Crewe Alexandra (H) 13th October 2012

Tuesday night and it was cup time again as Pompey lined up in the Johnstones Paint Trophy Second Round against Wycombe Wanderers. This was the fixture on the accumulator that everyone had done as a home win; it was the banker and the one fixture on paper that shouldn’t really have been a doubt. Going into the game after a strong first half performance against MK Dons at the weekend Pompey should have had enough in the tanks to overturn a side not only in the league below, but one who currently sit third bottom just out of the relegation zone. This was a game where Pompey could stamp their authority and build some confidence and yet someone forgot to send Wycombe their copy of the script and it took just embarrassing 13 seconds into the game for them to take the lead through Joel Grants effort. Sometimes it’s not the context of defeat that matters it’s the very manner and nature of defeat that hits home and leaves a sour taste in the mouth. I can’t imagine that anyone really cares about going out of a competition labelled by the fans as the Tin Pot Trophy, but what will have hurt is the score line and who the opposition are. Going one behind so early can sometimes be excusable if you get back on level terms quick enough, but going 2-0 down in the space of the opening eight minutes leaves real questions marks about the players commitment and the end score line of 3-1 simply isn’t good enough. That’s the magic of any cup though I suppose and good luck to the Trust owned Wanderers in the rest of the competition.

 

Back at the business end of the season and Pompey take on Crewe tomorrow who currently occupy 15^th place in the league on 13 points and a win will see us leap frog them in the table. So far on their travels Manager Steve Davis side has seen his side collect five points from a possible fifteen having won only once and drawn twice. A 5-0 win at home to Hartlepool United in the League Cup shows that on their day they are a side capable of being amongst the goals, but the 5-1 away defeat in the league to Brentford shows that they are equally as capable of conceding goals and their goal difference currently sits at a total of -5. In seven league and cup games away Crewe have only managed one clean sheet so far this season so Pompey really must go into tomorrow’s game with a stern belief that they can find the back of the oppositions net.

Crewe were promoted last season via the play offs having finished in 7^th place and like Pompey are taking a while to really find their feet in their new surroundings of the NPower League One. Mention Crewe and I automatically think of two things; Dario Gradi and their academy set up. Pound for pound the results of their academy must rank up there as some of the best in the world. With all the millions that Chelsea have spent on their academy which has born little success other than that of John Terry you’ve got to wonder what Gradi would have been able to achieve with the same level of finance. Sadly for Crewe they will remain a selling club at the end of the day but the uppermost respect should be given for what they’ve achieved and for what Gradi has achieved for the club. Sadly though, that’s modern football for you and clubs have to do what they can to survive from season to season.

Historically Crewe have the upper hand in previous meetings between the two clubs. In 14 outings Crewe have won 6, Pompey 4 and 4 draws. Crewe also have the upper hand when it comes to goals scored with a total of 21 to 19. Pompey haven’t beaten Crewe since October 2000 and are waiting on the fitness of Michalik who went off with an injury during the JPT tie. Darel Russell remains sidelined though Jack Thompson is back available for selection.

Wycombe Wanderers (H) JPT 2nd Round - 9th October 2012

Football is a game of clichés without a shadow of a doubt, but anyone in attendance of Saturday’s away match to MK Dons will have been treated to a show that suggested football really is a game of two halves. In the first half and first twenty minutes especially Pompey looked sublime on the ball; like a host of marauding lions charging forward as herds of gazelle and wilder beast did their uppermost to get out of the way and remain with their lives intact. Despite skipper Brian Howard’s second penalty miss in a week, Pompey cantered to a 2-0 lead with goals from McLeod and Gyepes and everything was looking easy. I’m not suggesting that MK Dons didn’t come close on occasions and the space and time they were given on the right wing all half should possibly have born more fruit than it did, but all was going to plan until the youngster Adam Webster inexplicably turned the ball into his own net with no one around. Half time with the score 2-1 and a game that had largely seemed out of reach with Pompey coasting in mid gear suddenly turned on its head.

MK Dons came out of the starting blocks, no doubt with a flea in their ear from manager Karl Robinson and from that point on it became a case of when they would equalise and not if. Post game manager Michael Appleton hailed the side’s performance as the best of the season but the Pompey fans in attendance will be left wondering how a side so in control in the first half had failed to come away with a third straight win for the first time in 18 months. They simply capitulated to the onslaught of a side that is yet to lose at home all season. The points were theirs in the bag on the first half display yet in the second half the game plan seemed to go out of the window. In the end Appleton’s side gamely held on for a point. It should have been such a different story. Whilst the Dons manager made full use of his substitutions, Appleton once more failed to act quickly enough, waiting until the last few minutes of the game to bring on Jordan Obita and new signing Akos Buzsaky with no real time for either player to make an impact on the game. In the end a game that promised so much ended with just a point to make seven from a possible nine in a week but it should have been all nine. Appleton seemed the only person behind Pompey that afternoon that believed his side was good enough to defend a 2-1 lead for a full 45 minutes and it was no surprise that they’re not good enough just yet to do such things. The one real credit from the second half was the performance of Adam Webster who wouldn’t let his head drop and battled on superbly despite his mistake in the first half which brought MK right back into the game. This month will see the 26^th anniversary of my first game at Fratton Park and I can say hand on heart that I’ve seen the heads of players far more experienced drop for far lesser mistakes which only serves to make the way Webster came through the second half all the more impressive.

All moaning aside though about what could have been the fact remains Pompey are now three games unbeaten and if they can replicate the first half performance over a full 90 minutes of play then fans will have genuine hope for the remaining months of the season. A few games ago Michael Appleton stated publically before the Notts County game that the season started now. Whilst we may have lost that game quite convincingly, seven points from nine will be a clear indication that finally the season is now underway and with the threat of losing ten points on exit of administration still hanging over the clubs head, at least now when it comes Pompey will start with their points tally in the plus rather than the negative, even if it’s only two points for now. The weight of a huge albatross will have been lifted from their shoulders and tonight’s game will be a timely distraction away from league matters. There will be no pressure on the player’s shoulders even if cup games bring the possibility of an upset no matter who is playing. Whist the JPT brings about a chance of reaching Wembley and a nice day out for the fans, no one will really be disappointed if Pompey are left to concentrate on the league having been knocked out.

The tie against Wycombe Wanderers brings interest not in the cup competition especially, but more for the fact that the opposition are owned now by their supporters trust having been taken over in June of this year. Caretaker Manager Gareth Ainsworth will be hoping a shock win will kick start their season for his side which currently sits third bottom in NPower League Two, one place above the relegation places. Wycombe’s solitary away league win this season came against York City (3-1) with the remaining four games all ending in defeat. On paper with the clubs away record this season, a caretaker manager in charge and being a league below Pompey, the games result shouldn’t really be in doubt but as always cup games always throw up the chance of a potential banana skin in what will be the first ever competitive game between the two teams.