Pompey 0 Charlton Athletic 1
Pompey’s play off quest finally ended in front of the biggest crowd of the season yesterday when a lacklustre first half display saw them slip to a single goal defeat to Charlton.
The side could not settle in the pressure cooker atmosphere and passes went astray, tackles were missed and players seemed afraid of breaking into the opposition half. Some of the crowd did not help by getting on the players backs right from the start.
The Addicks took the lead just before the break when Nathan Thompson missed the ball and Ajose rolled the ball past McGee.
At the break Kenny Jackett had to make two changes and perhaps surprisingly Jack Whatmough and Thompson made way for Christian Burgess and Stuart O’Keefe. They turned out to be injuries Jack (groin) and Thommo (Dead leg). This restricted the capability to change those in more forward positions.
Straight from the restart Evans floated a free kick and Brett Pitman put it just over the bar. Had that gone in it could have been a different result (obvious I know) with Pompey fired up and going for the kill but with it went the chance to grab the impetus and the points.
Pompey (4-4-1-1): McGee; Thompson (O’Keefe 46), Whatmough (Burgess 46), Clarke, Haunstrup (Ronan 66); Evans, Close, Donohue, Naismith; Lowe; Pitman (c)
Booked: Pitman, Evans
Subs not used: Bass, Kennedy, Chaplin, Hawkins
Referee: Mark Heywood
Attendance: 19,210 (2,448 away fans)
Grump on the hump
We have not heard from the Grump for some time but he (or she) is back today with a vengeance.
Yesterday walking to the match I passed row upon row of half empty beer cans, pint glasses etc. lined up on the approach to Specks Lane. They had obviously been abandoned by visiting supporters in a rush to get into the stadium.
Around the corner the queues at the visiting turnstiles stretched halfway back behind the Milton End with a couple of stewards frisking fans entering the ground. With kick off imminent the fans grew more and more impatient and the frisking very brief.
It is no wonder therefore that so many managed to get smoke bombs into the away section and let them off throughout the match releasing unctuous smoke across the pitch. I saw several fans reached for their Asthma inhalers after the goal such was the effect of the smoke.
I also hear that a female steward had to be treated by medics at full time after he drunken mob began to cause problems.
The referee will include those incidents in his report and I trust the Football League will act and ask Pompey to investigate using their CCTV images and attempt to locate the perpetrators. It worked with the Spurs fans abusive singing and need to make an example of those involved.
Pompey need to get their act together too and ensure that there are sufficient staff to check fans coming in including female stewards. How can smoke bombs get into the stadium when a ‘little old lady’ has to take the top of her bottle of water which was subsequently kicked over denying her a drink!
Next week
Next Saturday Pompey make their last trip of the season to Gigg Lane to take on already relegated Bury.
The Shakers have been languishing at the foot of the table for most of the season and their fate was sealed when they lost at home to fellow strugglers Northampton Town.
Pompey have met Bury at every level of English football starting in Division One back on Boxing Day 1927 when the Lancashire side won 4-0. The return fixture was the next day when Pompey got their revenge as Jack Tinn’s side won by the only goal.
After two seasons together in the top flight Bury were relegated and they would not meet again in the league until 1962 when they both found themselves in Division Two. There had been an FA Cup meeting in 1957 which Toast readers will remember Ed told about many years ago.
Pompey’s league record at Bury is poor with only two wins in 1966 and 1997. In 1966 Harry Harris, Cliff Portwood and Johnny Gordon scored in a 3-1 win and in 1997 the Johns, Durnin and Aloisi netted in a 2-0 triumph.
Stanley
Congratulation to John Coleman and all involved at Accrington Stanley in achieving promotion for the very first time on such a limited budget.
If the manager of the season award does not go to Sean Dyche at Burnley then it should go down the road to Coleman.
Arsene off
So Arsene Wenger has finally decided to call it a day at Arsenal. English football owes the Frenchman a great deal for the way he has changed the face of football in our country with the game he has had his team play. How different the Gunner’s style changed from the George Graham 1-0 tactics.
The behaviour of fans in trying to drive Arsene out was in my mind appalling and showed total disrespect for what he achieved. Will any other manager take his team unbeaten through a Premier League season?
and finally…
As the end of season approaches footballers across the world are doing their best to make into the FSF’s And finally… awards. Here’s FCK’s Federico Santander with a strong contender for miss of the season. Truly shocking.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=zWHSRFiEkK4
PUP