Oxford United 3 Pompey 0
The season is just one week old and Pompey are sick of the sight of their ex-players. On Tuesday both Nathaniel Mendez-Laing and Greg Halford netted for Cardiff and yesterday it was Wes Thomas who set Oxford on their way to a comfortable 3-0 victory.
Kenny kept the same side that lost in extra time at Cardiff leaving both Conor Chaplin and Carl Baker on the bench.
After a fairly uneventful and even first period Thomas put United in front of 47 minutes after Luke McGee failed to hold a shot. Before Jackett could make his first change referee Graham Salisbury was himself replaced by fourth official Marc Wilson.
Pompey then began to chase the game and were caught on the break twice late on to slip a disappointing defeat.
The Pompey boss told the News ‘We got off to a bad start in the second half with a sloppy goal conceded. ‘It seemed like McGee had the ball and Thomas has picked up the loose ball. ‘After that, the more we went forward and had the ball in their half, the more vulnerable we looked. ‘I didn`t think we had anybody in a one-v-one situation who could beat their man and go past people. ‘All it resulted in was a lot of possession without any penetration and then the Oxford substitutes were incisive on the break and took the game away from us.`
Pompey (4-2-3-1): McGee; Talbot (Baker 69), Burgess, Whatmough, Haunstrup; May, Rose; Evans, Pitman (c), Bennett; Naismith (Chaplin 56)
Subs not used: Bass, Davies, Close, Main, Kabamba
Referee: Graham Salisbury (Marc Wilson 51)
Attendance: 9,510 (1,810 Pompey fans)
Sad news about Tareiq Holmes-Dennis who was injured in the win over Rochdale last week. It appears the injury is now far worse than was originally thought. An operation will now be needed and Tareiq wil be out for the season. He will now return to his club, Huddersfield Town. His only consolation is they are top of the Premier League.
Wigan have given Pompey 3,942 tickets for the game on 26 August. Will they all sell? They go on sale from tomorrow.
A look at – Luke McGee
Luke was born in Edgware on 2 September 1995 and joined Spurs as a youngster. He signed his first pro contract in 2014 and extended that contract in September 2015 through to 2019.
On loan at Posh last season playing 45 games and keeping ten clean sheets and was named the Posh players` player of the year. He was highly thought of at London Road and Peterborough were keen to sign him when he became available. However, Pompey got in first and paid an undisclosed fee (hate that term) for a three year contract.
Next week Walsall (H) Saddlers pay to the Pipers
It is five years since the last of Walsall`s visits to Fratton Park. They won 2-1 with Izale McLeod scoring Pompey`s goal in front of 11,767 – all of the Pompey eighteen-man squad have been long gone and most forgotten!! The last of those to depart was Adam Webster in 2016.
The first game was on the opening day of the 1962/63 season when Pompey as Third Division champions walloped their Black Country visitors 4-1. Dave Dodson scored a hat-trick and the other winger Tony Barton added the fourth. It would be sixteen years before Walsall would visit God`s green acre again in a league game – there was a League Cup game in 1970 which Pompey won 1-0 thanks to Norman Piper – that game would finish 1-1 with again Piper scoring the goal from the penalty spot.
Walsall won the next two games on the south coast in 1978 and 1980 both 2-1. The first was a Pompey headed towards relegation to the basement and Piper, this time Steve scored the goal. The 1980 match was a promotion battle in front of over 21,000 when a Steve Buckley inspired Saddlers took the points this time Jeff Hemmerman netted – both teams were promoted at the end of the season.
In their three seasons in the Third Division Pompey triumphed on all three occasions without conceding a goal. The final game came just after Pompey had clinched promotion to the Second Division and a single goal from the late Steve Aizlewood clinched the points as Pompey closed in on the title in front of over 22,000.
Since then there have five games at Fratton Park. Until 2012 Pompey had won three and drawn one. The biggest win being in 1999 when Alan McLoughlin (2), Tommy Thogersen (2) and Lee Bradbury scored in a 5-1 win.
The overall record at Fratton Park is Pompey won six drawn three lost three. Goals scored twenty-two against thirteen.
Remember Milan Lalkovic was signed from Walsall.
The Turtle step down
Johnny Ertl has decided to step down from the PST Board with immediate effect.
Due to his increasing work commitments as a Project Leader and Director of Sport of Red Bull`s ‘Neymar Jr`s Five’ his time resources for the PST board had become very limited. He will be replaced at the forthcoming elections.
Thanks Johnny!
and finally??????
Older fans will always remember a game at Plough Lane Wimbledon in October 1984. Pompey undefeated in the league had just gone a goal down as half time approached. The conditions were a dry hard pitch and a very strong wind.
Pompey kicked off and rolled the ball back to Noel Blake who immediately decided to give the ball to the legend Alan Knight who could run the clock down to the half time whistle. Sadly though Noel was not aware that Knightsie was down in his area rubbing his knee and the ball rolled into an empty net in front about 5,000 disbelieving Pompey fans. The Dons had scored without touching the ball.
Well here he have Estonian side Levadia taking the lead after just fifteen seconds without touching the ball thanks to an own goal by Paide.
PUP
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