Preview time again and this one
is a little earlier than usual if only for the fact that I get to write the
words for the first time this season that we actually won our last game. So if
you’re a regular reader of these previews (don’t you have anything better to
do?) I would like to say on the record how wrong I was when I wrote in the last
blog that I didn’t care if we lost the Tin Pot Trophy tie to AFC Bournemouth. I
could try to deny it on many fronts but unlike in the case’s of the Guildford 4
and the Birmingham 6 there was at least one witness to the crime that was me
sat on a bar stool kicking every ball for the last twenty minutes all the more
nervous than when my first born entered the world. That might sound an incredibly
bad thing to say on my part as a father but my little girl was in a room with
21 highly trained medical professionals whilst we were trying to survive the
onslaught of a man who looked like a ginger Robbie Rotten from the kids TV
programme Lazy Town and he’d already managed to find the back of the net twice.
My heart was genuinely beating like the clappers every time the ball came
anywhere near our 18 yard box. I won’t lie – I walked out of the pub and around
the corner and pumped my fists in celebration. I don’t care if it’s the Tin Pot
Trophy – Sometimes a win is a win and they all count at the end of the day. So
confession out of the way I’ll try restore some normality to proceedings;
namely the fact that for the third game on the trot I don’t have a clue who the
opposition players are and I’ve had to cheat.
I was surprised to learn that
Crawley were actually formed all the way back in 1896 and even more surprised to
find out that looking at the current league table that if you turned it upside
down we’d swap places with them. I mean no disrespect to Crawley Town but I’m
making it obvious that I have paid no attention to the lower two tiers of the
English league the past couple of decades or the non league for that matter
either. ‘Call yourself a football fan?’ some might ask. No I’m a Pompey fan – I
call that a ’Gluten for punishment!’ So whilst I might not be totally surprised
that we find ourselves fourth bottom given the way we began the season with a
team of debutants, the fact that they find themselves fourth top following last
season’s promotion having finished 3rd in League Two was a surprise
especially running through the names in their squad.
The more observant will pick out
the name of Shaun Cooper who Pompey released back in 2005 to AFC Bournemouth. The
Isle of Wight born defender made just 7 appearances total in a five year period
so you’ll be forgiven if the name isn’t instantly recognisable. The other
obvious name on the team sheet will be that of Jonathan Forte the 26 year old
forward who is on loan from our neighbours down the M27 and who will no doubt
get a warm welcome from the travelling fans throughout the game as is customary
at such junctures.
Crawley’s Broadfield Stadium with
its capacity of just 5,996 will be the smallest ground that Pompey have played
a league game at for since the early 1980s or even late 1970s and manager
Richie Barker will be full of confidence that his side will maintain their 100%
home record to the season against a Pompey side still looking for their first
league win. Apart from a 3-0 away loss to Paolo Di Canio’s Swindon Town,
Crawley’s record this season in all competitions makes impressive reading to
say the least; They began their season beating Championship Millwall away on
penalties 4-1 in the League Cup following a 2-2 draw in normal time before
beating fellow Championship side Bolton in the next round 2-1. Mid week saw a
3-2 win at home to Gillingham in the Tin Pot Trophy and their league campaign
has taken in two home wins to Leyton Orient (1-0) and Scunthorpe (3-0) and a
third away to Doncaster Rovers (1-0).
Six wins out of seven in all
competitions including two against Championship opposition will see Crawley
start the clear favourites with the bookies but Appleton’s men will take heart
and confidence from the midweek win against AFC Bournemouth on penalties capped
by the fine solo effort of skipper Brian Howard to make the game level at 2-2. Pompey
will be without the influential Mustapha Dumbuya who has been called up for
Sierra Leone and the on loan Conor Clifford away on international duty with the
Republic of Ireland Under 21s. Jordan Obita sits out the second game of his
three match ban following his dismissal last Saturday at home to Oldham
Athletic and Paul Connolly is set to return to parent club Leeds United
following his injury in midweek. Gabor Gyepes the ex-Cardiff City defender has
been signed on a one month contract and is awaiting international clearance
ahead of the game. Could there be a familiar name on the team sheet in fans
favourite Herman Hreidarsson who’s offered his services to the club free of
charge for the time being? One’s thing for certain is that if the Icelandic
player pulls on the Pompey shirt again he will receive a hero’s welcome from
the Fratton Faithful.
Whatever the result on Sunday at
least I won’t be sulking tomorrow tonight as is growing customary again once
more every Saturday. Can we dare to hope for two wins in one week?
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