Walsall (H) September 15th 2012

When I checked my Sky Sports App last week to see who was next up for Pompey I got a tad excited when I read we were playing Millwall at home. On checking for a second time when I was more awake I realised that last season’s relegation hadn’t been part of my imagination and that we are actually playing Walsall at home which wasn’t so exciting a prospect after all but is obviously part and parcel of the new furniture that surrounds us in the NPower League One. I met a Walsall fan once and have never met any others so I’m presuming there’s more than just him in existence but we’ll see how many travel down for the game tomorrow.

Walsall managed by Dean Smith and nicknamed ‘The Saddlers’ visit Fratton Park sat in 8^th position currently. They opened this season’s campaign with a 1-0 win at home to Brentford in the League Cup before crashing out 3-0 in the second round to Premiership opposition in the form of Mark Hughes’ QPR away at Loftus Road. Their opening league game saw a comprehensive 3-0 loss to Doncaster Rovers who were relegated alongside Pompey from The Championship at the tail end of last season. Since their opening day defeat The Saddlers are unbeaten in four having secured wins against Notts County (1-0) and MK Dons (1-0) and drawn with Oldham Athletic (1-1) and Brentford (2-2).  Twenty year old forward George Bowerman who has come through the academy ranks at Walsall is their top goal scorer in all competitions with 2 goals in a season that has seen them score just 6 goals in 7 games. Walsall will aim to field the 19 year old Belgian midfielder Florent Cuvelier who is currently on loan from Stoke City. Cuvelier was part of the Portsmouth youth set up before joining the Premiership side in 2010.

Pompey and Walsall have played in a total of 23 competitive matches together in which Pompey have won 10, lost 5 and drawn 8 scoring a total of 37 times and conceding 25. The last season the two clubs were together was in 2002/03 and Pompey won 2-1 away and 3-2 at home. The wins extended their unbeaten run against The Saddlers to four games. Their last loss came back in April 2000 when Walsall won 1-0 at The Bescot Stadium.

I know in life they say you should never judge a book by its cover but The Saddlers Player of the Season for the past two years has been central defender Andy Butler and Michael Appleton’s men will be hopeful of recording their third successive win in all competitions following the home win in the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy against AFC Bournemouth on penalties and last Sunday’s 3-0 away win to high flying Crawley Town which was their first league win of the campaign. Goals from Harris and McLeod sandwiched a superbly struck free kick from Luke Rodgers to secure the win after Crawley had been reduced to nine men and had their manager sent to the stands. Pompey welcome back Mustapha Dumbuya from international duty but remain without the suspended Jordan Obita who serves the last of a three match ban following his dismissal at home to Oldham Athletic. New signing Gabor Gyepes looks set to miss out following his injury sustained in the first half at Crawley Town. With the off the field uncertainty continuing manager Michael Appleton is weighing up the options of releasing either central defender Kevin Long or Conor Clifford when their loan deals run out in order to bring another forward into the club as cover for McLeod and Rodgers. Defender Paul Connolly has returned to parent club Leeds United following his injury.

Oldham Athletic (H) 1st September 2012

It may be too early in the season with just three games played to call this game a six pointer but with the visit of Paul Dickov’s Latics to Fratton Park tomorrow currently lying 3^rd bottom having collected only one point so far this season it has all the hall marks as such. Michael Appleton’s Pompey go into the game just two places above with one more point to show for their efforts.  

Oldham Athletic have so far failed to impress on their travels having lost their opening match 2-0 to MK Dons and 1-0 last week to Stevenage Borough. Their only point of the season came at home to Walsall in a 1-1 draw through a 25 yard Youssouf M’changama strike which Grof failed to deal with in The Saddler’s goal.

Pompey by contrast opened their account brightly with a hard fought point at home to South Coast rivals and promotion hopefuls AFC Bournemouth in a 1-1 draw before picking up another point in a 2-2 draw away to Colchester in a game that Pompey really should have travelled back down to the south coast with all three points. Their unbeaten start to the season came apart in spectacular fashion thanks in part to some kamikaze defending which saw them leave empty handed from Brunton Park on the wrong side of a 4-2 score line last weekend. Trailing 2-0 going into the 90^th minute with only ten men following the second half dismissal of Kevin Long, substitute Ashley Harris scored his first league goal for Pompey with a short range header before Appleton saw his side concede for a third time in the game. Fellow substitute Conor Clifford (on loan from Chelsea) calmly slotted the ball home to make it 3-2 before Pompey again came unstuck at the back and the fourth injury time goal was registered.

The month of August was a whirlwind for Pompey on and off the pitch with debutants galore and the off field sagas continuing to rumble on as the club attempts to try and come out of administration. Talks have been ongoing this week between Balram Chanrai’s Portpin, The Portsmouth Supporters Trust and an unnamed third party with the club’s administrator Trevor Birch as he works to find the best deal for the club moving on long term. On the pitch the five goals scored have interestingly come from five different players which Appleton will no doubt see as a positive if he is to keep hold of the players long term but the team still look devoid of an out and out goal scorer as they seek to overcome the threat of relegation if and when the ten point deduction comes into play for coming out of administration.

Ex-Sheffield United midfielder Johnny Ertl has joined the sea of new faces whilst Kieran Djilali has been released from his one month contract. The 29 year old Austrian goes into tomorrow’s squad. Yesterday also saw England Youth international Sam Magri leave the club for English Premier League side Queen’s Park Rangers on a free transfer although a sell on clause was tied into the deal. Ertl is joined by the versatile midfielder Darel Russell who has previously played for Norwich City and Stoke City and his experience should prove invaluable at this level. Appleton is hoping to add forward Daniel Bogdanovic to the squad but he requires international clearance at this stage. Following Long’s dismissal against Carlisle last weekend, the central defender will miss tomorrow’s game serving out a one match ban.

In 33 previous meetings between the two sides Oldham Athletic have the upper hand with 13 wins to Pompey’s 11 with 9 draws, although Pompey’s goal total is one better with 57 goals to 56 though this was boosted heavily by the 7-2 win recorded in the 1926/27 season. The last time the two sides met Pompey won 1-0 at home on February 1^st 1997 and they go into the game undefeated in the last five games against The Latics hoping to make that six and record their first win of the season.