was like Arsenal v Barcelona………by proxy.
The one redeeming factor of a dour old game was that we won 1-0, the games was littered with wayward passing, balls in the air and just plain old crap, Pompey were the marginally better of two really scrappy teams, I can for the life of me not remember 1 solitary shot on target from Barnsley, Jamie Ashdown was well protected by a Pompey defence who enjoyed a second consecutive clean sheet, but will have much sterner tests by the end of the season.
Pompey made one change, that was the obvious one with Hogg suspended and Cotterill arriving on loan.
Pompey had a go at making all the running, the game may have taken a different course if an wearly move had seen Nugent finish a good ball in from Lawrence, but Luke Steele was to make the first of a few fine saves to keep Pompey at bay.
Kitson was next to show, but he took the ball in his stride and missed the target, this early moment highlighted his match in a nutshell, he was then to head over a free kick, it really looked like he was going to need the banjo to smack a cows arse with.
Barnsley were very negative in their approach, their brand of football is much like Stoke’s, but without even their little bit of flair, Danny Hayne’s was their main inspiration, but he was well contained by hermann who was back to all his old wind up tricks.
The second half followed a similar pattern, Pompey tried to press, Barnsley sat back, it took the arrival of Kanu to lift the match, his prescence late on in a match really gives the crowd a lift, and it was he who was to prove the matchwinner.
A free-kick from Halford was lofted in and up popped Kanu to glance home, Steele was finally beaten and Pompey had scored at home once more, this time though no late equaliser was to deny us.
Kitson then headed powerfully from a corner, Steele flinging out an arm and parrying it wide.
Nugent then showed exactly why he is a Championship player, not a Premiership one, clean through he sidefooted wide with only Steele to beat, it was the sort of chance he should of taken, if he had the finishing to go with his workrate, he really would be a top striker.
Still, a first win at home since the Halowe’en decor was up, 9 points form the drop zone and Palace on tuesday night, not to be sniffed at.
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