Our local was open at 10am so we left Durrington nice and early, passed Worthing and Hove stations full of Police and arrived at Brighton station to be met by dog units, one or two vans, quite a few Police including some from Wales (were they expecting Cardiff?).
The Police were apparently out in numbers at Chichester and boarded each train as it arrived and took off any known Portsmouth fans without tickets.
We were soon in the Welly and at 11.30 jumped in out taxis and were soon at the ground. Sidwell was missing and Charlie started again.
Straight from the kick off we attacked Portsmouth with Brooker putting one in the side netting from about 25 yards (for a second or two I thought it had gone in!). Barrett had a good game, holding the ball up and we looked dangerous, but still lacked the killer instinct.
The match saw attacking football from end to end and Steve Stone was lucky to stay on the pitch after upending Nathan Jones. On the other hand I thought Portsmouth had a clear penalty turned down. Tordov rounded Roberts who appeared to take his legs even though the ball was already drifting wide.
Zamora then missed a great chance, set up by a quick thinking ballboy, Jones and Barrett but Zamora struck the ball with his right foot and it drifted away from the far post and out for a goal kick.
2nd half started very much as the first finished. Zamora latched on to a through ball, he was shackled by 2 defenders, but used his strength to hold them off and tucked the ball in the corner giving Hislop in goal no chance.
Immediately Portsmouth responded and for 10 minutes had us in all sorts of problems. Roberts managed to block a Tordov shot, the ball squirmed under him but Pethick (I think) cleared the ball away from danger. From the corner Tordov turned Pethick far too easily and slotted away the equaliser.
After that the chances were few and far between, but we looked very positive. Charlie came off to a deserved standing ovation, Barrett did as well, shame the tossers somewhere in block D decided to abuse Kitson as soon as he came on.
Slag them in the pub, or after games, but when they are on the pitch in blue and white striped shirts get behind them. I don't care if they have supported the Albion for 30 years, they were not helping the team at all yesterday.
I have never seen them before and wasn't involved in the argument until as I was leaving one of them started on me telling me I never get behind the team! To**er!
Dr Mike saw how wound up I was getting, but I left it there otherwise I might have chinned the idiot and got myself in trouble. I will certainly look out for him at the next home game and ask him what illegal substances he was on (the idiot not Dr Mike!)
At the final whistle Barrett came out the dug out and came over to applaud everyone, I think we wont see him playing for the Albion again.
We caught the bus back into Brighton and the Portsmouth fans received a large Police escort back to Preston Park station for a football special back to Portsmouth.
Sadly the headlines in todays Argus are about a big punch up at the Railway Belle pub by Brighton station, not sure who was involved!
So Saturday is a free weekend, wish we had another game as the bottom of the table makes interesting reading. Our away games in February at Walsall and Bradford and the midweek trip to Stoke in early March will decide our destiny!
Mark R
My ratings
Roberts 7 looks solid
Mayo 8 great game
Jones 8 best game this season
Cullip 9 MOTM
Pethick 6 struggled at times
Watson 6 ok
Oatway 9 first half, 7 second half as tired after marking Merson out the
match
Carpenter 8 pushed Cullip for MOTM
Brooker 8 as above
Zamora 7 touch deserted him at times, scored goal from most difficult
chance
Barrett 7 held ball up well, but didn't look like scoring
Kitson 10 for getting on the pitch. We need him fit to survive
Blackwell 7 looked solid when he came on
Mark R
"Bringing you duff information first
The Police were apparently out in numbers at Chichester and boarded each train as it arrived and took off any known Portsmouth fans without tickets.
We were soon in the Welly and at 11.30 jumped in out taxis and were soon at the ground. Sidwell was missing and Charlie started again.
Straight from the kick off we attacked Portsmouth with Brooker putting one in the side netting from about 25 yards (for a second or two I thought it had gone in!). Barrett had a good game, holding the ball up and we looked dangerous, but still lacked the killer instinct.
|
The match saw attacking football from end to end and Steve Stone was lucky to stay on the pitch after upending Nathan Jones. On the other hand I thought Portsmouth had a clear penalty turned down. Tordov rounded Roberts who appeared to take his legs even though the ball was already drifting wide.
Zamora then missed a great chance, set up by a quick thinking ballboy, Jones and Barrett but Zamora struck the ball with his right foot and it drifted away from the far post and out for a goal kick.
|
Immediately Portsmouth responded and for 10 minutes had us in all sorts of problems. Roberts managed to block a Tordov shot, the ball squirmed under him but Pethick (I think) cleared the ball away from danger. From the corner Tordov turned Pethick far too easily and slotted away the equaliser.
After that the chances were few and far between, but we looked very positive. Charlie came off to a deserved standing ovation, Barrett did as well, shame the tossers somewhere in block D decided to abuse Kitson as soon as he came on.
Slag them in the pub, or after games, but when they are on the pitch in blue and white striped shirts get behind them. I don't care if they have supported the Albion for 30 years, they were not helping the team at all yesterday.
I have never seen them before and wasn't involved in the argument until as I was leaving one of them started on me telling me I never get behind the team! To**er!
Dr Mike saw how wound up I was getting, but I left it there otherwise I might have chinned the idiot and got myself in trouble. I will certainly look out for him at the next home game and ask him what illegal substances he was on (the idiot not Dr Mike!)
At the final whistle Barrett came out the dug out and came over to applaud everyone, I think we wont see him playing for the Albion again.
We caught the bus back into Brighton and the Portsmouth fans received a large Police escort back to Preston Park station for a football special back to Portsmouth.
Sadly the headlines in todays Argus are about a big punch up at the Railway Belle pub by Brighton station, not sure who was involved!
So Saturday is a free weekend, wish we had another game as the bottom of the table makes interesting reading. Our away games in February at Walsall and Bradford and the midweek trip to Stoke in early March will decide our destiny!
Mark R
My ratings
Roberts 7 looks solid
Mayo 8 great game
Jones 8 best game this season
Cullip 9 MOTM
|
Pethick 6 struggled at times
Watson 6 ok
Oatway 9 first half, 7 second half as tired after marking Merson out the
match
Carpenter 8 pushed Cullip for MOTM
Brooker 8 as above
Zamora 7 touch deserted him at times, scored goal from most difficult
chance
Barrett 7 held ball up well, but didn't look like scoring
Kitson 10 for getting on the pitch. We need him fit to survive
Blackwell 7 looked solid when he came on
Mark R
"Bringing you duff information first