Stoke was a massive three points. Last night was if anything be more important. Win again and we could just about lay serious claim to mid-table. Lose and suddenly Portsmouth would be just three behind us with a game in hand, Blackburn four with a new manager bounce, leaving otherwise just West Brom and Leicester, both in dire form but – like Southampton, Sheff Utd and Norwich before them – not teams you anticipated being in a relegation scrap and quite likely to pull themselves together when they acknowledge the reality of their situation. Comfortable it most certainly would not be.
Putting temporarily to one side the merited goodwill they and their supporters generated with their behaviour over the sad demise of Headphones Norm, no doubt we owed Portsmouth one for the outcome at their place over New Year – even if we had no-one to blame but ourselves. And although their home form is reasonable, Portsmouth pre-match stood above only Sheff Wed in the away performance table, with just two wins and five draws in 14 games, scoring only nine goals in the process, while also carrying a lengthy injury list (nice for it not to be us for a change) but they like us bolstered by January additions. So you felt before that game that a good, committed performance by us, plus the rub of the green, might be enough for us to secure the points. A draw wouldn’t be the end of the world, given where it would leave them, but a win would be so, so much better. So close it seemed - but as it turned out so far away.
We were outmuscled and outfought pretty much from start (leaving aside the first minute) to finish. You give credit to Portsmouth for coming with a gameplan which worked, playing decent football to create space and to feed a front line which we never managed to dominate, while ensuring our wing-backs were pressed back, leaving the front two and Carey in support to feed off scraps. When we play like that – you may say when the opposition makes us play like that - we look a poor team, the opposition dominating possession, us unable to do anything with the ball when we get it (a few passes across the back followed by the inevitable long ball forward). You could feel the frustration both on and off the pitch, one factor behind the steady accumulation of yellow cards.
The only saving grace from our perspective was the nature of their goals and the inevitable ‘if onlys’. We weren’t battered (like against Southampton or Sheff Utd before their red cards), Portsmouth actually created few chances. Their goals came curtesy of two long-range strikes, tricky ones but both of which Kaminski should have kept out, and a questionable penalty (I don’t agree the decision was a mistake, but it was harsh). Chasing the game against opposition comfortable on the ball and strong enough to hold off challenges was dispiriting. How different the game could have been if we had taken the lead in the first minute. The only positive to be taken from the game was the contribution of Fevrier, so far rather the forgotten man of the transfer window.
As for the details, with no sign yet of Antonio to take the final available squad place, the team was expected to be largely unchanged, but it seemed that Godden picked up a hamstring injury and as one exited left another returned, with Leaburn deemed fit again after his shoulder injury and going straight into the starting XI. Otherwise it was as you were, including the subs.
You might say with hindsight that the game turned on the first minute. An ordinary ball forward was helped on by Leaburn, then eluded Dykes and his marker, to find Clarke inside the box with only the keeper to beat. His effort was saved by their keeper’s legs, but really he should have been given no chance. Nothing wrong with scoring in the first minute but the chance went begging and the night would turn only for the worse after that.
It was an open and after our opportunity a pretty even opening period, with our basic and direct approach looking capable of delivering more opportunities against what seemed fragile opponents, even though they were playing all the football. But as the game progressed we became less effective and they grew in confidence. Before 20 minutes were up both Clarke (kicking the ball away) and Chambers (late challenge) had seen yellow. And after 21 minutes we were behind.
They advanced into our half and the ball was played square to their right back. He was allowed to progress unchallenged, but was still a fair way out when he hit a crisp, swerving effort, one which deceived Kaminski, who failed to get enough of his body behind it. A little like Carey’s effort against West Brom, the keeper ended up looking rather silly. Just an error, no accounting for it.
The trouble is we reacted poorly to going behind, appearing rattled. Portsmouth created havoc in our box with a corner, then the ball was driven across the face of goal without getting the necessary touch. And after a yellow for Leaburn (hand in the face in an arial challenge) things went from bad to worse on 32 minutes. On their right side again, the guy brought the ball forward and Bell backed up, moving into the box. The cross was hit from close range. The way I saw the incident was that Bell instinctively tried to move his arm out of the way, but failed and as the ball made contact it could appear that his arm was in an unnatural position. So a harsh call but not an obvious error (IMO). I suspect that if Bell had kept his arms by his side the ball would have hit the arm but no penalty would have been given. Kaminski (who added to the yellow card total with his protest) dived to his right and the ball was sent in down the middle.
Now it would be the proverbial mountain to climb. And we failed to get one back before the break, which might have changed the mood in the dressing room. Instead there was another yellow, for Jones (pulling their guy back). The half-time stats showed we had just 38% possession, managing five attempts on goal (two on target) against nine (five) for them.
Jones the Boss registered his dissatisfaction at half time with three substitutions. On came Campbell, Coventry and Fevrier, replacing Leaburn (who had looked out of sorts and rather rusty), Coady (something had to be done to try and win some control in midfield) and Clarke. This also involved a change in formation, to a back four (Ramsay, Jones, Bell and Chambers), two in front of the defence (Coventry and Docherty), and three (Campbell, Carey and Fevrier) operating behind Dykes.
Obviously we needed to go for it from the off, to get one back and install belief. We didn’t manage that, not least as it seemed to me we didn’t play to the strengths of the changed formation. Balls were still sent in the air for Dykes to contest, but if he was able to flick it on it was to nobody, with Campbell and Fevrier wanting the ball to their feet and Carey not throwing the dice to get beyond Dykes. Surely the instruction should have been to play balls forward that Dykes might be able to hold up, to then bring the others into play. There was no sign of that.
Before we worked it out, and after another yellow, for Coventry (late challenge), the game was done and dusted. Same guy, this time he read a situation and collected the ball, moved forward and tried his luck from distance again. People may say it was a wonder-strike, it did for sure move around a fair bit. But ultimately Kaminski was beaten at his near post by a shot from distance, which he can’t be happy about.
We did manage to pull one back, on 63 minutes. A Carey long throw was nodded on by Dykes and Fevrier met it sweetly on the volley to tuck it into the corner of the net. Still around 30 minutes to play, could we really get something out of the game?
For a short while it seemed possible, with Campbell causing problems down our left side. But nothing materialised and as the clock ticked down Portsmouth understandably regained their confidence and to be honest saw out the game with little trouble. Carey picked up a yellow (late challenge), in a final, desperate throw of the dice Jones sent on Kelman and Berry for Chambers and Docherty, which had the unfortunate effect of Campbell moving to wide-right. Campbell blazed over in stoppage time but by then the game was up.
We all know the impact the defeat has, with a tough trip to Southampton coming up next on Saturday, then away at West Brom in midweek, February concluding with a home game against Wrexham. Whether Jones concludes that last night was just one to be forgotten, or opts to shake up the pack, I’ve no idea. The latter wouldn’t in any event amount to a change of approach or formation. We are very much the underdogs for Southampton at least and it really is time now to pull out an unexpected result. We are back in if not the merde something close to it.
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